Scheduled to take place in Morocco from December 2025 to January 2026, as reported by the CAF website, the tournament is expected to feature intense competition as the path to the finals becomes clearer.
Defending champions Côte d’Ivoire and last edition's runner-up Nigeria have both secured their places in the tournament through their respective groups.
On Thursday, Nigeria, South Africa, Tunisia, and Uganda confirmed their qualifications, with some teams benefiting from the outcomes of the latest qualifying matches.
Tunisia achieved a thrilling 3-2 victory over Madagascar, thanks to a last-minute header from Ali El Abdi, marking their 18th consecutive appearance in AFCON.
In a notable turn of events, Gabon qualified from Group B without playing, as their nearest competitor, the Central African Republic, lost 1-0 to Lesotho.
South Africa and Uganda also advanced without competing, solidifying their positions in the top two of Group K after Congo was defeated 3-2 by South Sudan.
For Nigeria, a 1-0 victory by Libya over Rwanda earlier in the day guaranteed their top-two finish in Group D.
Later, the Super Eagles managed a 1-1 draw against Benin, with Victor Osimhen scoring a late equalizer to avoid defeat.
In other news, Ghana's chances of qualification were revived following Sudan's heavy 4-0 loss to Niger, leading to a tense conclusion in Group F.
However, Ghana must win their remaining two matches and rely on Sudan to stumble in their final game against Angola.
Additionally, Algeria, which has already qualified alongside Equatorial Guinea from Group E, dropped their first points of the campaign in a goalless draw against Equatorial Guinea in the sweltering heat of Malabo.
As of now, the following countries have qualified for AFCON 2025:
- Morocco – Host (Automatic qualification)
- Burkina Faso (Group L)
- Algeria (Group E) – Group leader
- DR Congo (Group H)
- Senegal (Group L)
- Egypt (Group C)
- Angola (Group F) – Group leader
- Equatorial Guinea (Group E)
- Côte d’Ivoire (Group G)
- Gabon (Group B)
- Uganda (Group K)
- South Africa (Group K)
- Tunisia (Group A)
- Nigeria (Group D)
With ten matches scheduled for Friday's qualifiers across the continent, the competition to finalize the list of finalists is ongoing.
Teams such as Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe are in a strong position to secure their spots with home victories, while others will strive to keep their aspirations alive.