South Africa, Algeria, Burkina Faso, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia are already qualified for the competition scheduled for early 2024 in Cote d’Ivoire.
We now know seven of the twenty-four selections that will participate in the next Africa Cup of Nations (AfCON) of football. In addition to Cote d’Ivoire, the host country of the tournament, six other nations have obtained their tickets after the third and fourth days of the qualifiers.
Exempted during this international window, Morocco took advantage of it to offer itself a prestigious victory against Brazil (2-1) on the occasion of a friendly match played in Tangier. Without playing, the Atlas Lions, credited with 6 points, are assured to finish in one of the two qualifying places of group K. The other was taken by South Africa (4 points) having beaten, on the score of two goals to one, Liberia (1 point). Bafana-Bafana conceded a draw at home (2-2) in this double confrontation.
Burkina (10 points), semi-finalist of the 2021 African Cup of Nations, also qualified in pool B. Opposed in the first and second leg to Togo, the Stallions recorded a win (1-0) and a draw (1-1). Behind them, Cabo Verde (7 points), Eswatini (2 points) and Togo (2 points) will fight to accompany the teammates of Dango Ouattara.
In Group F, Algeria (12 points) stands out by dominating Niger twice (2-1; 0-1). The Fennecs have even secured their first place with two days to go in the qualifiers. Uganda (4 points) and Tanzania (4 points), who have given blow for blow in their duels, but also Niger, can still hang on the car leading to Côte d’Ivoire.
Like Algeria, Senegal has also secured four victories in as many games. The Teranga Lions beat Mozambique (5-1) at the Abdoulaye Wade Stadium in Diamniadio, before winning in pain in Maputo (0-1) thanks to a goal by center forward Boulaye Dia. Despite these two defeats, the Mambas keep their chances of qualification intact against Rwanda and Benin.
With 10 points, Tunisia is on the lead in group J. The Eagles of Carthage succeeded in overcoming Libya (3-0; 0-1) to take the lead. Equatorial Guinea is just behind them after beating (2-0; 2-3) Botswana. Therefore, only the Mediterranean Knights can prevent Nzalang Nacional from suffering the same fate as Tunisia. For the
seven remaining groups (see ranking), nothing is decided yet. The fifth and sixth rounds will be worth their weight in gold.
Here is the situation in the above mentioned groups:
Group A: 1st Nigeria (9 points), 2nd Guinea Bissau (7 points), 3rd Sierra Leone (5 points), 4th Sao Tome and Principe (1 point).
Group B: 1st Burkina Faso (9 points), 2nd Cape Verde (7 points), 3rd Eswatini (2 points), 4th Togo (2 points)
Group C: 1st Namibia (5 points), 2nd Cameroon (4 points), 3rd Burundi (1 point).
Group D: 1st Egypt (9 points), 2nd Guinea (9 points), 3rd Malawi (3 points), 4th Ethiopia (3 points).
Group E: 1st Ghana (8 points), 2nd Central African Republic (7 points), 3rd Angola (5 points), 4th Madagascar (1 point).
Group F: 1st Algeria (12 points), 2nd Uganda (4 points), 3rd Tanzania (4 points), 4th Niger (2 points).
Group G: 1st Mali (9 points), 2nd Congo (6 points), 3rd Gambia (6 points), 4th South Sudan (3 points).
Group H: 1st Ivory Coast (10 points), 2nd Zambia (9 points), 3rd Comoros (3 points), 4th Lesotho (1 point).
Group I: 1st Gabon (7 points), 2nd Sudan (6 points), 3rd Mauritania (5 points), 4th DR Congo (4 points).
Groupe J: 1st Tunisie (10 points), 2nd Equatorial Guinea (9 points), 3rd Libye (3 points), 4th Botswana (1 point)
Groupe K: 1st Maroc (6 points), 2nd South Africa (4 points), 3rd Liberia (1 point)
Groupe L: 1st Senegal (12 points), 2nd Mozambique (4 points), 3rd 4th Rwanda (2 points), Benin (1 point)
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