The line-up for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2023) in Cote d’Ivoire next year has been finalised, with Cameroon and Namibia securing their positions on Tuesday.
The Indomitable Lions secured their 19th consecutive appearance in the finals by defeating Burundi 3-0 in Garoua, topping Group C with ease. Goals from Bryan Mbuemo, Christopher Wooh, and Vincent Aboubakar ensured a comfortable victory, effectively fending off the challenge from Namibia, who clinched the second spot and secured their berth in the AFCON 2023 competition.
Cameroon will join the host nation, Cote d’Ivoire, and 22 other qualified teams in the tournament scheduled for January next year. Among the qualified teams are football powerhouses such as Senegal, Egypt, Nigeria, Ghana, Morocco, and Algeria. While, Gambia will be making their second appearance at the AFCON, meaning there won’t be any debutants in the competition.
Furthermore, teams often considered underdogs, such as Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, and Equatorial Guinea, have also successfully qualified, aiming to surprise the more established contenders.
With the qualifiers now concluded, the countdown to the AFCON 2023 draw begins, during which the teams will discover their opponents. The group stage draw will determine the initial match-ups, with defending champions Senegal, regional heavyweights Egypt and Nigeria, as well as World Cup semi-finalists Morocco, likely to be among the favorites in the lead-up to the tournament.
However, with an abundance of talent across the 24 qualifying teams, the competition for continental glory promises to be intensely competitive.
CAF Schedules AFCON 2023 Group Stage Draw Date
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially disclosed the dates for the AFCON 2023 group stage draw. The governing body of African football, CAF, has revealed that the draw for the group stages of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast is set to take place on October 12, 2023.
The qualified countries are:
Algeria
Angola
Burkina Faso
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Cote d’Ivoire (AFCON 2023 Host Country)
DR Congo
Egypt
Equatorial Guinea
Gambia
Ghana
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Mali
Mauritania
Morocco
Mozambique
Namibia
Nigeria
Senegal (Current Champions)
South Africa
Tanzania
Tunisia
Zambia