PRAIA/ LUANDA — With only a few matches left in the qualifiers, 19 teams have secured their places at the highly anticipated 2025 CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), set to be held in Morocco.
In Group C of the AFCON qualifiers, Egypt’s national football team wrapped up the fifth round with a 1-1 draw against Cape Verde in Praia.
The Pharaohs, already qualified for the tournament, traveled to Cape Verde, seeking to extend their dominance.
They appeared to be in control when winger Taher Mohamed broke the deadlock in the 31st minute with a well-taken strike from a tight angle, providing Egypt a deserved lead going into halftime.
Cape Verde, however, showed resilience. The hosts found an opportunity to equalize when defender Mahmoud Saber’s foul led to a penalty.
Ryan Mendes stepped up to convert, calmly sending the goalkeeper the wrong way to level the score in the 63rd minute.
Both teams pressed forward, but neither could find a winner. Egypt maintains their top spot in Group C, solidifying their qualification with a game to spare, while Cape Verde’s looks to be over.
The Pharaohs will conclude their Group campaign on Tuesday when they host Botswana in Cairo. Cape Verde will be away to Mauritania on Tuesday.
Elsewhere, Ghana’s hopes of reaching the 2025 AFCON ended in heartbreak as a late equaliser saw Angola hold them to a 1-1 draw in Luanda.
Despite taking an early lead through Jordan Ayew’s stunning free-kick in the 18th minute, the Black Stars could not hold onto their advantage.
Zine’s powerful header in the 64th minute ultimately crushed Ghana’s AFCON dreams.
This result means Ghana, four-time champions, will miss the tournament for the first time in two decades, their last absence being in the 2004 edition in Tunisia.
The draw leaves the Black Stars rooted at the bottom of Group F with just three points from five matches, failing to secure a single victory in the qualification campaign.
Angola tops the group with 13 points, having already secured their ticket to Morocco.
The disappointment for Ghana is palpable, given the country’s rich AFCON history and reputation as one of Africa’s footballing powerhouses.
Nigeria battled to a 1-1 draw with Benin at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium, a result that confirmed their qualification for AFCON 2025
Benin opened the scoring in the 16th minute when Mohamed Tijani capitalized on a corner delivery from Junior Olaïtan, heading the ball into the center of the net.
The Super Eagles found themselves trailing despite creating opportunities, with Victor Osimhen and Moses Simon both testing Benin’s defence.
Meanwhile, in Group A, Comoros secured their place in the AFCON for the second time in their history with a crucial 2-1 away victory over Gambia.
It was a tense affair, with Gambia taking an early lead through Alassana Jatta in the 18th minute according to cafonline.com.
However, Comoros fought back resiliently, leveling the score just before halftime with a well-placed strike from Rafiki Said.
The decisive moment came in the 90th minute when substitute Myziane Maolida headed home the winning goal, sending Comoros to Morocco and sparking jubilant celebrations among their supporters.
With this result, Comoros moves to nine points, trailing group leaders Tunisia by one point.
Elsewhere, Morocco continued their dominant form with a commanding 5-1 thrashing of Gabon in Franceville, despite having already qualified as hosts.
Gabon struck first with an early goal from Denis Bouanga, but Morocco responded with five unanswered goals, showcasing their strength and depth.
Brahim Diaz netted twice, while Jamal Harkass, Youssef En-Nesyri, and Ismael Saibari added to the tally, completing a stellar performance from the Atlas Lions.
Morocco, who has been relentless throughout the qualifiers, now boast a perfect record in Group B with 15 points from five games and a remarkable goal difference of +17.
In Group J, Zimbabwe managed to secure a valuable 1-1 draw against Kenya at the Peter Mokaba Stadium, which was enough to secure their place in the AFCON tournament.
Tawanda Maswanhise gave the Warriors a first-half lead, scoring in the 32nd minute after an assist from Khama Billiat.
Kenya, however, fought back and found their equalizer early in the second half through Jonah Ayunga.
Despite a spirited effort from both sides, the match ended all square. Zimbabwe’s draw, coupled with their strong position in the group, ensures they advance to 2025 AFCON.
In Group I, Eswatini hosted Guinea-Bissau in a hard-fought encounter that ended in a 1-1 draw.
After a goalless first half, Eswatini took a shock lead in the 81st minute when Philani Mkhonto found the back of the net.
The lead, however, was short-lived as Guinea-Bissau responded quickly.
Carlos Mane equalized in the 87th minute, nodding home from close range to salvage a point for the visitors.
The result leaves both teams’ qualification prospects uncertain.
Guinea-Bissau sits third with five points, needing a win in their final match, while Eswatini remains at the bottom of the group with just two points.
In Group I, Mali displayed their class with a narrow 1-0 victory over Mozambique at Estadio do Zimpeto.
Yves Bissouma was instrumental in the build-up, assisting Kamory Doumbia, who found the bottom right corner in the 19th minute.
This solitary strike proved sufficient for the Eagles to secure all three points.
Mozambique pushed hard in the second half, creating several chances, but Mali’s defense held firm. Djigui Diarra,
Mali’s goalkeeper, made some critical saves to keep the hosts at bay.
This win has officially booked Mali’s place in the AFCON tournament, leaving Mozambique’s qualification hopes on the edge.
Zambia clinched their place in AFCON 2025 with a narrow yet crucial 1-0 win over title holders Côte d’Ivoire.
Kennedy Musonda was the hero of the match, scoring from a stunning long-range effort in the 43rd minute.
His right-footed strike from over 35 yards sailed into the center of the goal, leaving the Ivorian goalkeeper stranded.
Côte d’Ivoire made changes in the second half, but Zambia’s defense, led by Frankie Musonda, withstood the pressure to hold onto their lead.
The Chipolopolo now lead Group G with 10 points, ensuring their qualification even though Côte d’Ivoire has also secured qualification.
