Yobo, three other legends get roles as AFCON draw holds today
By Olaolu Joseph
Former Super Eagles’ skipper Joseph Yobo will be on duty at the final draw ceremony for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The event takes place later today in Rabat, Morocco, and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has selected the ex-Nigerian international and three other African legends as draw assistants.
Yobo, a former Everton of England star, will join Mustapha Hadji of Morocco, Côte d’Ivoire’s Serge Aurier, and Senegal’s Aliou Cissé.
The CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 Final Draw will take place at the Mohammed V National Theatre in Rabat today.
The 24 qualified CAF AFCON 2025 teams will learn their path to the trophy at the Final Draw, which starts at 19:00 local time.
The quartet of Yobo, Hadji, Cissé, and Aurier will not only draw the balls from the pots but will also be on hand to offer their insights into the groups for the tournament, which will be played in Morocco from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026.
They are some of the biggest names in African football and all have a rich history with the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON.
Here are some details about the four legends:
MUSTAPHA HADJI – MOROCCO
Hadji is renowned as one of Morocco’s greatest-ever players and was named African Footballer of the Year in 1998. He earned 63 caps for his country and scored 12 goals, playing in two FIFA World Cup tournaments.
He netted the winner for Morocco against Egypt at the 1998 CAF AFCON, the only team to inflict a defeat on the eventual champions. He also played at the 2000 finals.
He had a successful club career in France, Portugal, Spain, and England, and in 2011 received the CAF Legends award for his services to the game.
SERGE AURIER – CÔTE D’IVOIRE
Aurier is a two-time winner of the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON, having lifted the trophy in the 2015 and 2023 editions. The right-back has been a stalwart of the national team since his debut in 2013, earning 93 caps and scoring four goals.
His club career has taken him to Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspur, and he is a two-time winner of the French Ligue 1.
He was named in the CAF Team of the Year on four occasions between 2015 and 2019, showcasing his incredible consistency for both club and country during that period.
ALIOU CISSE – SENEGAL
Cissé was captain of Senegal when they excelled at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, reaching the quarter-finals against the odds. While he failed to lift the CAF AFCON as a player, he later achieved this as coach of the national team.
He won 35 caps as an industrious midfielder during a period when he played for Paris Saint-Germain in France, leading Senegal to the 2002 CAF AFCON final, where they lost to Cameroon.
He became head coach of the national team in 2015 and led them through a golden period, including winning the CAF AFCON in 2021 and securing FIFA World Cup qualifications in 2018 and 2022.
He was named CAF Coach of the Year at the CAF Awards in 2022.
JOSEPH YOBO – NIGERIA
Yobo was a commanding centre-back who made 101 appearances for Nigeria’s Super Eagles over a distinguished 13-year career.
He was squad captain when the team claimed the CAF AFCON title in 2013 and was a veteran of six continental finals tournaments, alongside three FIFA World Cups.
He spent the majority of his club career at Everton in England, where he became a fan favorite, but also played in Belgium, France, Spain, and Turkey.
He played 10 FIFA World Cup matches in 2002, 2010, and 2014.
