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Battle for AFCON 2025 Intensifies as Nine Spots Remain

With 15 teams already qualified and 24 set to compete, the race for the remaining nine spots in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) heats up. The tournament, to be hosted by Morocco from December 2025 to January 2026, promises fierce competition as qualifiers reach a critical stage.

Qualified Teams So Far
Host nation Morocco and 14 other teams, including defending champions Côte d’Ivoire and runners-up Nigeria, have secured their places. Key highlights include:

Nigeria: Secured their spot in Group D after Libya’s 1-0 win over Rwanda earlier in the day. Later, the Super Eagles were held to a 1-1 draw by Benin, thanks to Victor Osimhen’s late equalizer.
Tunisia: Clinched their record 18th consecutive AFCON appearance with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Madagascar, sealed by Ali El Abdi’s stoppage-time header.
Gabon: Advanced without playing as the Central African Republic lost 1-0 to Lesotho, ensuring Gabon’s top-two finish in Group B.
South Africa and Uganda: Secured their spots in Group K after Congo fell 3-2 to South Sudan.

Tense Group Scenarios

Ghana: Their hopes are alive following Sudan’s heavy 4-0 defeat to Niger in Group F. Ghana must now win their remaining two fixtures and hope Sudan falters against Angola.
Algeria and Equatorial Guinea: Both teams are through from Group E, with Algeria dropping their first points in a goalless draw against Equatorial Guinea.

Teams Qualified for AFCON 2025

Morocco (Host – Automatic)
Burkina Faso (Group L)
Cameroon (Group J)
Algeria (Group E – Table leader)
DR Congo (Group H)
Senegal (Group L)
Egypt (Group C)
Angola (Group F – Table leader)
Equatorial Guinea (Group E)
Côte d’Ivoire (Group G)
Gabon (Group B)
Uganda (Group K)
South Africa (Group K)
Tunisia (Group A)
Nigeria (Group D)

Upcoming Matches
Friday’s qualifiers include 10 matches across Africa, with teams like Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe aiming to secure their spots with home victories. Other nations will fight to keep their AFCON dreams alive as the tournament edges closer to finalizing its lineup.