U23 AFCON Qualifiers Set to Begin: Mauritania Progresses Automatically
The 2015 U23 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers will kick off the weekend of April 24-26, with 27 countries originally signed up, though Libya’s withdrawal has reduced the number to 26. Mauritania, due to Libya’s absence, progresses automatically to the second round.
In the opening round, four exciting matchups are scheduled:
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Rwanda vs. Somalia
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Guinea-Bissau vs. Sierra Leone
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Ghana vs. Liberia
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Botswana vs. Kenya
The winners from these matches will advance to the second round, where more prominent teams like Cameroon, Uganda, Mali, Tunisia, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Zambia, and Congo will join the fray.
Key fixtures for the second round include:
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Mauritania vs. Mali
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Tunisia vs. Sudan
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Zimbabwe vs. Swaziland
Teams that participated in the first edition of the tournament in 2011 — Gabon, Morocco, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Algeria, and Morocco — will enter the third and final qualifying round, scheduled to conclude by July 31. The three best teams from the African Championship will then secure spots to represent Africa at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
The final phase of the competition will take place in Senegal from December 5-19. The tournament promises to be a thrilling start to the journey toward the Olympic Games, with intense competition for the coveted spots in Rio.
