All 24 teams for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations are now set after Tanzania, Botswana, and Mozambique filled the last three spots following the conclusion of qualifying on Tuesday.
Botswana needed a point away in Cairo against Group C leaders Egypt to secure their spot in Morocco. Not many fancied their chances, but the Zebras defied the odds to book only their second-ever AFCON spot with a 1-1 draw.
Omaatla Kebatho put Botswana ahead after only eight minutes, but the Pharaohs were level seven minutes later through Mahmoud Trezeguet, leaving the visitors with an uphill task to hold onto their point.
And hold on they did, finishing second in Group C, just one point above Mauritania, who would have qualified if Egypt had won after securing a 1-0 home victory over 10-man Cape Verde.
For Botswana, qualification marks the end of a 12-year wait to return to the continent’s footballing showpiece.
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Tanzania Triumph in Group H Battle
Tanzania’s clash with Guinea in Dar Es Salaam was a straight battle for second place in Group H behind already qualified DR Congo.
Tanzania knew only a win would do, while Guinea needed just a draw to progress. In a tightly contested encounter, Simon Msuva’s 61st-minute strike proved decisive, handing the Taifa Stars a 1-0 victory and securing their place in the AFCON finals for the fourth time in history.
Mozambique’s Derby Delight
Meanwhile, Mozambique faced Guinea-Bissau in the Lusophone derby, needing just a draw to advance from Group I. They did far more than that, pulling off a surprise 2-1 win to seal their second consecutive AFCON appearance.
A loss at home to Mali on matchday five had left Mozambique in danger of missing out, giving Guinea Bissau a chance to leapfrog them in the standings with a home win.
Bruno Langa gave Mozambique a flying start with a goal in the 9th minute to put Guinea-Bissau on the back foot. Guinea-Bissau hit back before halftime, with Everton’s Beto levelling the score. But Mozambique regained control shortly after the break when Stanley Ratifo struck in the 52nd minute.
From there, they held firm to secure their spot in Morocco.
The rest of the 13 qualifying matches played on Tuesday were dead rubbers with no bearing on qualification places, as 21 of the 24 finalists had already been decided.
However, the already-qualified Democratic Republic of Congo failed in their bid to finish the campaign unbeaten after succumbing to a surprise 2-1 loss at home in Kinshasa to Ethiopia, with Mohammednur Nasir scoring the winner six minutes into stoppage time.
Senegal, though, beat Burundi 2-0 in Dakar to finish Group L unbeaten, dropping only two points in the campaign.
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2025 AFCON: How Other Teams Qualified
Heading into the last two qualifying rounds, 17 spots were still up for grabs, with Algeria, Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, DR Congo, Egypt, and Senegal already qualified alongside hosts Morocco.
In Group D, Nigeria only needed a draw from their final two games against Benin Republic and Rwanda to guarantee their qualification.
However, the Super Eagles punched their ticket without even stepping onto the pitch against Benin in Abidjan on matchday 5. Rwanda’s unexpected 1-0 loss to Libya in Kigali ensured Nigeria’s spot in Morocco.
That defeat would go on to haunt Rwanda, who, despite pulling off a shock 2-1 win over Nigeria in Uyo on Monday, missed out on qualification after Benin held Libya to a goalless draw in Tripoli.
Ange Mutsinzi and Innocent Nshuti struck in quick succession to overturn Samuel Chukwueze’s opener, handing Rwanda their first-ever win over Nigeria.
But it wasn’t enough for them to qualify. Both Rwanda and Benin finished with eight points, but the Cheetahs edged out Rwanda on a superior head-to-head record.
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Sudan Defy the Odds, As Black Stars Miss Out
Meanwhile, war-torn Sudan, forced to play all six of their qualifiers on neutral ground due to the ongoing conflict in their country, booked their spot in Morocco after a goalless draw with Group F leaders Angola, who finished the campaign unbeaten.
A loss would have ended Sudan’s hopes after Niger pulled off a spirited 2-1 win over Ghana in Accra.
Ghana needed to win both their remaining matches to keep alive their slim hopes of qualifying for the 2025 AFCON. But a 1-1 draw against Angola on matchday 5 had already dashed their dreams, meaning the four-time African champions won’t be at the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time since 2004.
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Other Results
In Group I, Kamory Doumbia’s first-half goal helped Mali to a 1-0 win in Mozambique, sealing the Eagles’ spot as group winners with a game to spare.
Elsewhere, Zambia claimed the top spot in Group G after a surprise 1-0 home victory over reigning AFCON champions Ivory Coast, although the Elephants were already through before kick-off after Sierra Leone were held to a 1-1 draw in Chad.
Meanwhile, Comoros earned a return to the continental showpiece after Myziane Maolida’s 90th-minute winner secured a 2-1 victory away against The Gambia, eliminating the Scorpions in Group A.
The Island nation needed at least a point to remain in the hunt and led in the 18th minute through Alassana Jatta, but Rafiki Said quickly equalised for the islanders.
Comoros, who reached the last 16 on debut at the 2021 finals but missed out on the 2023 edition, qualified as Group A winners, ahead of Tunisia, who earned a 3-2 victory at Madagascar.
In Group J, Zimbabwe needed just a point to progress, and they delivered with a gritty 1-1 draw against Kenya in Harare, ensuring qualification alongside Cameroon.
Elsewhere, South Africa secured a 2-0 victory in Uganda in Group K to win the group, although Congo’s 3-2 away loss to South Sudan meant Uganda qualified with a game to spare.
Meanwhile, Gabon didn’t need to kick a ball to seal their spot as Lesotho’s 1-0 loss at home to the Central African Republic assured them of their spot before their 5-1 home loss to Group B leaders Morocco, who finished with a perfect record.
And Equatorial Guinea made sure of their spot in Morocco with a goalless draw at home to Group E winners Algeria on matchday five.
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2025 Africa Cup of Nations: All 24 Qualified Teams for 2025 AFCON
- Morocco (Hosts)
- Burkina Faso
- Cameroon
- Algeria
- DR Congo
- Senegal
- Egypt
- Angola
- Equatorial Guinea
- Cote d’Ivoire
- Uganda
- South Africa
- Gabon
- Tunisia
- Nigeria
- Zambia
- Mali
- Zimbabwe
- Comoros
- Sudan
- Benin
- Tanzania
- Botswana
- Mozambique
2025 AFCON Qualifiers: Top Scorers
Brahim Diaz’s first-half hat-trick in Morocco’s 7-0 demolition of Lesotho ensured the Real Madrid star ended the qualifying campaign as the top scorer with seven goals.
Borussia Dortmund striker Serhou Guirassy finished in second place with six goals, but his efforts couldn’t help Guinea secure a spot in the 2025 AFCON.
Algeria’s Amine Gouiri, Zambia’s Kingsley Musonda, and Egypt’s Trezeguet all finished tied for third place, each scoring four goals in the qualifiers.
Top Scorers:
- Brahim Díaz (Morocco) – 7 goals
- Serhou Guirassy (Guinea) – 6 goals
- Amine Gouiri (Algeria), Kingsley Musonda (Zambia), Trezeguet (Egypt) – 4 goals
What Next? 2025 AFCON Key Dates
The Confederation of African Football has yet to announce the date of the group stage draw for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations finals.
The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations is scheduled to kick off on December 21, 2025, with the final set for January 18, 2026.
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