Following Burkina Faso, the first qualified country on the field, six other countries validated their ticket for the final phase of the continental competition during the 3rd and 4th days of the qualifiers played this month of October. Some without much surprise, others creating a feat.
Some heavyweights in African football did not take time to enforce their statutes. Among these teams which have responded by already ensuring their qualification for the 2025 edition of the CAN, is Egypt, seven-time champion of the competition. The Pharaohs have achieved four victories in as many matches with a recent 2-0 and 0-1 against Mauritania to secure their 28th participation in this biennial of African football.
Hossam Hassan’s men lead Group C with 12 points. Also undefeated after four matches, Algeria has so far topped Group E. The last to have paid the price for the current good form of coach Vladimir Petkovic’s Fennecs are the Togo Sparrowhawks, beaten in less than a week in a double confrontation (5-1 and 0-1) thus opening the way to a 21st CAN final phase for the green and white.
21st participation assured without surprise also for Cameroon. Even if the Indomitable Lions did not have their fill of points (10pts) they managed to take shelter by remaining in first place in group J ahead of the Zimbabweans (8pts) thanks to the six points taken during the 3rd and 4th day at the expense of Kenya.
With the same number of points (10pts) as the first in group L, Senegal validated its place at the continental festival for the 18th time in its history. Alongside these countries which were more or less expected at this level, others, like Angola, surprised more than one observer. Continuing their great campaign during the last CAN, the Palancas Negras confirm their return to the forefront.
The team led by Pedro Gonçalves dominated Niger (2-0 and 0-1) in October in group F to get ahead of teams like Ghana in the standings (1st with 12 pts) and punch their ticket for a 10th final phase. The Ugandans, absent during CAN 2021 and 2023, will play their eighth African Cup of Nations in Morocco. First in Group K, Uganda had its luck at the end of the victorious double confrontation against South Sudan (1-0 and 1-2) which allowed it to collect 10 points sufficient to climb to the head of the band.
Semi-finalist of the last CAN, the DRC also performed well in group G. With 12 points taken out of 12 possible, the Leopards validate their 21st participation in a CAN final phase by dominating Tanzania (1-0 and 0-2) thanks to the 3rd and 4th days of the qualifiers. For these happy eight, energies will now be mobilized for good preparation. The other contenders for the party have until November 19 to secure the remaining places for this CAN 2025 which will take place in Morocco from December 21, 2025 to January 18, 2026.
Voro KORAHIRE
