AFCON Qualifiers: Six Teams Confirm Places

14
AFCON Qualifiers: Six Teams Confirm Places

One of the biggest events in African football is just under 12 months away, as the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations will take place in early January next year. It promises to be an exciting race to qualify for the major tournament, with history suggesting that a number of the prestigious nations will miss out on a spot. It should be an enthralling spectacle to see which nations can earn their spots. For bettors, the fun has already started, as betting for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations is already open at Paridirect.com, with punters able to bet on the nation that will be crowned outright champions.

Ivory Coast Set To Hold Tournament

One nation was already assured of their spot before the qualification campaign got underway, as the Ivory Coast will play host to AFCON 2023. The nation saw off a huge bidding procedure, with Guinea, Morocco, and Tunisia all also looking to host the tournament. It will be a historic moment for the nation, as they will play host to the competition for just the second time in AFCON history. The Ivory Coast previously played host to the 1984 edition. It was also set to be the third edition of the tournament to be played in the summer, but it was later pushed back to January due to weather conditions in the host nation. But, let’s examine the teams that have already booked their spot at the tournament.

Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso has already booked their spot in the AFCON for next year, as they will be assured of a spot in the competition regardless of whether they finish first or second. They have picked up three wins and a draw from their opening four matches, but they still have two rounds of matches left to play.

Morocco

Morocco defied all expectations at the World Cup in 2022, and they will be chasing more international glory when they take part in AFCON next year. The African nation is assured of its spot in the competition regardless of whether they finish as group winners or runners-up. But, they have made a perfect start to qualifying after winning their opening two matches.

South Africa

Both top nations in Group K have already assured their spot in the major tournament, with South Africa joining Morocco at AFCON. The nation has won once, drawn once, and lost once in their opening three matches. But, they have already picked up enough points to claim a top-two finish in the standings.

Algeria

One of the most recent winners of AFCON will also be involved in the Ivory Coast next year, as they booked their passage through from group F in a comprehensive fashion. Algeria has claimed victory in all four matches that they have played to this point, and their spot at the top of the standings is already assured. They will be hoping for a much stronger performance than in the previous edition.

Senegal

There were also no issues for the reigning champions in assuring their spot in AFCON next year, as they have already secured their top spot status in Group L. Senegal also has one of the top scorers in qualification, as Sadio Mane has already netted five goals in four games. It could be a worrying sign to the rest of Africa, as Senegal has looked incredibly strong in their opening matches.

Tunisia

The final team to have booked their spot in the tournament next year at this early stage in qualification is Tunisia. The African nation has already secured a top-two spot in Group J after winning three of their opening four matches. They have scored an impressive eight goals across the matches that they have played, and they are yet to concede a single goal. Tunisia will almost certainly be joined by Equatorial Guinea, who sit six points clear of Libya with two games to play.

Which Other Nations Look Set To Book Spots?

Many of the top nations are nearing securing their spot in AFCON next year. Those include Nigeria, who have won three of their opening four matches. However, their official spot in the tournament isn’t yet assured, as they need one final success to secure their berth. Egypt and Guinea also need one more victory in Group D. Ghana also face a nervy end to qualification, as they sit just three points clear of third-place Angola in Group E. But, we would expect them to secure their spot with victory in their next match. Mali and Gabon also require one more victory to secure their spot in the top two.