The race for the remaining spots in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) has intensified, with 15 teams having already qualified for the tournament.
Set to be hosted by Morocco from December 2025 to January 2026, the competition is gearing up for fierce battles as teams vie for the last nine available places.
As reported on Friday, defending champions Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria have both confirmed their qualifications in their respective groups. Nigeria, alongside South Africa, Tunisia, and Uganda, secured their places in the tournament, with some benefiting from the results of the latest qualifying matches.
Tunisia achieved a thrilling 3-2 victory over Madagascar, thanks to a last-gasp header from Ali El Abdi, marking their 18th consecutive appearance in the AFCON. Gabon also qualified from Group B without playing, as their closest rival, the Central African Republic, suffered a 1-0 defeat to Lesotho.
South Africa and Uganda advanced without taking to the field, solidifying their positions at the top of Group K after Congo lost 3-2 to South Sudan. For Nigeria, a 1-0 victory by Libya over Rwanda earlier in the day guaranteed their finishing spot in the top two of Group D. Later, the Super Eagles managed to secure a 1-1 draw with Benin, thanks to a late equalizer from Victor Osimhen.
In a dramatic turn of events, Ghana’s chances of qualification were revived following Sudan’s heavy 4-0 loss to Niger, setting the stage for a tense conclusion in Group F. Ghana must win their next two matches and hope Sudan stumbles in their final game against Angola.
Meanwhile, Algeria, already qualified along with Equatorial Guinea from Group E, experienced their first setback of the campaign with a goalless draw against Equatorial Guinea in the sweltering heat of Malabo.
So far, the following teams have secured their spots for AFCON 2025:
Morocco (Host, Automatic Qualification)
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)
With Friday’s qualifiers featuring 10 matches across the continent, the competition to finalize the list of finalists is heating up. Teams such as Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe are in contention for their places, while others fight to keep their hopes alive.
