Senegal, DR Congo, Angola, and Egypt have secured their spots in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) following the conclusion of Matchday 4 of the qualifiers on Tuesday.
These four nations join hosts Morocco, who also confirmed their top spot in the group despite already being guaranteed a place, along with Algeria, Cameroon, and Burkina Faso, who qualified in the previous two days.
However, a significant upset looms as Ghana faces the possibility of missing out on AFCON for the first time since 2004. The Black Stars fell 2-0 to Sudan in Benghazi, with goals from Ahmed Al Tash and Mohamed Abdelrahman, leaving Ghana winless in Group F. Ghana trails group leaders Angola by 10 points and is five points behind second-placed Sudan.
Elsewhere, Angola secured qualification with a 1-0 victory over Niger, thanks to an early strike from Zini. Zambia and Gabon claimed key away wins, defeating Chad and Lesotho respectively. In Malawi, Sadio Mane’s last-minute goal helped Senegal to a 1-0 win, securing their place in the tournament alongside Burkina Faso from Group L.
DR Congo also qualified for AFCON with a 2-0 win over Tanzania, courtesy of a late double from Meschak Elia. In Group K, Uganda earned a 2-1 victory over South Sudan, while South Africa settled for a 1-1 draw against Congo.
In other results, Egypt qualified from Group C with a 1-0 win over Mauritania, Botswana moved into second place in Group C with a 1-0 win over Cape Verde, and Guinea-Bissau and Mali played out a 0-0 draw in Group I. Rwanda boosted their hopes with a 2-1 comeback win over Benin, and Sierra Leone stunned Ivory Coast with a 1-0 win in Monrovia.
In the evening matches, Morocco cruised to a 4-0 win over the Central African Republic, while Guinea claimed second place in Group H with a 3-0 win over Ethiopia. Tunisia and Comoros played out a 1-1 draw in Group A, leaving Tunisia just one point ahead at the top of the table.
Notably, the scheduled match between Libya and Nigeria was canceled after the Super Eagles boycotted the fixture in protest due to being stranded at an airport.
The AFCON qualifiers will conclude in November 2024.
