Four-time Africa Cup of Nations champions Ghana are at risk of missing out on their 11th consecutive appearance in the tournament this week. Despite needing victories in their final two qualifiers, they may still fall short of securing a spot at the finals in Morocco.
Only Egypt (26 appearances) and Ivory Coast (25) have participated in more Cup of Nations finals than Ghana (24), but their chances of qualifying look slim after a disappointing campaign.
The top two teams from each of the 12 qualifying groups will progress to next year’s finals. Currently, Ghana sits third in Group F with just two points from four matches. Angola, who are already qualified, lead the group with a perfect record of four wins, while Sudan, with seven points, need just one more draw from their final two games to secure qualification. Sudan also holds the advantage over Ghana on head-to-head results.
For Ghana to qualify, they must beat Angola in Luanda and Niger at home, while also hoping Sudan loses both of their remaining matches. If Ghana fails to qualify, coach Otto Addo’s future may be in jeopardy.
Angola, Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, hosts Morocco, and Senegal have already secured their places in the 24-team tournament, which will take place from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.
Ivory Coast, the defending champions, need only a point from their final two Group G fixtures, starting with a match against Zambia on Friday, to qualify. Nigeria, who were awarded points from an abandoned fixture in Libya last month, can confirm their place with a win over Benin in neutral Abidjan.
Tunisia, despite firing coach Faouzi Benzarti after a shocking loss to the Comoros Islands last month, remain top of Group A. Under caretaker coach Kais Yaacoubi, they will face Madagascar in South Africa on Thursday, with a victory putting them on the verge of a record-extending 17th consecutive Cup of Nations appearance.
Madagascar is one of 18 nations unable to host home qualifiers due to their facilities being deemed inadequate by the Confederation of African Football.
