African Nations Cup — Format & regulations
African Nations Cup — Format & regulations
The African Nations Cup returns with a new 12-team format, combining a round-robin group stage and play-offs over five days.
1. Teams to be selected
12 teams will take part in the African Nations Cup.
The 12 teams will be selected as follows:
- 1 team: host nation
Criterion (1)
- 6 teams: teams ranked 1st to 6th in the African ranking. If one or more of the top six teams decline to participate, they will be replaced by the next teams in the ranking.
Criterion (2)
- 1 team from North Africa (the highest-ranked team from this region not already selected under criterion (1))
- 1 team from West Africa (the highest-ranked team from this region not already selected under criterion (1))
- 1 team from Central Africa (the highest-ranked team from this region not already selected under criterion (1))
- 1 team from East Africa (the highest-ranked team from this region not already selected under criterion (1))
- 1 team from Southern Africa (the highest-ranked team from this region not already selected under criterion (1))
Total: 12 teams
2. Team composition
Each participating team may include a maximum of 2 men + 2 women + 1 captain (minimum: 1 man + 1 woman + 1 captain).
3. Duration of the competition
The African Nations Cup will be played over 5 full days, starting on a Tuesday and ending on the following Saturday.
4. Format & running of the competition
Phase 1
A group stage with round-robin ties over 3 full days. Each team plays the other teams in its group. Every tie consists of 3 matches, played on the same court:
- 1 women’s singles, followed by
- 1 men’s singles, followed by
- mixed doubles
Phase 2
Play-offs for 1st to 4th, 5th to 8th and 9th to 12th places, over 2 full days.
5. Group composition & formats
Four groups of three (3) teams each: Group (A), Group (B), Group (C) and Group (D), as follows:
| Group (A) | Group (B) | Group (C) | Group (D) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Team ranked 1st in the Nations ranking | Team ranked 2nd in the Nations ranking | Draw between teams ranked 3rd and 4th | Draw between teams ranked 3rd and 4th |
| Draw between teams ranked 7th and 8th | Draw between teams ranked 7th and 8th | Draw between teams ranked 5th and 6th | Draw between teams ranked 5th and 6th |
| Draw between teams ranked 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th | Draw between teams ranked 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th | Draw between teams ranked 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th | Draw between teams ranked 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th |
Phase 1 — groups
Teams in each group play a round robin to produce a 1-to-3 ranking. If two or more teams are tied, they will be separated according to the rules used in team competitions.
Phase 2 — play-offs
1st to 4th place
The team finishing 1st in each group qualifies to play for 1st to 4th places in knockout semi-finals as follows:
Semi-finals:
- 1st Group (A) vs 1st Group (D)
- 1st Group (B) vs 1st Group (C)
The semi-final winners play the final for the title (1st and 2nd places). The losers play for 3rd place.
5th to 8th place
A draw is held among the four teams finishing 2nd in each group to set the semi-finals. The winners play for 5th place and the losers play for 7th place.
9th to 12th place
A draw is held among the four teams finishing 3rd in each group to set the semi-finals. The winners play for 9th place and the losers play for 11th place.