SOUTH Africa is in Pot 3 in the draw tonight for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Equatorial Guinea.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has changed the way it determines the seedings for these finals, adding extra layers of complexity.
Bafana Bafana will not be pooled with Cameroon, Gabon and Cape Verde, who are in the same pot as them.
The seeded teams in Pot 1 are hosts Equatorial Guinea, 2012 champions Zambia, Ivory Coast and Ghana, with Bafana coach Shakes Mashaba no doubt keen to avoid the latter two.
Pot 2 comprises Burkina Faso, Mali, Tunisia and Algeria, with none of those an appetising prospect, not least Africa's top-ranked side the Algerians.
Pot 4 has some menace in it, too, with Guinea, Senegal, DR Congo and Congo. The Senegalese are the team to be avoided there.
The toughest possible outcome - and draws have been unkind to Bafana in the recent past - would likely be Ivory Coast, Algeria and Senegal in SA's pool.
The best pool they could hope for would be Equatorial Guinea, Burkina Faso and old foes Congo, who they ousted in the 2015 Afcon qualifiers where South Africa were one of four sides unbeaten.
Equally important will be to see which venues South Africa will play at.
The draw will take place from 8pm SA time.
Bafana hope for easy pool in Afcon pot draw tonight
SOUTH Africa is in Pot 3 in the draw tonight for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Equatorial Guinea.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has changed the way it determines the seedings for these finals, adding extra layers of complexity.
Bafana Bafana will not be pooled with Cameroon, Gabon and Cape Verde, who are in the same pot as them.
The seeded teams in Pot 1 are hosts Equatorial Guinea, 2012 champions Zambia, Ivory Coast and Ghana, with Bafana coach Shakes Mashaba no doubt keen to avoid the latter two.
Pot 2 comprises Burkina Faso, Mali, Tunisia and Algeria, with none of those an appetising prospect, not least Africa's top-ranked side the Algerians.
Pot 4 has some menace in it, too, with Guinea, Senegal, DR Congo and Congo. The Senegalese are the team to be avoided there.
The toughest possible outcome - and draws have been unkind to Bafana in the recent past - would likely be Ivory Coast, Algeria and Senegal in SA's pool.
The best pool they could hope for would be Equatorial Guinea, Burkina Faso and old foes Congo, who they ousted in the 2015 Afcon qualifiers where South Africa were one of four sides unbeaten.
Equally important will be to see which venues South Africa will play at.
The draw will take place from 8pm SA time.
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