Africa Cup of Nations sides await draw in Libreville

The Stade d'Angondjé in northern Libreville will be the site on Wednesday for the draw for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations. 

Reuters/Carl Recine

Nearly five years ago the 40,000-seat arena was the venue for matches during the 2012 competition, which Zambia ultimately claimed after a dramatic penalty shoot-out at the expense of Côte d'Ivoire.

The Ivorians will be, along with hosts Gabon, among the top four seeds. Ghana, beaten finalists in 2015, will also be in Pot 1 with Algeria.

Pot 2 will comprise Tunisia, Mali, Burkina Faso and Democratic Republic of Congo.

Egypt, who have not reached the final 16 since claiming their seventh title in 2010 in Angola, will be the most prestigious name in Pot 3 with four-time winners Cameroon as well as Senegal and Morocco.

Guinea-Bissau, who are appearing at the championships for the first time in its 59-year history, will be one of the teams in Pot 4 which will also included Uganda - absent from the tournament since 1978 - and Togo and Zimbabwe.

Gabonese president Ali Bongo met Issa Hayatou, the boss of African football's ruling body CAF, on Tuesday to run the rule over final preparations for the tournament which kicks off on 14 January 2017. The final will be held at the Stade d'Angondjé on 5 February

Bongo said work on the stadiums in Oyem in the north, Franceville and Port-Gentil in the south were all proceeding according to schedule.