This archive report was first published on 29 July 2019.
Published on July 29, 2019, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) held a draw in Cairo, Egypt, to determine the preliminary round matches for Africa's qualifying campaign in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The draw involved the continent's 28 lowest-ranked sides, according to this month's FIFA rankings, and will see regional derbies such as Burundi vs. Tanzania, Botswana vs. Malawi, Mauritius vs. Mozambique, and Liberia vs. Sierra Leone.
The preliminary round winners, along with the 26 countries who received byes, will be split into 10 groups of four after a fresh draw. The group winners will then proceed to five two-leg playoffs, with the winners qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Kenya will know its group opponents after the winners of the two-leg playoffs are determined.
The preliminary round matches will be played over two legs, from September 2-10, while the first matches in the group stage will take place in March 2020.
The matches are set to rekindle regional rivalries and provide opportunities for underdog teams to make a statement in the qualifying campaign.
