New Delhi: While most of the football fans were involved in the drama being cooked up in the UEFA Nations League, former Liverpool winger, Sadio Mane, was busy cooking up his own magic for the Teranga Lions. Senegal were heading towards a goalless draw away against Malawi when the Al-Nassr winger struck the winner in the 96th minute to secure his country’s qualification to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
This win moves Senegal to 10 points in Group L alongside Burkina Faso, joining them at the 2025 AFCON in Morocco. Despite parting ways with long term coach Aliou Cisse, whose contract wasn’t renewed following underwhelming performances in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification, the Teranga Lions were able to get the job done courtesy their talisman.
🚨 OFFICIEL : Le Sénégal 🇸🇳 se qualifie pour la CAN 2025 ! 🌍🏆 pic.twitter.com/wNLyv1xBWm
— 🏆 Actu Foot Afrique (@ActuFootAfrique) October 15, 2024
Joining Senegal amongst teams that sealed their spot for the 2025 AFCON on Tuesday were DR Congo. BSC Young Boys forward Meschack Elia scored a late brace for Congo to seal a 2-0 away win over Tanzania. This win sees them win all their Group H games without conceding a single goal. Elsewhere, Uganda are within touching distance of qualification after a 2-1 win over South Sudan.
Yesterday, both Cameroon and Algeria sealed their spots for the 24-team tournament in North Africa with victories over Kenya and Togo respectively. Cameroon forward Boris Enow’s 63rd minute strike was enough to see seal a 1-0 win over Kenya while Algeria advanced thanks to an 18th-minute penalty from Remy Bensebaini which gave them their 1-0 win over Togo.
Ghana’s 2025 AFCON Qualification Hanging by a Thread
Ghana face the prospect of missing out on the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time since 2004 following a disappointing 2-0 loss to Sudan. Despite fielding a strong lineup, led by West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus and which included the likes of Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo and Athletic Club Bilbao’s Inaki Williams, the Black Stars struggled to find their rhythm. They conceded two rapid-fire goals in the second half, with Ahmed Al-Tash scoring the first after a rebound off the post in the 62nd minute.
Ghana has managed just two points through four 2025 AFCON qualifying matches, trailing Angola (9 pts) & Sudan (7 pts) in Group F 😳
The last time Ghana didn’t qualify for an AFCON tournament was 2004 👀 pic.twitter.com/FHV151sXV3
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) October 15, 2024
Just three minutes later, Mohamed Abdelrahman extended Sudan’s lead, slotting the ball past Ghana’s goalkeeper Lawrence Ati Zigi. The match took place in Benghazi, Libya, as Sudan is unable to host due to ongoing civil unrest. Currently, Ghana sit third in Group F with only two points from four matches, putting their qualification hopes in jeopardy. To keep their dreams alive, the Black Stars must secure victories against Angola and Niger next month while relying on Sudan to lose both of their remaining games.
Teams that have qualified for the 2025 AFCON so far
Morocco gained automatic qualification as they are the hosts for the tournament. Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, DR Congo, Senegal have all secured their qualifications till now. The remaining final two rounds of the 2025 AFCON qualifiers will be held next month, during the final International break of 2024. The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations is scheduled to begin on 21 December next year, with the final taking place on 18 January 2026.
The Senegalese winger secured his nation’s qualification to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations with two rounds of qualifications to spare. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
