Angola, Egypt, Senegal, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have all secured qualification for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) following Tuesday’s fixtures. However, titleholders Ivory Coast suffered a setback, and Ghana’s hopes of qualifying hang by a thread.
In Abidjan, Comoros, who pulled off a surprise win against Tunisia last week, took the lead against Ivory Coast. The hosts, however, managed to claw back for a 1-1 draw in Group A. This result adds Comoros to the growing list of eight teams now confirmed for the AFCON tournament. Burkina Faso, Algeria, and Cameroon also secured their places earlier this week, with hosts Morocco automatically qualifying.
Angola secured their qualification with a first-minute goal, defeating Niger 1-0 in Casablanca. Meanwhile, late goals were crucial for Egypt, Senegal, and DRC. Egypt, playing without star forward Mohamed Salah, clinched a 1-0 win over Mauritania in Nouakchott. Senegal edged past Malawi 1-0 in Lilongwe, and DRC overcame Tanzania 2-0 in Dar es Salaam.
With the competition heating up, 34 other nations, including Sudan and Sierra Leone, are battling for the remaining 16 qualification spots ahead of the final two matchdays in November.
Ghana’s qualification hopes took a severe blow as Sudan defeated them 2-0 in Benghazi. Ghana now trails second-placed Sudan by five points in Group F and faces a challenging away match against Angola, 2024 AFCON quarter-finalists, next month.
Ivory Coast, despite losing to Sierra Leone, remains atop Group G, holding a three-point lead over Zambia. In Group B, Morocco participates solely for competitive match practice, leaving the other three teams to compete for the remaining slot.
Ghana’s AFCON 2025 Campaign in Jeopardy
Ghana’s struggle continued as Sudan struck twice within three minutes shortly after half-time. Mohamed Ahmed and captain Mohamed Abdelrahman found the net, leaving the Black Stars, captained by West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus, without a response. Ghana’s dismal performance means they are at risk of missing the finals for the first time since 2004.
Despite fielding Premier League star Antoine Semenyo and Athletic Bilbao’s Inaki Williams, Ghana failed to rally against a determined Sudanese side, consisting mostly of lesser-known players. Sudan, amidst ongoing civil conflict since April last year, managed to build on their previous 0-0 draw in Ghana with a deserved win. The team now needs just one point from their upcoming matches against Niger (away) and Angola (home) to secure their place at AFCON and eliminate Ghana.
Late Goals Secure Wins for Senegal, Egypt, and DRC
In Group L, Senegal’s Sadio Mane, twice named African Footballer of the Year, scored a last-gasp goal in the 96th minute against Malawi, marking his third goal of the campaign.
Egypt, coached by Hossam Hassan, opted to rest Mohamed Salah for the match against Mauritania, fearing the artificial pitch could risk injury. In Salah’s absence, Egypt struggled but eventually broke the deadlock in the 85th minute through substitute Ibrahim Adel, keeping their perfect record in Group C intact.
The DRC, in a Group H clash against Tanzania, saw Meschak Elia come off the bench to score twice—once in the 87th minute and again in added time—securing their place at the tournament.
Angola, who wasted no time in their Group F match against Niger, took the lead within the first minute through Ambrosini ‘Zini’ Salvador. The early goal proved decisive, securing Angola’s spot in the AFCON finals.
Elsewhere, South Africa, after a convincing five-goal home victory over Congo Brazzaville, settled for a 1-1 draw away in their Group K rematch. Uganda, in the same group, defeated South Sudan 2-1 away, keeping both teams on track for qualification.