Date for AFCON draw named

Johannesburg - The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced October 26 as the date for the African Nations Cup finals draw.

General secretary Hicham El Amrani did not, however, announce the venue for the function in which the 16 finalists for next year’s tournament in South Africa will be divided into four groups.

However, SAFA officials have privately said they are looking at Sun City for the event, which will be televised across the continent.

Last week SAFA said the tournament would be hosted from January 19-February 10 and the draw would be held in the third week of October. CAF has now firmed up the date.

The qualifiers will be completed on the weekend of October 12-14.

They are still in the first round stage but are being held on a knockout basis this time because of the short period between the 2012 finals in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon and the 2013 finals in South Africa.

The Nations Cup is switching from every even year to every odd year.