Just about anybody who is anybody has qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the most prestigious football tournament on the continent and one of the most watched in the world.

The tournament, set to take place in Morocco from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026, will feature 24 teams. As of writing, 19 have already secured their spots.

The remaining seats were filled after concluding group stage matches that were held from Sunday through to Tuesday of this week.

Many of the countries who qualified as of Monday are pretty much a who’s who list of regular AFCON contenders as well as rising forces in African football: Morocco, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Algeria, DR Congo, Senegal, Egypt, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire, Uganda, South Africa, Gabon, Tunisia, Nigeria, Zambia, Mali, Zimbabwe, and Comoros.

As CAF online wrote, Nigeria, Tunisia, South Africa, Uganda, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon clinched their spots on Thursday, “joining a growing list of African football powerhouses ready for the tournament”.

Host nation Morocco automatically qualified, alongside notable teams like Senegal and Algeria, who secured early qualification through consistent performances.

Most title winners Egypt and defending champions Cote d’Ivoire also bring strong legacies to the competition, with both countries boasting numerous AFCON crowns.

Several teams have made a comeback to the continental stage. DR Congo, Angola and Equatorial Guinea will look to make an impact, while Uganda and Gabon are back with ambitions to advance deep into the tournament.

For South Africa, CAF online added, “qualification marks a return to Africa’s biggest football stage after their impressive performance at the previous competition held in Cote d’Ivoire.”

One country which missed the train to Morocco is Ghana. AFCON winners four times (bettered only by Egypt and Cameroon), runners-up five times and quarter-finalists of the 2010 World Cup, Ghana were surprisingly eliminated in Group F of the AFCON. They were in last place after five games with one left and with just three points, compared to the 13 collected by top in the group Angola.

Egypt have the most AFCON titles at seven, but the last was in 2010. In this year’s AFCON in February, Egypt did not win a game in the group stage, advancing on the strength of three draws. In the round of 16, DR Congo ousted them on penalties.

Hoping for a rebound in Morocco, Egypt did well in the current qualifiers, leading Group C with 13 points from five games, including four wins and a draw. They maintain an unbeaten record in the qualifiers and advanced with two games to spare.

One of those was against Cape Verde which ended 1-1 on Friday 15 November. The draw effectively ousted Cape Verde from contention for a spot in next year’s finals in Morocco.

At the Estádio Nacional de Cabo Verde, Taher Mohamed struck in the 31st minute to put Egypt ahead, however, Ryan Mendes leveled for the hosts from the penalty spot in the 63rd minute.

Taher, 27, last played for Egypt six years ago and his goal against Cape Verde, in which he weaved his way past the defence before burying the ball in the roof, was his first for his country.

The call-up was made by coach Hossam Hassan after Taher notably improved last season for his local club Ahly.

It should be noted though that Taher’s recall was based not only on his present form but also due to the absence of European-based stars Mohamed Salah, Omar Marmoush, and Mahmoud Trezeguet.

Hassan praised his team for the draw but said he wanted to win. “My goal was to win against Cape Verde, but I’m pleased with the players’ performance despite the significant absences due to injuries and suspensions,” Hassan, in his first year at the helm, said at the post-match press conference.

The 58-year-old coach emphasised the importance of achieving positive results, adding, “a draw is a good result against a strong team like Cape Verde, especially on their home turf.”

Hassan said he disagreed with the penalty decision but acknowledged it was part of the game. “The penalty kick wasn’t accurate but mistakes are part of football. I’d also like to thank Cape Verde for their warm hospitality,” he added.

Egypt were set to host Botswana on Tuesday at the Military Academy Stadium to wrap up their AFCON 2025 qualifying campaign.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 21 November, 2024 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly