By Ibrahim Karim Bangura (Tanko)

Leone Stars have been drawn in Group G of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.

The draw, which took place last week at Super Sport Studios in South Africa, saw the Leone Stars alongside some familiar and formidable opponents in Africa soccer, included in Group G which is regarded as a highly competitive pool.

The Leone Stars will face the seasoned veterans of Ivorian football, Côte d’Ivoire, who are boasting of having two AFCON titles.

Zambia, another team with a rich footballing history and a continental championship trophy to their name, will also be looking to challenge the top spot.

Rounding out the group is Chad, a team on the rise who will be eager to cause an upset.

However, The Leone Stars failed to qualify for the 2023 AFCON in Ivory Coast, finishing third in their group.

They will be hoping to learn from that experience and should mount a strong challenge in this qualifying campaign. Coach Abdul Karim will be looking to build a team that can compete against these established teams and to enable his team to secure a place in the 2025 tournament in Morocco.

The qualifying group stage will be played across three international windows in September, October, and November of 2024. The top two teams from each group will progress to the AFCON finals, where they will join host nation Morocco.

The Leone Stars are aware of the tough task ahead.

With a passionate fan base behind them and a determined squad, they will be hoping to create some surprises in Group G.