Bafana draw 'Group of Death'

Johannesburg - Bafana Bafana's unbeaten streak under coach Shakes Mashaba will be on the line after they were drawn alongside Ghana, Senegal and Algeria in Group C of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.

The draw took place in Malabo, the capital city of host nation Equatorial Guinea, on Wednesday evening.

Under Mashaba, the former champions have in total won four matches and drawn three.

The 16 teams set to contest for continental glory learned their fate and would now have less than two months to prepare for the group stage showdown.

A new champion will be crowned after current title holder Nigeria failed to make the qualification grade.

Burkina Faso, the beaten finalist in the 2013 edition in South Africa, would have a chance to redeem themselves after coming agonizingly close to the title.

The Burkinabe have been drawn in Group A against the host country, Congo and Gabon.

The tournament is set to take place from January 17 to February 8.

Bafana qualified via play-offs for the first time since the 2008 edition. Bafana had thereafter qualified only by virtue of being the host nation.

The draw for next year's African Nations Cup finals, conducted by the CAF in Equatorial Guinea on Wednesday:

Group A:
Equatorial Guinea, Burkina Faso, Congo, Gabon

Group B:
Zambia, Cape Verde Islands, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tunisia

Group C:
Ghana, Algeria, Senegal, South Africa

Group D:
Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Guinea, Mali

The tournament will be played from January 17 to February 8 in Bata, Ebebiyin, Malabo and Mongomo.