AFCON
Africa Cup of Nations 2023: Lots to play for in final round of qualifiers
At the end of this qualifying round to be played this week, the 24 nations qualified for the CAF Africa Cup of Nations, Côte d’Ivoire 2023 will be known.
CAFOnline.com takes this opportunity to take a look at the latest clashes, with nine places still up for grabs at Africa’s biggest football spectacle next year.
Group A
Nigeria and Guinea Bissau are the two teams who will play in the Côte d’Ivoire tournament. The Super Eagles with 12 points and the Djurtus qualified on Matchday 5 of these qualifiers at the expense of Sierra Leone and Sao Tome and Principe.
Qualified: Nigeria and Guinea Bissau
Group B
Like Group A, the two qualifiers for Africa’s biggest football showpiece in Group B are already known. They are Burkina Faso (10 pts) and Cape Verde (10 pts). Togo and Eswatini remain on the sidelines.
Qualified: Burkina Faso and Cape Verde
Group C
In this three-team group, Namibia (5 points), Burundi (4 points) and Cameroon (4 points) are all within a good chance of qualifying. Cameroon and Burundi meet on 12 September, and if one of the two teams wins the other will be automatically eliminated.
Group D
Current silver-medalists from the last edition Egypt, are through with 12 points and are joined by Guinea on 9 points. Both sides will be in Cote d’Ivoire at the expense of Malawi and Ethiopia who fell short.
Qualified: Egypt and Guinea
Group E
Three teams for two slots. Ghana (9 points), Angola (8 points) and the Central African Republic (7 points) are still fighting it out for a place in Cote d’Ivoire.
Madagascar, with 2 points, has been eliminated. Angola will play their qualifier at home against Madagascar with Ghana taking on the Central African Republic.
The Black Stars, leaders of the group, have nine points but could be eliminated on goal difference if Angola beat Madagascar and the Ghanaians lose in their home match in Kumasi.
Group F
Algeria have already secured a place in Côte d’Ivoire, with the second place to be decided between Tanzania and Uganda. The Taifa Stars travel to Annaba and the Fennecs will be hoping to end their qualifying campaign with a clean sweep.
Uganda must beat Niger and hope Tanzania slip up in Algeria. Even then, Uganda will need to have a more advantageous goal-average than Tanzania to qualify. Niger, who are fourth in the group, are out.
Qualified: Algeria
Tied on points: Uganda and Tanzania
Group G
Mali (12 pts) qualified on the fifth day of the qualifiers while the second place will be decided between Gambia (9 points) and Congo (6 points). The Gambia host Congo on the final matchday. Congo must win to qualify, while a draw will suffice for the Scorpions. It should be noted that with three points South Sudan are eliminated.
Qualified: Mali
Tied on points: Gambia and Congo
Group H
There is no suspense in Group H. Zambia (12 points) have qualified, as have hosts Côte d’Ivoire (10 points). The Comoros (6 points) and Lesotho (1 point) will not be making the trip to the western tip of the continent.
Qualified: Zambia and Côte d’Ivoire
Group I
Suspense guaranteed! Everything will come down to the final day in Group I.
DR Congo (9 points), Mauritania (7 points), Gabon (7 points) and Sudan (6 points), are all within reach of a ticket to Cote d’Ivoire.
The Leopards travel to Sudan and the Murabitounes to Gabon. A win for DR Congo against Sudan would confirm their qualification.
In the event of a draw, the two opponents will have to wait for the result between Gabon and Mauritania. In the other match, qualification will go to the winner between Mauritania and Gabon.
Group J
In Group J, Equatorial Guinea (12 points) and Tunisia (10 points) have qualified, leaving Botswana (4 points) and Libya (3 points) on the sidelines.
Qualified: Equatorial Guinea and Tunisia
Group K
The three-team group has delivered its verdict. South Africa (7 points) and Morocco (6 points) have qualified, which sees Liberia missing out.
Qualified: South Africa and Morocco
Group L
Senegal (13 points), the reigning African champions, have already qualified. The second spot will then be decided between Mozambique (7 points) and Benin (5 points).
The advantages somewhat sits with Mozambique who are at home against Benin, needing just a point to qualify. Rwanda who are on two points have been eliminated.
Qualified: Senegal
To be decided between: Mozambique and Benin
The Confederation of African Football has announced a major overhaul of its flagship competition, with the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) set to expand from 24 to 28 teams.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe disclosed the decision on Sunday following an executive committee meeting, describing it as part of the body’s commitment to elevating African football to global standards.
Motsepe said the expansion would create more opportunities for countries across the continent while ensuring that top African players worldwide return home to compete at the highest level.
“This is about our commitment to world-class football, bringing together the best African players from across the globe to compete on the continent,” he stated.
However, the CAF boss did not provide details on how the new 28-team format would be structured or when the expansion would take effect, leaving questions over qualification pathways and tournament scheduling.
Continuity for 2027, New Cycle from 2028
Motsepe confirmed that the 2027 AFCON will proceed as planned with co-hosts Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, maintaining the current 24-team format for that edition.
In a significant shift, CAF also announced that another AFCON tournament will be staged in 2028, after which the competition will move to a four-year cycle—aligning more closely with other major international tournaments.
CAF Nations League Introduced
In addition to AFCON reforms, CAF revealed plans to introduce an African Nations League starting from 2029. The new competition will be held annually, with a 16-team final tournament staged every two years.
The initiative is aimed at improving the competitiveness, structure and commercial value of the African national team football.
“We have to stop this situation where African fixtures are not predictable, consistent and reliable,” Motsepe said. “We must also focus on developing football in regions like East Africa, which has enormous potential.”
A New Era for African Football
The proposed changes mark one of the most ambitious restructurings of African football competitions in recent years, with CAF seeking to expand participation, enhance organisation and create a more predictable football calendar.
While details are still emerging, the decisions are expected to have far-reaching implications for national teams, qualification formats and the overall growth of the game across the continent.
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The Confederation of African Football said it would implement changes and improvements to its statutes and regulations that would ensure that the farcical scenes at January’s Africa Cup of Nations final do not happen again.
CAF president Patrice Motsepe said the changes would strengthen trust and confidence in its referees, VAR operators and judicial bodies, but did not give concrete details.
The announcement followed a meeting of CAF’s executive committee in Cairo on Sunday and came on a tumultuous day for the organisation as its general secretary resigned.
African football’s governing body has been battling a crisis of confidence after its Appeal Board stripped Senegal of the Cup of Nations title in a decision that has been met with widespread derision.
Senegal were ruled to have forfeited the final in Rabat on January 18 after walking off the pitch in protest at a potentially decisive penalty awarded to Morocco. They returned and scored a goal in extra time to win the game 1-0.
The decision is being challenged at the Court of Arbitration for Sport and if Senegal win back their title it will be a further blow to CAF’s credibility.
“CAF has taken extensive legal advice from top African and international football lawyers and experts, to ensure that the CAF statutes and regulations adhere to and implement global football best practices, on and off the field,” Motsepe said in a statement on Sunday.
“This is important for the respect, integrity and credibility of African referees, VAR operators and the CAF Disciplinary Board and Appeal Board.
“CAF is working with FIFA for the ongoing training of African referees, VAR operators and match commissioners so that they are as good as the best in the world… CAF has made significant progress over the past five years in implementing governance, ethics, transparency and managerial best practices,” the CAF president added.
More precise details on the changes and how they would avoid a repeat of the Cup of Nations final controversy were not given by Motsepe, who earlier this month admitted his organisation was struggling with perceptions about its integrity.
-Reuters
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By Kunle Solaja
The Confederation of African Football may be considering possible disciplinary measures against Senegal following reports that the country’s national team has continued to parade the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) trophy despite being stripped of the title.
The development has triggered fresh debate within African football circles, with CAF understood to be treating the matter as a potential breach of its statutes and disciplinary code.
Sources close to the continental body indicate that Senegal’s actions could be interpreted as defiance of an official ruling, raising concerns about respect for regulatory authority and the precedent such conduct may set for other member associations.
CAF is believed to be weighing a range of sanctions, which could include financial penalties, formal reprimands, or restrictions on the country’s participation in certain CAF programmes and competitions.
While no final decision has been announced, insiders suggest that the governing body is keen to send a strong message on compliance and institutional discipline.
There are also indications that CAF’s disciplinary committee may be tasked with reviewing the circumstances surrounding the continued public display of the trophy, including whether the act constitutes misconduct under its regulations.
The issue is seen as more than a symbolic dispute over silverware. Analysts argue that how CAF handles the situation will reflect its ability to enforce decisions and maintain order among its 54 member associations.
“CAF cannot afford to appear weak on matters of discipline,” a source familiar with the situation said. “If a federation openly disregards a ruling, it undermines the entire governance structure.”
CAF is expected to provide clarity on the issue during an upcoming press engagement, where its president may outline the organisation’s position and any disciplinary steps to be taken.
For Senegal, the situation presents a delicate balancing act between national pride and compliance with continental football authority. For CAF, it represents a critical test of leadership and regulatory enforcement at a time when the credibility of African football governance remains under close watch.
The coming days are likely to determine whether the matter escalates into a full disciplinary case or is resolved through diplomatic engagement behind the scenes.
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