AFCON 2024 – Group F: Teams, favourites and standings

Morocco, DR Congo, Zambia and Tanzania make up Group F of the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2024).

In this article, we'll give you all the information about this group.

For clarity's sake, this year's competition is officially named AFCON 2023 since it was initially scheduled to take place last year but was postponed until January-February 2024.

AFCON 2024 Group F teams

Morocco
DR Congo
Zambia
Tanzania

AFCON 2024 Group F schedule

The AFCON 2024 Group F matches will take place in San-Pédro, with the exception of Tanzania vs DR Congo, which will take place in Korhogo.

Day 1:

17 January, 6 pm: Morocco vs Tanzania, Stade Laurent Pokou
17 January, 9 pm: DR Congo vs Zambia, Stade Laurent Pokou

Day 2:

21 January, 3 pm: Morocco vs DR Congo, Stade Laurent Pokou
21 January, 6 pm: Zambia vs Tanzania, Laurent Pokou Stadium

Day 3:

24 January, 9 pm: Tanzania vs DR Congo, Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium
24 January, 9 pm: Zambia vs Morocco, Stade Laurent Pokou

AFCON 2024 Group F: Analysis of the teams involved

Morocco

Morocco, impressive semi-finalists at the last World Cup in Qatar, seem to have benefited from a draw that can be described as lenient. However, the AFCON is a completely different competition from the World Cup, and everything remains to be proven for Walid Regragui's troops. It's worth mentioning that the Moroccans haven't won an Africa Cup of Nations title since 1976, almost 50 years!

DR Congo

The DR Congo are outsiders in Group F and seem sufficiently armed to finish in second place, at least. The Leopards, back after missing the last edition, have progressed well in recent months under the guidance of Sébastien Desabre. They finished at the top of their qualifying group with 12 points from a possible 18.

Zambia

Zambia, although less highlighted than Morocco or DR Congo, should not be underestimated. The history of the Chipolopolo in African competitions and their ability to surprise could play a crucial role in their journey within Group F. They notably finished first in their qualifying group, beating Ivory Coast for the top spot. It'll be fascinating to see how far the 2012 champions will go in this tournament.

Tanzania

Unlike the other teams in this group, Tanzania have never won an Africa Cup of Nations title. As a matter of fact, this will be their third appearance in this tournament, after the 1980 and 2019 editions (both times they crashed out in the group stages). Tanzania finished second behind Algeria in the qualifying rounds, beating Uganda and Niger for the coveted AFCON ticket.

Group F: Their history at the Africa Cup of Nations

Morocco

18 appearances

Best performance: winners in 1976

DR Congo

19 appearances

Best performance: winners in 1968 and 1974

Zambia

14 appearances

Best performance: winners in 2012

Tanzania

Two appearances

Best performance: 1st round in 1980 and 2019

History of clashes between Group F teams

Morocco and DR Congo have clashed many times throughout their history. In 11 encounters, there were three victories for each side, with five draws between them. The last clash between these outfits dates back to the play-offs for the 2022 World Cup.

Note that the Atlas Lions and Tanzania are also in the same FIFA 2026 World Cup qualifying group. The Moroccans defeated the Taifas Stars when these teams met in November. Tanzania will hope to avenge that loss when they cross swords in January.

As for the DRC and Zambia, they are two neighbours with players who often move from one championship to another. We can notably cite the Congolese defender – even if he is not international – Lebeau Binemo, who has been playing at Zesco United since August after notably playing for TP Mazembe.

At TP Mazembe, there are several Zambian internationals who have worn the colours of the club: Kabaso Chongo, Rainford Kalaba, Tandi Mwape. Note that the two outfits faced each other in the group stage of the 2015 AFCON event, where they played out a 1-1 draw.

Also, DR Congo and Tanzania squared off against each other in the qualifying rounds of the 2022 World Cup; and Congo dominated both clashes, claiming four points from a possible six.