Ghana has failed to reach the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after a 1-1 draw to Angola. The team placed fourth in Group F with three draws and three losses. Fans saw this as an upset because this will be the first year Ghana has not qualified for the tournament since 2004. The nation also has the third most titles, with four. Fans of rival Nigeria are happy with the results. Senior Julius Folajin said, “I’m glad they did not qualify because Ghana and Nigeria have a large rivalry, and soccer is a big part. It’s embarrassing for them because they had an easy group.” Former Sierra Leone player and current CBS pundit Michael Lahoud said, “For Ghana not to qualify for AFCON is an absolute embarrassment. They are not unified, and the federation is in a mess.”
The Africa Cup of Nations is a soccer tournament held by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). It is held every two years and includes a group and knockout stage. In the group stage, teams are divided into six groups, each playing every team in its group. Like the qualifying group stage, a team receives three points for a win, one for a draw, and zero for a loss in the tournament. The top two teams from each group, and the four best third-placed teams advance to the knockout stage. The knockout stage consists of the round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals, third-place match, and the final.
This year’s AFCON qualifiers are over, and 24 countries have qualified for the tournament. Morocco, Burkina Faso, Egypt, Algeria, Angola, Congo DR, Cameroon, Senegal, Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire), Equatorial Guinea, Tunisia, Comoros, Gabon, Nigeria, Zambia, Mali, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Uganda, Botswana, Benin, Sudan, Tanzania, and Mozambique have all qualified. The qualifiers include the preliminary round and Group Stage. In the preliminary round, the lowest-ranked eight teams compete in two games, home and away, with the winners qualifying for the group stage. The group stage consists of 48 teams divided into 12 groups of four. In the group stage, each team plays every team in its group twice, and the top two qualify for the tournament. A team receives three points for a win, one for a draw, and zero for a loss.
The top five nations with the most titles are Egypt with seven, Cameroon with five, Ghana with four, and Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire tied with three. On February 11, Côte d’Ivoire beat Nigeria 2-1 to win the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations final. The Ivorians had an underwhelming group stage and a change in leadership. The team won three points with two defeats in the group stages. Head coach Jean-Louis Gasset was fired, and Emerson Fae became the interim manager. The team went on to win the entire tournament in Abidjan, the former capital of Côte d’Ivoire.
The next AFCON is in Morocco. The tournament will begin on December 21, 2025, and finish with the final on January 18, 2026. Although not yet confirmed, the stadiums expected by CAF are the Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca, Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, Ibn Batouta Stadium in Tangier, Adrar Stadium in Agadir, Marrakech Stadium in Marrakech, and Fez Stadium in Fez. For information on tickets and other related information, check cafonline.com.
