Johannesburg — The final field of 16 national football teams for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) will be confirmed this weekend when the last round of qualifiers are placed from September 2 to 4.
Africanfootball
Gabon (hosts), Morocco (Group F), Algeria (Group J), Cameroon (Group M), Senegal (Group K), Egypt (Group G), Ghana (Group H), Guinea-Bissau (Group E), Zimbabwe (Group L) and Mali (Group C) have all secured their berths.
Most of the interest will fall on Groups A, B and D, where the likes of Liberia, Tunisia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Burkina Faso and Uganda are battling to finish at the top of their groups.
Group I also has a major match, with reigning Afcon champions Ivory Coast hosting Sierra Leone in a high-stakes encounter in Bouake: should the Elephants be defeated, they will not have the chance to defend their 2015 crown. In addition to the 13 group winners, the two best runners-up will also qualify for Gabon 2017.
Currently, those two spots are taken up by Benin (11 points in Group C) and Tunisia (10 points in Group A), though the likes of Uganda, Central African Republic and Cape Verde are all in with a shot.
It promises to be a thrilling weekend of qualifiers and AfricanFootball.com will bring you in-depth coverage and all the latest news from around the continent as it breaks.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
Afcon 2017 qualifiers
Friday September 2 Group M – South Africa v Mauritania, Group I – Sudan v Gabon
Saturday September 3 Group H – Ghana v Rwanda, Group M – Cameroon v Gambia,Group J – Ethiopia v Seychelles, Group B – Angola v Madagascar, Group F – Cape Verde v Libya, Group G – Nigeria v Tanzania, Group K – Senegal v Namibia, Group I – Cote d’Ivoire v Sierra Leone, Group H – Mozambique v Mauritius
Sunday September 4 Group D – Burkina Faso v Botswana, Group L – Malawi v Swaziland Group E – Congo v Guinea-Bissau, Group E – Zambia v Kenya, Group C – Equatorial Guinea v South Sudan, Group D – Uganda v Comoros, Group L – Guinea v Zimbabwe, Group A – Togo v Djibouti, Group C – Mali v Benin, Group B – DR Congo v Central African Republic, Group A – Tunisia v Liberia, Group K – Niger v Burundi, Group F – Morocco v Sao Tome e Principe, Group J – Algeria v Lesotho
