Welcome to our coverage of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers draw as it happens at the CAF headquarters in Cairo, Egypt.

52 teams, including the designated hosts, will feature in the draw which will also see the tournament host nation being announced today.

Follow the draw live right here and use #JoySports to leave us your comments on Twitter. I'm Gary Al-Smith and I will be taking you through the key points as they happen.

CLICK TO READ AL-SMITH'S ANALYSIS: Gabon legacy key to beating Ghana for Afcon 2017 rights

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1345 GMT

The Afcon 2017 draw has also been done

Group A: Tunisia, Togo, Liberia, Djibouti

Group B: Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, Central African Republic, Madagascar

Group C: Mali, Equatorial Guinea, Benin, South Sudan

Group D: Burkina Faso, Uganda, Botswana, Comoros

Group E: Zambia, Congo, Kenya, Guinea Bissau

Group F: Cape Verde, Morocco, Libya, Sao Tome

Group G: Nigeria, Egypt, Tanzania, Chad

Group H: Ghana, Mozambique, Rwanda, Mauritius

Group I: Ivory Coast, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Gabon

1306 GMT

BREAKING: Gabon has been named as the host of the AFcon 2017 Nations Cup. They beat Ghana and Algeria in Cairo moments ago.

The Central African nation hosted the event in 2012.

For Ghana, this would mean a return to the drawing board to try again later. The nation sent a 14-man strong team to Cairo but it appears Gabon's promise of a legacy from 2012 was too strong.

Algeria will feel particularly stung, considering they were roaring favorites to win it due to their long preps for the event.

Ghana hosted the finals in 1963, 1978 and 2008 and co-hosted in 2000 with Nigeria as late replacements when Zimbabwe was stripped of the right to hold the event.

Algeria hosted the tournament in 1990 when they won their only continental title.

Original host of the 2017 edition, Libya, withdrew last year from staging the competition following continued violence in the country.

The 2015 Afcon was held in Equatorial Guinea and won by Cote D’Ivoire.

More to follow.

AS IT HAPPENED

1301 GMT

Fomer Sudanese superstar Mahmoud Abdel Shata: "I don't care where the next Afcon will be held as long as that country makes Africa proud!"

We will know in a wee bit!

1300 GMT

It is time for the announcement. Algeria's team looks very calm indeed. Can they get the rights for the first time since 1990?

1251 GMT

Algeria's FA boss Mohammed Raouraoua: "Algeria has no concerns over security. Algeria is secure now. It's not like 10 yrs ago".

Ghana's bid member Rex Danquah also says: "Ghana's reputation as a great soccer tournament host is well-known. We hope Caf agree with us."

1246 GMT

The time is now. The world is waiting and the media houses from across the world have now been allowed in. We wait!

1235 GMT

Algeria's ambassador in Egypt Nazir Al Arabawi: "I believe my country's bid is the best and I am sure they will win. We started preparing for this years ago. We believe Ghana and Gabon only recently began.

1230 GMT

This morning, the rumour mill went into overdrive when, somehow, news spread in Cairo that Gabon was the roaring favourite. This led Ghana FA boss Kwesi Nyantakyi to begin a last-minute lobbying push with the country's high-power delegation to turn the tide, if the rumours were true. 

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EARLIER EVENTS

Gary: This is the hall in Cairo where it is happening at the Caf headquarters. Algeria, Gabon and Ghana are slugging it out for the right to host Africa in 2017. 

Gary: While we await the winner of the 2017 rights, a reminder of what is to come.

There will be a draw for the qualifiers for the Afcon 2017. They begin in June. There are 52 countries available to be balloted, with Somalia and Eritrea not included.

This is what an earlier dress rehearsal looked like.

 

Gary: This is what the hugh table of Caf Executive Committee officials looks like. Earlier, the three bid countries stated their case to this august group.

Gary: While Ghana, Algeria and Gabon tried to convince the ExCo the world's media await. But Joy Sports understands that only Caf-sanctioned cameras were allowed in the hallowed chambers.

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More updates to follow every 2 minutes

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Follow Gary on Twitter: @garyalsmith