Following the conclusion of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 qualifiers on Tuesday (19 November 2024), all the participants for the Morocco finals have been confirmed. (More Football News)
The 35th edition of the AFCON, a biennial football tournament organised by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to crown the continental champions, will be played at six venues from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026. Ivory Coast are the holders.
The Africa Cup of Nations is not to be confused with the African Nations Championship (CHAN), another biennial tournament organised by CAF. Unlike AFCON, CHAN is exclusively for players playing in their national league competitions. Senegal are the defending champions.
"The full roster of 24 nations set to compete in the 2025 TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is now confirmed,' said a CAF release, "with Mozambique clinching the final spot after defeating Guinea-Bissau 2-1 on Tuesday."
"The competition will feature a mix of perennial powerhouses and emerging teams eager to make their mark on the continental stage... Joining Morocco are several former champions, including Senegal, Algeria, Egypt, and title holders Côte d'Ivoire."
AFCON 2025 Confirmed Teams And How They Qualified
Morocco (hosts and Group B winners), Burkina Faso (Group L runners-up), Cameroon (Group J winners), Algeria (Group E winners), DR Congo (Group H winners), Senegal (Group L winners), Egypt (Group C winners), Angola (Group F winners), Equatorial Guinea (Group E runners-up), Cote d'Ivoire/Ivory Coast (Group G runners-up), Gabon (Group B runners-up), Uganda (Group K runners-up), South Africa (Group K winners), Tunisia (Group A runners-up), Nigeria (Group D winners), Mali (Group I winners), Zambia (Group G winners), Zimbabwe (Group J runners-up), Comoros (Group A winners), Sudan (Group F runners-up), Benin (Group D runners-up), Tanzania (Group H runners-up), Botswana (Group C runners-up), and Mozambique (Group I runners-up).
AFCON 2025 Qualifiers Wrap
The biggest shock of the qualifiers was Ghana's failure to make the cut, their first since 2004. The four-time African champions finished bottom of the Group F, behind Angola, Sudan and Niger.
From the 2023 finals roster, Cape Verde, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania and Namibia also failed to qualify. But Comoros, Gabon, Sudan and Zimbabwe qualified after missing the 2023 finals. And Botswana returned to AFCON finals after a 12-year hiatus.
All members of CAF except Eritrea and Seychelles entered the fray during the March 20 to November 19 qualifiers this year. In the 150 matches played by 52 teams, 329 goals were scored at 2.19 per game.
Real Madrid winger Brahim Diaz was the top scorer with seven goals for Morocco. Borussia Dortmund striker Serhou Guirassy was second in the scorers' chart with six goals for Guinea.
