2025 Africa Cup of Nations Qualification Scenarios

Mali, defending champions Ivory Coast, and South Africa are among the national teams that require a single victory to secure their spot in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. The complete roster of 24 teams participating in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations will be determined by the end of next week, as the concluding two rounds of qualification matches are anticipated to feature several decisive winner-takes-all encounters. Ghana, a prominent team, faces the risk of failing to qualify for the tournament in Morocco; the Black Stars must secure all available points and rely on Sudan experiencing two losses. The top two teams from each of the 12 qualification groups will advance. Former champions Algeria, Cameroon, DR Congo, Egypt, and Senegal have already confirmed their participation, as have Angola, Burkina Faso, and the host nation. The Central African Republic is the sole team still vying for qualification that has not yet participated in the Nations Cup. Meanwhile, Botswana and Rwanda are aiming for only their second appearance in the tournament. BBC Sport Africa provides an overview of the qualification requirements for teams to secure a position in Africa’s premier sporting event, scheduled to commence on 21 December next year and conclude on 18 January 2026. Group A presents the most competitive scenario, with all four nations retaining a chance to qualify. Tunisia currently leads Group A, holding a one-point advantage over Comoros and a two-point lead over The Gambia, while Madagascar trails as an outsider. The Carthage Eagles, seeking to extend their record to a 17th consecutive appearance in the finals, have appointed Kais Yaacoubi as interim coach following the dismissal of long-serving manager Faouzi Benzarti. To maintain their slim qualification prospects, Madagascar must defeat the North African team on Thursday. Concurrently, The Gambia will play a critical ‘home’ match against Comoros the following day in Berkane. Based on these outcomes, the concluding round of matches, featuring Tunisia hosting the Scorpions and Comoros entertaining Madagascar, could create significant tension for supporters of all four nations. Group B appears less complicated, as Morocco has already secured the top position, and Gabon is favored to claim second place. The Panthers will host Morocco on Friday and will qualify if their result matches that of the Central African Republic’s game against Lesotho. Should the previous scenario not occur, Gabon’s match against CAR on Monday will serve as another crucial decider. Botswana might be required to defeat Egypt in Cairo on Tuesday, having previously suffered a 4-0 home loss to the Pharaohs. Botswana holds a strong position for the sole remaining qualification spot in Group C, maintaining a three-point lead over both Cape Verde and Mauritania. The Zebras will host Mauritania on Friday, followed by Cape Verde entertaining Egypt, a team that has rested its captain, Mohamed Salah. The head-to-head record could become a decisive factor when Botswana travels to Egypt and Mauritania hosts the islanders on Tuesday. Morena Ramoreboli has assumed interim management of Botswana following Didier Gomes da Rosa’s departure to manage the Libyan club Al Ahli Tripoli. Concurrently, Nigeria requires only one point to qualify from Group D, having received a 3-0 walkover victory against Libya last month after being stranded at an airport in the country overnight – though this sanction is subject to appeal. Either Benin or Rwanda seems poised to join Nigeria in qualification, while Libya is on the verge of elimination. The Mediterranean Knights must defeat both Rwanda and Benin and hope that the Super Eagles assist them by winning both of their matches against the same opponents. Qualification will extend to the final day unless Benin defeats Nigeria and Rwanda does not secure a victory against Libya. In Group E, Togo needs to defeat already-eliminated Liberia in Monrovia on Wednesday to prolong their qualification effort to a decisive final-day match against Equatorial Guinea in Lome on Sunday. Nevertheless, the National Thunder could secure qualification one game early if they overcome group leaders Algeria on Thursday. Ghana’s qualification prospects in Group F are precarious, having accumulated only two points from four matches. The four-time continental champions could face elimination before their match against Angola in Luanda on Friday, as Sudan will advance if they avoid defeat in their ‘away’ game against Niger in Lome the preceding day. Ghana’s concluding match is against Niger, but their faint