BBC Africa's Nick Cavell: "The dignitaries have been entertained by one of the continent's top musicians the saxophonist Manu Dibango - who no doubt will be keen to find out who Cameroon will be drawn against. The Indomitable Lions put a poor World Cup behind them to go unbeaten in the qualifiers - including a 4-1 thrashing of Ivory Coast."

@BakaOmubo:, external Ghana to win, flops will be Mali, Player to watch is Gervinho

Here are some of your views from @bbclovefootball on Twitter.

It isn't only the Premier League that will be affected either in England.

Championship Wolves are set to lose Nouha Dicko and Bakary Sako to Mali, while the likes of Bournemouth, Charlton, Middlesbrough, Peterborough and Sheffield Wednesday are also bracing themselves for key absences.

Still, they can't complain. They knew what they were getting when they signed them.

Image source, Reuters

There may be a lot of excitement around as the build up to Afcon gathers pace but you can be assured there are many Premier League managers who aren't so happy.

There are expected to be around 20 Premier League players called up for the tournament, with them missing domestic matches in January and early February.

Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure, Swansea striker Wilfried Bony and West Ham top scorer Diafra Sakho are among the Premier League players who may miss club games in the new year to compete in the Africa Cup of Nations.

Newcastle and West Ham could lose the most players - up to three - while Crystal Palace, Leicester and Southampton are set to lose two players each.

@dean_mancity: Winners - Algeria, flops - Ghana, player to watch for - Mahrez

Join the debate also on the BBC Love African Football Facebook page.

Some of your tips on Twitter here of who and what to look out for come January

Jake Avetoomyan:, external Team to watch: Cape Verde are going to be the equivalent of Costa Rica from this summer. Player to watch: Bertrand Traore.

Keith Thomas:, external Ivory Coast to do well. Bony will be a superstar

Tommy Fidler:, external Zambia to win, Cameroon to flop and one to watch Evans Kangwa of Zambia...

Image source, Getty Images

The tournament is definitely on then. So who is going to be in it?

One team who aren't going to be there is reigning Africa Cup of Nations champions Nigeria.

The Super Eagles - although obviously not so super at the moment - were beaten to a top two spot in their group by 2013 hosts South Africa and Congo.

Ochan Araali Emma on Facebook:, external Winner is Bafana Bafana, player to watch is Brahimi and Feghouli.

Image source, CAF

CAF on Twitter:, external #AFCON DRAW: The Sipopo Convention Centre in Malabo. Stars, legends & all football "lovers" focused on the city.

BBC World Service's Joanne Smith from Malabo: "There's Much anticipation here in Malabo as Africa's top coaches all wait to find out their group match opponents and remember there's no reigning champions Nigeria failing to qualify.

"But outside this main venue there's little evidence to suggest a major tournament will take place in January! No banners, no advertising but Equatorial Guinea did only find out last month they would be hosts!"

Image source, AP

Equatorial Guinea is one of the continent's smallest countries but will become the first to host two Africa Cup of Nations in a four-year period, having staged it in 2012.

Caf sounded out potential hosts but the response was cold, with South Africa, the 2013 hosts, Algeria and Sudan all believed to have said no, while Ghana, which staged it in 2008, and Nigeria were tempted but ultimately reluctant.

With a population of just 740,000 Equatorial Guinea will stage the finals all by itself, having co-hosted with Gabon last time round.

Since then the country has built new stadiums in both Mongomo and Ebebiyin - the two new venues - which join Bata and the capital Malabo, located on the island of Bioko.

The speeches are still ongoing in Malabo...

Image source, Getty Images

No surprises the Ebola crisis has caused the Africa Cup of Nations its own problems then.

Morocco wanted the tournament postponed - before they got expelled - while Uefa president Michel Platini upset the Confederation of African Football after he discussed the impact of the crisis in a TV broadcast.

Caf accused Platini of "treacherously" interfering but the Uefa president insisted his comments were misinterpreted and demanded an apology.

Caf said an apology to Platini would not be forthcoming.

The Ebola outbreak in West Africa was first reported in March 2014, and has rapidly become the deadliest occurrence of the disease since its discovery in 1976.

Up to 23 November, 5,689 people had been reported as having died from the disease in six countries; Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, the United States and Mali.

The total number of reported cases is in excess of 15,000.

Emmanuel:, external Winners: Ghana Flops: Cameroon One to watch: Rantie (South Africa)

I want to hear your tips for the tournament, both good and bad. So, let me know your winners, your flops and your player to watch for.

BBC Africa's Nick Cavell: "Former Cambridge United manager Claude LeRoy is in Malabo waiting to see who his Congo-Brazzaville side will have to play at the finals in January. It will be the Frenchman's eighth finals with his fifth different nation:

• 1986 (in Egypt) - Cameroon - Runners Up

• 1988 (in Morocco) - Cameroon - Winners

• 1990 (in Algeria) - Senegal - 4th

• 1992 Senegal (hosts) - Quarter-finals

• 2006 (in Egypt) DRC - Quarter-finals

• 2008 Ghana (hosts) - Third place

• 2013 (in South Africa) DRC - Group Stages (third in group)

• 2015 - Congo-Brazzaville - ???"

Image source, CAF

Pot 1: Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Zambia

Pot 2: Burkina Faso, Mali, Tunisia, Algeria

Pot 3: Cape Verde, South Africa, Cameroon, Gabon

Pot 4: Guinea, Senegal, DR Congo, Congo

Before we talk any more about the history, the players and the teams in the tournament, here is a quick run down on how today's draw, in Malabo, is going to work.

The Confederation of African Football has divided the 16 teams for the finals into four pots.

Seedings were established by the teams' performances in the last three editions of the tournament and the qualifiers over the same period. Also taken in to account were results in 2014 World Cup qualifying.

The draw will determine four groups made up of one team from each pot. Get it? Good.

BBC World Service Sport's John Bennett:, external 16 national coaches feeling very nervous right now. 12 of them praying that they get drawn against Equatorial Guinea. #bbcafcon2015