African national teams now know their seeding positions ahead of World Cup qualifiers

African teams still in the running for potential qualification to take part in the next World Cup in Russia 2018 now know their seeding positions ahead of the June 24 qualification draw.

20 African teams remain in contention for a place at the next global showpiece event in two years, with five of those teams set to qualify by winning their groups after a round robin format.

The draw will place the 20 national teams into five groups based on the seeds announced by world football governing body FIFA, which are determined by a combination of the current FIFA ranking and historic qualification performance for World Cups.

Ghana v Mali: Round of 16 - FIFA U-20 World Cup New Zealand 2015

Ghana players pose for a team photo during the FIFA U-20 World Cup New Zealand 2015 Round of 16 match between Ghana and Mali at Wellington Regional Stadium on June 10, 2015 © Hagen Hopkins/Getty

Algeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Senegal and Tunisia are the top seeds as the highest-ranked teams according to FIFA’s monthly updated list.

The official draw is set to take place in Cairo on June 24, with qualification matches for the five groups beginning in October, before continuing next year and concluding in November.

Nigeria v Burkina Faso - 2013 Africa Cup of Nations Final

Nigeria during the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations Final match between Nigeria and Burkina at FNB Stadium on February 10, 2013 © Getty

Official African Seeds

Pot 1: Algeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Senegal, Tunisia
Pot 2: Cape Verde, Egypt, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Mali
Pot 3: Cameroon, Morocco, Guinea, South Africa, Congo Brazzaville
Pot 4: Uganda, Burkina Faso, Zambia, Gabon, Libya