Four-time champions Ghana crashed out of Africa Cup of Nations qualifying Friday, marking their first tournament absence since 2004 despite Leicester City striker Jordan Ayew’s goal in a 1-1 draw with Angola.
The Black Stars’ elimination stands as the most significant casualty of the 2025 AFCON qualifying campaign, while smaller nations including Comoros and Mali secured their spots in Morocco, bringing the total qualified teams to 19 with five places remaining.
Ayew, Ghana’s new captain, struck in the 18th minute, but Ambrosini ‘Zini’ Salvador’s 64th-minute equalizer for Group F winners Angola confirmed Ghana’s fate. The draw left the West African powerhouse bottom of their group, four points behind second-placed Sudan with just one match remaining.
Ghana, missing eight original squad members including Bournemouth striker Antoine Semenyo through injuries, delivered their best performance in the penultimate round, but it proved insufficient.
In contrast, Comoros, a small island nation off southeastern Africa, dramatically qualified from Group A when Myziane Maolida scored in the final minute for a 2-1 victory over Gambia. The Comorans had fallen behind to Alassana Jatta’s goal before Rafiki Said equalized.
Zambia secured their tournament spot by defeating defending champions Ivory Coast 1-0 in Ndola, with Tanzania-based Kennedy Musonda scoring his third qualifying goal. The loss marked Ivory Coast’s second straight defeat under coach Emerse Fae, who had led them to the 2024 AFCON title as hosts.
Zimbabwe celebrated their return to the continental showcase after missing the previous tournament due to government interference, drawing 1-1 with Kenya in Polokwane. Motherwell’s Tawanda Maswanhise put Zimbabwe ahead before Jonah Ayunga equalized for Kenya, who have qualified only twice in 30 years.
Mali extended their impressive AFCON qualification streak to 10 tournaments with Kamory Doumbia’s 19th-minute goal securing a 1-0 victory over Mozambique in a security-heavy match in Maputo following election-related protests.
Other significant results included:
– South Africa overtaking Uganda in Group K with a 2-0 away win through second-half substitute goals from Thapelo Morena and Patrick Maswanganyi
– Botswana drawing 1-1 with Mauritania, leaving their qualification hopes pending a difficult final match against Egypt
– Mozambique needing just a point against Guinea-Bissau on Tuesday to qualify
The qualifying campaign continues to reshape the continental football landscape, with traditional powerhouse Ghana’s elimination particularly highlighting the evolving nature of African football.
