By Sports Reporter

ZIMBABWE’S Warriors face a tough qualification pathway for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations after being drawn in a tough Group H which features North African giants Algeria and Southern African rivals Zambia and Botswana.

The top two countries at the end of the conclusion of the qualifiers will book their ticket for the 24-team tournament to be held in Cameroon.

The qualification ties will be staged from October 7 and will end in November 2020.

Zimbabwe will head into the qualifiers aiming to secure their third successive qualification for the continental showpiece.

The Warriors participated in the 2019 competition but got eliminated in the group stage after losing two matches to the hosts Egypt and Democratic Republic of Congo and drawing against Uganda.

The draw ceremony took place on Thursday evening at the plush Marriott Hotels in Cairo, with African football icons, Nwankwo Kanu, Samuel Eto’o, Khalilou Fadiga, Geremi Njitap, El Hadji Diouf and Jose Clayton in attendance.

Caf deputy General Secretary of Football and Development, Anthony Baffoe was in charge of proceedings and was assisted by Algerian football great, Rabah Madjer, Eto’o and Nigeria’s Kanu.

The 48 teams were drawn into 12 groups of four teams, in addition to the four winners of the preliminary round.