Five teams clinched spots in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) during Thursday’s penultimate round of qualifiers, with three-time champions Nigeria among those advancing.
In a dramatic finish, Tunisia, reduced to 10 men, secured a 3-2 victory over Madagascar with a last-gasp 93rd-minute goal, marking their record-extending 17th consecutive Afcon appearance.
Gabon, South Africa, and Uganda also secured qualification without playing, as favorable results across their groups confirmed their places at the tournament in Morocco. Earlier, Libya’s 1-0 win over Rwanda guaranteed Nigeria a top-two finish in Group D before their match against Benin. Despite falling behind, Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen found the net to secure a 1-1 draw, keeping Benin, Rwanda, and Libya in contention for second place in the final round of group matches.
Ghana’s path to qualification remains open after Sudan’s heavy 4-0 defeat to Niger, which revived Niger’s campaign and delayed Sudan’s hopes. Now, Ghana must win against already-qualified Angola on Friday to stay in the race.
Several teams were eliminated on Thursday. The Central African Republic missed their chance to debut in the Nations Cup after a 1-0 loss to Lesotho in Group B. Congo-Brazzaville also saw their hopes dashed, losing 3-2 to South Sudan, which secured Uganda’s and South Africa’s places at Afcon 2025.
In Group A, Tunisia’s Ali Abdi emerged as a hero, scoring four minutes after teammate Wajdi Kechrida’s red card to eliminate Madagascar, who twice leveled the score but couldn’t claim the needed point.
Libya’s slim hopes remain alive thanks to Fahd Saad Mohamed’s late winner against Rwanda. Meanwhile, Benin, formerly known as the Squirrels, must avoid defeat to Libya in their next game to secure a second-place finish in Group D and join Nigeria at the finals.
Friday’s qualifiers will see Botswana, Comoros, Mali, Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe vying for qualification spots. So far, 16 teams have secured their Afcon 2025 berths:
Qualified Teams: Morocco (hosts), Algeria, Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, DR Congo, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia, Uganda
Thursday’s Afcon 2025 Qualifying Results
- Madagascar 2-3 Tunisia (Group A)
- Lesotho 1-0 Central African Republic (Group B)
- Rwanda 0-1 Libya (Group D)
- Benin 1-1 Nigeria (Group D)
- Equatorial Guinea 0-0 Algeria (Group E)
- Niger 4-0 Sudan (Group F)
- South Sudan 3-2 Congo-Brazzaville (Group K)
- Burundi 0-0 Malawi (Group L)
- Burkina Faso 0-1 Senegal (Group L)
Source: BBC Sports.
