CAN 2021 qualifiers: an Africa Cup two-thirds full

During the South Africa-Ghana match, in qualifying for CAN 2021. AFP - PHILL MAGAKOE

Text by: David Kalfa Follow

7 mins

We now know 17 of the 24 teams that will play the next African Cup of Nations football (CAN 2021), in January / February 2022 in Cameroon.

The Nigerians won their qualifications for CAN 2021, at the end of the penultimate day of the qualifiers.

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The qualifiers for the next African Cup of Nations (

CAN 2021

) end on March 28, 29 and 30, 2021 but we already know two-thirds of the teams qualified for this “CAN 2021” [1].

Twelve new teams indeed won their qualification during the penultimate day, which took place from March 23 to 27.

THEY WILL START AT CAN

The Comoros will play the first African Cup of Nations in their history.

The Comorians are certain to finish in the top two of Group G, as are Egypt.

The Coelacanths drew a 0-0 draw against Togo who made them happy and eliminated the Togolese.

The Gambia, it beat Angola 1-0 and benefited from a clear 3-0 success of Gabon against DR Congo, in group D. A historic qualification which confirms the progress of Gambian football, its team of under 20 having finished third in the last CAN U20.

► To read also:

CAN 2021: calendar, results, qualifying rankings

THEY ARE BACK

Gabon will return to the finals after missing CAN 2019 in Egypt.

The Gabonese qualified with the manner, by throwing a selection of DRC which remained on four consecutive participations.

Equatorial Guinea will also have its team in neighboring Cameroon.

The Equatorial Guineans, who played the CAN 2012 and 2015 at home, have for the first time won their place in this competition on the field.

A 1-0 success against Tanzania in Group J was enough.

Burkina Faso has, for its part, no doubt proved that its absence from the last continental meeting was an accident.

The Burkinabè, 2nd in 2013 and 3rd in 2017, did most with a 0-0 in Uganda, on March 24, in Group B.

THEY CONFIRM

Guinea will play its second African Cup in a row, which had not happened since its three consecutive quarter-finals between 2004 and 2008. The Guineans beat Mali 1-0 which had already qualified since November 2020, in group A.

Nigeria also achieved its first “double” in nearly a decade, unbelievably as it sounds for a nation that has won the tournament three times (1980, 1994, 2013).

The Nigerians in the process deprived Benin of a qualification by narrowly winning 1-0 in Porto-Novo.

Morocco will be in its third final phase in a row, after the CAN 2017 and 2019. A lackluster 0-0 in Mauritania did the business of the Moroccans, in Group E.

Zimbabwe is not evolving at the same level as Morocco and Nigeria.

Nevertheless, the Zimbabweans are in their third qualification in a row.

They will go to Cameroon, like the Algerians, after a 1-0 victory in Botswana, in Group H.

THEY ARE FAITHFUL TO THE APPOINTMENT

Egypt, the most successful nation on the continent (seven coronations), also improves its record for participations in the finals, with a 25th in 33 editions.

The Egyptians drew 1-1 at Kenya in Group G.

Côte d'Ivoire continues to follow Egypt as it will take part in its 24th CAN.

A 3-0 success in Niger in Group K and here is the country of Didier Drogba on the lands of Samuel Eto'o.

Ghana completes this podium of the most assiduous teams in the African Cup of Nations since it will be its 23rd time.

The Ghanaians have secured the right to be present in nine months, thanks to a 1-1 draw in South Africa, in Group C.

SEVEN MORE PLACES TO TAKE

Five selections already had their tickets before this 5th day: Cameroon (host country), Algeria (defending champion), Senegal (CAN 2019 finalist), Mali and Tunisia.

There are therefore seven places to take in the final phase of CAN 2021. The last qualifiers will be known on March 30, at the end of the last day of these qualifiers.

Uganda and Malawi (group B), South Africa and Sudan (group C), Mauritania, Burundi and Central Africa (group E), Cape Verde, Rwanda and Mozambique (group F), Congo and Guinea-Bissau (group I), Ethiopia and Madagascar (group K), Benin and Sierra Leone (group L).

CAN 2021: THE END OF QUALIFICATIONS PROGRAM

* Times are in universal time

Sunday March 28, 2021 -

1 p.m: Namibia - Guinea, in Windhoek [group A]

1 p.m: Tanzania - Libya, in Dar Es Salaam [group J]

1 p.m: Tunisia - Equatorial Guinea, in Tunis [group J]

4 pm: Sudan - South Africa, in Omdurman [group C]

4 pm: Ghana - Sao Tome and Principe, Cape Coast [group C]

Monday March 29, 2021 -

4 pm: Malawi - Uganda , in Blantyre [group B]

4 pm: Burkina Faso - South Sudan, in Ouagadougou [group B]

4 pm: Angola - Gabon, in Luanda [group D]

4 pm: DR Congo - Gambia, in Kinshasa [group D]

4 pm: Togo - Kenya, in Lomé [group G]

4 pm: Egypt - Comoros, in Cairo [group G]

7 pm: Zimbabwe - Zambia, in Harare [group H]

7 pm: Algeria - Botswana, in Blida [group H]

Tuesday March 30, 2021 -

1 pm: Central African Republic - Mauritania, in Bangui [group E]

1 pm: Madagascar - Niger, in Toamasina [group K]

1 pm: Ivory Coast - Ethiopia, in Abidjan [group K]

4 pm: Guinea-Bissau - Congo, in Bissau [group

e I]

4 pm: Senegal - Eswatini, in Thiès [group I]

4 pm: Sierra Leone - Benin, in Freetown [group L]

4 pm: Nigeria - Lesotho, in Lagos [group L]

7 pm: Morocco - Burundi, in Rabat [group E]

7 pm: Mozambique - Cape Verde, in Maputo [group F]

7 pm: Cameroon - Rwanda, in Douala [group F]

[1] The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has decided that the competition will continue to be called CAN 2021, despite its postponement to 2022.

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