AFCON 2025 lineup finalized: Ghana misses out as Morocco dominates the qualifiers

The qualification rounds for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), set to take place in Morocco, concluded with Tanzania, Botswana, and Mozambique securing the final three spots, completing the roster of 24 teams.

This year’s qualifiers were historic for several reasons.

Notably, Ghana, a four-time AFCON champion, failed to qualify for the tournament for the first time in two decades.

The Black Stars, who struggled in Group 6, ended at the bottom with three draws and three losses, marking a sharp decline for a team with a storied legacy in African football.

Meanwhile, Mauritania, after three consecutive AFCON appearances, also missed out, following a dramatic draw between Botswana and Egypt at the Air Defense Stadium.

Similarly, Guinea, a regular in recent editions, was eliminated, making way for Tanzania, which secured its fourth-ever qualification and second in a row.

Morocco emerged as the standout performer of the qualifiers, scoring an impressive 26 goals, the highest among all teams.

The Atlas Lions also achieved a flawless record, winning all six of their matches despite already being guaranteed a spot as tournament hosts.

On the defensive side, Mali and Senegal proved formidable, each conceding just one goal throughout the qualifiers.

Egypt, the most successful team in AFCON history with seven titles, also delivered a strong performance, finishing with the fourth-best attacking record and a robust defensive line, tying with several teams for the second-best defense.

The full list of qualified teams is as follows:

Group 1: Tunisia, Comoros
Group 2: Morocco, Gabon
Group 3: Egypt, Botswana
Group 4: Nigeria, Benin
Group 5: Algeria, Equatorial Guinea
Group 6: Angola, Sudan
Group 7: Zambia, Côte d’Ivoire
Group 8: DR Congo, Tanzania
Group 9: Mali, Mozambique
Group 10: Cameroon, Zimbabwe
Group 11: South Africa, Uganda
Group 12: Senegal, Burkina Faso

As anticipation builds for the Morocco 2025 AFCON, the tournament promises fierce competition with teams like Senegal, defending champions Ivory Coast, and five-time winners Cameroon aiming to challenge Egypt’s dominance in the continental showdown.