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2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification

{{EngvarB|date=July 2023}}

{{Infobox international football competition

| tourney_name = 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification

| image =

| dates = {{nowrap|23 March 2022 – 17 October 2023}}

| num_teams = 52

| confederations = 1

| matches = 142

| goals = 348

| top_scorer = {{fbicon|NGA}} Victor Osimhen
(10 goals)

| prevseason = 2021

| nextseason = 2025

}}

{{Qualification for championships (CAF)}}

The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification matches were organised by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to decide the participating teams for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, the 34th edition of the international men's football championship of Africa. A total of 24 teams qualified to play in the final tournament, including Ivory Coast, who qualified automatically as hosts.

Entrants

All 54 CAF member associations entered the competition. The seeding was based on the FIFA World Ranking from 23 December 2021 with teams ranked 1st to 42nd receiving a bye to the qualifying group stage, while the teams ranked 43rd to 54th having to participate in the preliminary round.{{cite web |title=Road to Cote d'Ivoire 2023 kicks off with Preliminary Draw conducted |url=https://www.cafonline.com/news-center/news/road-to-cote-d-ivoire-2023-kicks-off-with-preliminary-draw-conducted |website=CAFonline.com |access-date=15 February 2022}}

The preliminary round draw took place on 21 January 2022, 16:30 WAT (UTC+1), in Douala, Cameroon.{{cite web|url=https://www.cafonline.com/total-africa-cup-of-nations/news/dates-for-fifa-world-cup-qatar-2022-african-qualifiers-and-totalenergies-africa-|title=Draw for 2023 Africa Cup of Nations|website=CAFOnline.com|date=8 January 2022|access-date=18 January 2022}}

class="wikitable"

|+From the December 2021 FIFA World Rankings{{cite web|title=Men's Ranking |url=https://www.fifa.com/fifa-world-ranking/men?dateId=id13505|website=FIFA.com|access-date=15 February 2022}}

! colspan="1" width="50%" |Bye to group stage

! colspan="1" width="50%" |Participating in preliminary round

valign="top"

|{{div col}}

  1. {{fb|SEN}} (20)
  2. {{fb|MAR}} (28)
  3. {{fb|ALG}} (29)
  4. {{fb|TUN}} (30)
  5. {{fb|NGA}} (36)
  6. {{fb|EGY}} (45)
  7. {{fb|CMR}} (50)
  8. {{fb|GHA}} (52)
  9. {{fb|MLI}} (53)
  10. {{fb|CIV}} (56)
  11. {{fb|BFA}} (60)
  12. {{fb|COD}} (64)
  13. {{fb|RSA}} (68)
  14. {{fb|CPV}} (73)
  15. {{fb|GUI}} (81)
  16. {{fb|UGA}} (82)
  17. {{fb|BEN}} (83)
  18. {{fb|ZAM}} (88)
  19. {{fb|GAB}} (89)
  20. {{fb|CGO}} (97)
  21. {{fb|MAD}} (101)
  22. {{fb|KEN}} (102)
  23. {{fb|MTN}} (103)
  24. {{fb|GNB}} (106)
  25. {{fb|SLE}} (108)
  26. {{fb|NAM}} (112)
  27. {{fb|NIG}} (113)
  28. {{fb|EQG}} (114)
  29. {{fb|LBY}} (117)
  30. {{fb|MOZ}} (118)
  31. {{fb|ZIM}} (121)
  32. {{fb|TOG}} (124)
  33. {{fb|SDN}} (125)
  34. {{fb|ANG}} (126)
  35. {{fb|MWI}} (129)
  36. {{fb|CTA}} (130)
  37. {{fb|TAN}} (131)
  38. {{fb|COM}} (132)
  39. {{fb|RWA}} (135)
  40. {{fb|ETH}} (137)
  41. {{fb|BDI}} (140)
  42. {{fb|LBR}} (144)

{{div col end}}

|{{ordered list|start=43

|{{fb|LES}} (145)

|{{fb|SWZ}} (146)

|{{fb|BOT}} (148)

|{{fb|GAM}} (150)

|{{fb|SSD|2011}} (167)

|{{fb|MRI}} (172)

|{{fb|CHA}} (180)

|{{fb|STP}} (189)

|{{fb|DJI}} (192)

|{{fb|SOM}} (194)

|{{fb|SEY}} (197)

|{{fb|ERI}} (202)

}}

Schedule

The schedule of the qualifying tournament was as follows.

class="wikitable"
rowspan=1|Round

!rowspan=1|Matchday

!colspan=1|Dates

!rowspan=1|Matches

rowspan=2|Preliminary round

|First leg

|23–24 March 2022

|Team 1 vs. Team 2

Second leg

|27–29 March 2022

|Team 2 vs. Team 1

rowspan=6|Group stage

|Matchday 1

|rowspan=2|1–13 June 2022

|Team 1 vs. Team 2, Team 3 vs. Team 4

Matchday 2

|Team 2 vs. Team 3, Team 4 vs. Team 1

Matchday 3

|22–24 March 2023

|Team 1 vs. Team 3, Team 2 vs. Team 4

Matchday 4

|26–29 March 2023

|Team 3 vs. Team 1, Team 4 vs. Team 2

Matchday 5

|14–20 June 2023

|Team 2 vs. Team 1, Team 4 vs. Team 3

Matchday 6

|6–12 September 2023, 17 October 2023

|Team 3 vs. Team 2, Team 1 vs. Team 4

Preliminary round

{{main|2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification preliminary round}}

The twelve lowest-ranked teams were drawn into six ties to be played in home-and-away two-legged format.{{cite web|url=https://www.cafonline.com/news-center/news/road-to-cote-d-ivoire-2023-kicks-off-with-preliminary-draw-conducted|title=Road to Cote d'Ivoire 2023 kicks off with Preliminary Draw conducted|website=CAFOnline.com|date=21 January 2022|access-date=21 January 2022}} The six winners advanced to the group stage to join the 42 teams which entered directly.

{{#lst:2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification preliminary round|Preliminary round}}

Group stage

=Draw=

The group stage draw took place on 19 April 2022 at 19:30 SAST (UTC+2) at SuperSport Broadcasting Studios in Johannesburg, South Africa.{{cite press release|url=https://www.cafonline.com/press-release/news/caf-announces-afcon23-women-s-afcon-and-chan-draw-dates|title=CAF announces AFCON23, Women's AFCON and CHAN draw dates|publisher=Confederation of African Football|date=8 April 2022|access-date=}}{{cite web|url=https://www.cafonline.com/press-release/news/tuesday-night-s-totalenergies-africa-cup-of-nations-cote-d-ivoire-group-stages-d|title=Tuesday night's TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations Cote d'Ivoire group stages draw procedure explained|publisher=Confederation of African Football|date=18 April 2022}} The 48 national teams involved were divided into twelve groups of four each (from Group A to Group L), which consisted of the 42 teams which entered directly, in addition to the six winners of the preliminary round. The 48 national teams had previously been seeded into four pots of twelve each based on the March 2022 FIFA World Rankings (shown in parentheses).{{cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/fifa-world-ranking/men?dateId=id13603|title=Men's Ranking|website=FIFA|date=31 March 2022|access-date=18 April 2022}} Teams in bold qualified for the final tournament.

class="wikitable"
width=25%| Pot 1

!width=25%| Pot 2

!width=25%| Pot 3

!width=25%| Pot 4

{{fb|SEN}} (20)

{{fb|MAR}} (24)

{{fb|NGR}} (30)

{{fb|EGY}} (32)

{{fb|TUN}} (35)

{{fb|CMR}} (37)

{{fb|ALG}} (44)

{{fb|MLI}} (52)

{{fb|CIV}} (53)

{{fb|BFA}} (56)

{{fb|GHA}} (60)

{{fb|DRC}} (67)

|

{{fb|RSA}} (69)

{{fb|CPV}} (71)

{{fb|GUI}} (80)

{{fb|GAB}} (81)

{{fb|BEN}} (84)

{{fb|UGA}} (86)

{{fb|ZAM}} (87)

{{fb|COG}} (98)

{{fb|GNQ}} (99)

{{fb|MAD}} (102)

{{fb|KEN}} (104)

{{fb|SLE}} (108)

|

{{fb|NAM}} (112)

{{fb|MTN}} (113)

{{fb|GNB}} (115)

{{fb|NIG}} (116)

{{fb|LBY}} (117)

{{fb|MOZ}} (119)

{{fb|MWI}} (120)

{{fb|TOG}} (121)

{{fb|ZIM}} (122)

{{fb|GAM}} (123)

{{fb|ANG}} (126)

{{fb|COM}} (128)

|

{{fb|TAN}} (130)

{{fb|CAF}} (131)

{{fb|SUD}} (132)

{{fb|RWA}} (136)

{{fb|BDI}} (139)

{{fb|ETH}} (140)

{{fb|ESW}} (143)

{{fb|LES}} (145)

{{fb|BOT}} (148)

{{fb|LBR}} (149)

{{fb|SSD|2011}} (161)

{{fb|STP}} (189)

The draw started with pot 4 and ended with pot 1; each team drawn was assigned into the first available group alphabetically (A–L) and within the group was placed in the position that corresponded to it according to its pot (i.e. position 1 for teams from pot 1, position 2 for teams from pot 2, position 3 for teams from pot 3 and position 4 for teams from pot 4).

The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations hosts, Ivory Coast, participated in the qualifiers despite the team being guaranteed a spot in the finals, which meant only the best ranked team within their group apart from Ivory Coast qualified for the finals. The Ivory Coast matches and results counted in determining the qualification of the other teams from their group.

Kenya and Zimbabwe were included in the draw despite being temporarily suspended by FIFA from all international football activities. In order to avoid a potential situation where one group contained only two valid teams, the aforementioned sides could thus not be drawn in the same group. On 23 May 2022, CAF announced that both teams had been disqualified from the qualifiers as a result of their suspensions not being lifted by FIFA.{{cite press release|date=23 May 2022|title=CAF Media Statement on Zimbabwe and Kenya AFCON 2023 qualifiers|url=https://www.cafonline.com/press-release/news/caf-media-statement-on-zimbabwe-and-kenya-afcon-2023-qualifiers|website=CAFonline.com|access-date=24 May 2022}} Thus, their groups were composed of only three teams, with the group winners and runners-up qualifying to the finals.

The draw ceremony was conducted by the CAF Director of Competitions Samson Adamu, with assistance by former South Africa defender Lucas Radebe and former Ivory Coast striker Salomon Kalou.{{cite news|url=https://www.cafonline.com/press-release/news/radebe-kalou-named-2023-totalenergies-africa-cup-of-nations-qualifying-draw-assi|title=Radebe, Kalou named 2023 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations Qualifying Draw Assistants|website=CAFOnline.com|date=14 April 2022|access-date=15 May 2022}}

{{anchor|Tiebreakers}}

;Tiebreakers

The teams were ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss). If tied on points, tiebreakers were applied in the following order (Regulations Article 14):

  1. Points in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
  2. Goal difference in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
  3. Goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
  4. Away goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
  5. If more than two teams were tied, and after applying all head-to-head criteria above, a subset of teams were still tied, all head-to-head criteria above was reapplied exclusively to this subset of teams;
  6. Goal difference in all group matches;
  7. Goals scored in all group matches;
  8. Away goals scored in all group matches;
  9. Drawing of lots

=Group A=

{{main|2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification Group A}}

{{2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification group tables|Group A|only_pld_pts=no_hide_class_rules|show_matches=yes}}

=Group B=

{{main|2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification Group B}}

{{2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification group tables|Group B|only_pld_pts=no_hide_class_rules|show_matches=yes}}

= Group C =

{{main|2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification Group C}}

{{2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification group tables|Group C|only_pld_pts=no_hide_class_rules|show_matches=yes}}

= Group D =

{{main|2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification Group D}}

{{2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification group tables|Group D|only_pld_pts=no_hide_class_rules|show_matches=yes}}

= Group E =

{{main|2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification Group E}}

{{2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification group tables|Group E|only_pld_pts=no_hide_class_rules|show_matches=yes}}

= Group F =

{{main|2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification Group F}}

{{2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification group tables|Group F|only_pld_pts=no_hide_class_rules|show_matches=yes}}

= Group G =

{{main|2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification Group G}}

{{2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification group tables|Group G|only_pld_pts=no_hide_class_rules|show_matches=yes}}

= Group H =

{{main|2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification Group H}}

{{2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification group tables|Group H|only_pld_pts=no_hide_class_rules|show_matches=yes}}

= Group I =

{{main|2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification Group I}}

{{2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification group tables|Group I|only_pld_pts=no_hide_class_rules|show_matches=yes}}

= Group J =

{{main|2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification Group J}}

{{2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification group tables|Group J

|only_pld_pts=no_hide_class_rules|show_matches=yes}}

= Group K =

{{main|2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification Group K}}

{{2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification group tables|Group K|only_pld_pts=yes_hide_class_rules|show_matches=yes}}

= Group L =

{{main|2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification Group L}}

{{2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification group tables|Group L|only_pld_pts=no_hide_class_rules|show_matches=yes}}

Goalscorers

{{Goalscorers

|goals=348 |matches=142

|10 goals=

|5 goals=

|4 goals=

|3 goals=

|2 goals=

|1 goal=

|1 own goal=

}}

Qualified teams

The following teams qualified for the final tournament.

class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:left;"
style="width:110px;"|Team

! style="width:160px;"|Qualified as

! style="width:110px;"|Qualified on

! data-sort-type="number"|Previous appearances in Africa Cup of Nations1

{{fb|CIV}}{{nowrap|{{sort|H2|Hosts / Group H runners-up}}}}{{dts|2019|1|30|addkey=1|format=dmy}}24 (1965, 1968, 1970, 1974, 1980, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021)
{{fb|MAR}}{{sort|K1|{{nowrap|Group K winners}}}}{{dts|2023|3|24|addkey=1|format=dmy}}18 (1972, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1986, 1988, 1992, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2019, 2021)
{{fb|ALG}}{{sort|F1|{{nowrap|Group F winners}}}}{{dts|2023|3|27|addkey=1|format=dmy}}19 (1968, 1980, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2010, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021)
{{fb|RSA}}{{sort|K2|{{nowrap|Group K runners-up}}}}{{dts|2023|3|28|addkey=1|format=dmy}}10 (1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2013, 2015, 2019)
{{fb|SEN}}{{sort|L1|{{nowrap|Group L winners}}}}{{dts|2023|3|28|addkey=1|format=dmy}}16 (1965, 1968, 1986, 1990, 1992, 1994, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021)
{{fb|BFA}}{{sort|B1|{{nowrap|Group B winners}}}}{{dts|2023|3|28|addkey=1|format=dmy}}12 (1978, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2021)
{{fb|TUN}}{{sort|J1|{{nowrap|Group J winners}}}}{{dts|2023|3|28|addkey=1|format=dmy}}20 (1962, 1963, 1965, 1978, 1982, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021)
{{fb|EGY}}{{sort|D1|{{nowrap|Group D winners}}}}{{dts|2023|6|14|addkey=1|format=dmy}}25 (1957, 1959, 1962, 1963, 1970, 1974, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2017, 2019, 2021)
{{fb|ZAM}}{{sort|H1|{{nowrap|Group H winners}}}}{{dts|2023|6|17|addkey=1|format=dmy}}17 (1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015)
{{Fb|EQG}}{{sort|J2|Group J runners-up}}{{dts|2023|6|17|addkey=1|format=dmy}}3 (2012, 2015, 2021)
{{Fb|NGA}}{{sort|A1|Group A winners }}{{dts|2023|6|18|addkey=1|format=dmy}}19 (1963, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1982, 1984, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2019, 2021)
{{Fb|GNB}}{{sort|A2|Group A runners-up}}{{dts|2023|6|18|addkey=1|format=dmy}}3 (2017, 2019, 2021)
{{Fb|CPV}}{{sort|B2|Group B runners-up}}{{dts|2023|6|18|addkey=1|format=dmy}}3 (2013, 2015, 2021)
{{Fb|MLI}}{{sort|G1|Group G winners}}{{dts|2023|6|18|addkey=1|format=dmy}}12 (1972, 1994, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021)
{{fb|GUI}}{{sort|D2|Group D runners-up}}{{dts|2023|6|20|addkey=1|format=dmy}}13 (1970, 1974, 1976, 1980, 1994, 1998, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021)
{{fb|GHA}}{{sort|E1|Group E winners}}{{dts|2023|9|7|addkey=1|format=dmy}}23 (1963, 1965, 1968, 1970, 1978, 1980, 1982, 1984, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021)
{{fb|ANG}}{{sort|E2|Group E runners-up}}{{dts|2023|9|7|addkey=1|format=dmy}}8 (1996, 1998, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2019)
{{fb|TAN}}{{sort|F2|Group F runners-up}}{{dts|2023|9|7|addkey=1|format=dmy}}2 (1980, 2019)
{{fb|MOZ}}{{sort|L2|Group L runners-up}}{{dts|2023|9|9|addkey=1|format=dmy}}4 (1986, 1996, 1998, 2010)
{{fb|COD}}{{sort|I1|Group I winners}}{{dts|2023|9|9|addkey=1|format=dmy}}19 (1965, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1988, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019)
{{fb|MRT}}{{sort|I2|Group I runners-up}}{{dts|2023|9|9|addkey=1|format=dmy}}2 (2019, 2021)
{{fb|GAM}}{{sort|G2|Group G runners-up}}{{dts|2023|9|10|addkey=1|format=dmy}}1 (2021)
{{fb|CMR}}{{sort|C1|Group C winners}}{{dts|2023|9|12|addkey=1|format=dmy}}20 (1970, 1972, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021)
{{fb|NAM}}{{sort|C2|Group C runners-up}}{{dts|2023|9|12|addkey=1|format=dmy}}3 (1998, 2008, 2019)

:

1 Bold indicates champions for that year. Italics indicates hosts for that year.

References

{{reflist}}

{{2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification}}

{{2023 Africa Cup of Nations}}

{{African Nations Cup}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Africa Cup of Nations qualification 2023}}

2023

Qualification

Category:2022 in African football

Category:2023 in African football