Sudan and Benin Secure Qualification for 2025 Africa Cup of Nations

Sudan’s national football team has secured a notable qualification for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, overcoming the nation’s ongoing civil war. Their home qualifiers for the tournament were held in South Sudan and Libya. Benin also advanced to next year’s finals following a tense final round of matches. Due to the conflict that began in April last year, Sudan has been compelled to host its home matches on neutral territory, and the country’s domestic league remains suspended. The Falcons of Jediane required only one point from their final two fixtures but suffered a 4-0 defeat away against Niger on Thursday. Nevertheless, they managed to secure second place in Group F after playing to a goalless draw against already-qualified Angola in Libya. Niger, which could have capitalized on another misstep by Sudan, consequently missed out on qualification by a single point, despite Oumar Sako’s 92nd-minute goal leading to a 2-1 victory over Ghana in Accra. Concurrently, in Group D, Benin achieved the necessary draw away against Libya, marking their return to the finals for the first time since 2019. The North African team (Libya) would have qualified had they won on their home ground in Tripoli, but Benin ultimately advanced due to their superior head-to-head record with Rwanda. The Cheetahs and the Wasps concluded the group level on eight points each, following Rwanda’s surprising come-from-behind 2-1 victory away against Nigeria. The final three berths at the 2025 Nations Cup in Morocco are scheduled to be filled on Tuesday. Botswana or Mauritania are contending for second position in Group C, while Tanzania must defeat Guinea at home to progress ahead of the West Africans in Group H. In Group I, Guinea-Bissau needs to defeat Mozambique by a margin that grants them the head-to-head advantage against the Mambas. The teams already qualified include: Morocco (hosts), Algeria, Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Comoros, DR Congo, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Mali, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.