Uganda Cranes will know their group opponents for the
2019 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) on Friday night when Caf conducts a draw at the Giza Pyramids and Sphinx in Egypt.
Two years ago, continental body Caf expanded its flagship showpiece - the Afcon - to 24 teams from 16, something that changed the entire qualification plan.
Now Uganda is among the 24 nations whose flags will be drawn up for 32nd edition. The Cranes are placed in Pot 3 after Caf graded the finalists using the recent Afcon appearances, qualifiers and latest Fifa rankings.
The 1978 finalists Uganda are in the same pot with 1996 champions South Africa, Guinea-Bissau, Angola, Zimbabwe and debutants Burundi.
According to the permutations, teams in the same pot cannot meet in a group. There are four pots of six teams each and six groups will be made of four nations apiece.
Hosts and record seven-time winners Egypt are already set to take up the top spot in Group A while defending champions Cameroon can take up top spot in any of the other five groups.
It implies that from the draw, the Cranes are in line to face nine Afcon winners. From Pot 1, it could be Egypt, five-time champions Cameroon, four-time winners Ghana, Tunisia who won it in 2004 or Ivory Coast who lifted in four years ago. Star-studded Senegal is here as well.
In Pot 2, Uganda could meet three-time winners Nigeria, 1976 champions Morocco, two-time champions DR Congo, Guinea or Mali whom they shared a group with in Gabon two years ago.
Pot 4 has debutants Madagascar and Mauritania, Namibia, Benin, neighbours Kenya who are back at the stage for the first time in 15 years as well as Tanzania who last featured in 1980.
2019 TOTAL AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS DRAW
Pot 1: Egypt (hosts, assigned to A1), Cameroon (title holders), Ghana, Ivory Coast, Tunisia and Senegal
Pot 2: Morocco, Nigeria, Algeria, Guinea, Mali, DR Congo
Pot 3: Uganda, South Africa, Guinea-Bissau, Zimbabwe, Angola, Burundi
Pot 4: Mauritania, Namibia, Benin, Kenya, Madagascar, Tanzania
CAST OF PAST WINNERS
2017: Cameroon
2015: Ivory Coast
2013: Nigeria
2012: Zambia
2010: Egypt
2008: Egypt
2006: Egypt
2004: Tunisia
2002: Cameroon
2000: Cameroon
This writer is a global broadcaster and as well scribe with Daily Monitor Newspaper and sports presenter with Radio One FM 90 in Kampala. Follow him on Twitter: @AllanDarren and his Facebook Page: Darren Allan Kyeyune
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