AFCON qualifiers 2023 fixtures, results, groups, teams, and how it works ahead of Ivory Coast 2024

There are 48 African countries battling for the 24 berths available to the next Africa Cup of Nations tournament (AFCON) to be held beginning in January 2024 in the Ivory Coast. 

Defending champions Senegal will be facing fierce competition from fellow African powers Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, host nation Ivory Coast, and others as they try to become the first back-to-back AFCON champions since Egypt won three straight in 2006, 2008, and 2010.

To reach the AFCON finals in 2024, nations must progress through qualifying, which can be ruthless in deciding which countries achieve a spot in the tournament. 

The Sporting News brings you all the necessary details about how AFCON qualifying works, when the matches are, and how they play out.

AFCON qualifiers format

To qualify for AFCON, teams must progress through a group stage qualification format.

First, the lowest-ranked teams had to push through a preliminary stage which consisted of 12 teams paired up in six matchups contested over two legs. The losers on aggregate goals were eliminated, while the six winners advanced to join 42 others in the group stage.

The remaining 48 teams were then grouped into 12 groups of four (Groups A-L), with each group playing round-robin matches.

The top two finishers in each group advance to AFCON, while the bottom two in each group are eliminated. This produces the 24 qualifiers who will reach the final tournament.

Ivory Coast have already qualified for AFCON as hosts, but they are still playing in the qualification matches despite their spot being assured. Since Les Elephants are already through, only one qualifier can emerge from Group H. The highest finisher outside of Ivory Coast will earn that group's lone berth.

Teams qualified to AFCON

The following teams have already secured qualification to the African Cup of Nations in January 2024:

Africa Cup of Nations 2023 qualifier fixtures, results

Qualifying Groups

The 48 nations left standing were split up into 12 groups of four at the draw on April 19, 2022. To ensure competitively balanced groups, teams were drawn from four separate pots broken down by FIFA rankings. Each group consists of one team selected from each pot.

Kenya (Pot 2) and Zimbabwe (Pot 3) were under FIFA suspension at the time of the draw, but since their suspension was not subsequently lifted, both countries were eliminated from the competition. Their groups (Group C and Group K) will still progress two qualifiers to the finals, meaning only one participant in each group will be eliminated.

Group A table, standings

Q = Qualified to AFCON in January 2024

Group A fixtures, results

Group B table, standings

Q = Qualified to AFCON in January 2024

Group B fixtures, results

Group C table, standings

Q = Qualified to AFCON in January 2024

Group C fixtures, results

Group D table, standings

Q = Qualified to AFCON in January 2024

Group D fixtures, results

Group E table, standings

Q = Qualified to AFCON in January 2024

Group E fixtures, results

Group F table, standings

Q = Qualified to AFCON in January 2024

Group F fixtures, results

Group G table, standings

Q = Qualified to AFCON in January 2024

Group G fixtures, results

Group H table, standings

Q = Qualified to AFCON in January 2024

Group H fixtures, results

Group I table, standings

Q = Qualified to AFCON in January 2024

Group I fixtures, results

Group J table, standings

Q = Qualified to AFCON in January 2024

Group J fixtures, results

Group K table, standings

Q = Qualified to AFCON in January 2024

Group K fixtures, results

Group L table, standings

Q = Qualified to AFCON in January 2024

Group L fixtures, results

Preliminary round

The higher-ranked teams among the preliminary round participants were seeded in the draw, and played the second leg of this preliminary round at home. The games were contested in late March of 2022.

In March of 2022, Eritrea announced it would withdraw from AFCON 2023 qualification. No reason for the decision was announced. The nation has not contested a senior international fixture since a friendly against Sudan in 2020, while their last competitive fixture was in 2019 against Namibia in 2022 World Cup qualifying.

There was controversy around the matchup between Sao Tome & Principe and Mauritius. Sao Tome & Principe won the first leg 1-0, but goalscorer Luis Leal was accused of breaching COVID-19 regulations, which saw their opponents awarded a 3-0 result via forfeit. However, an appeal saw the decision overturned, and that proved decisive as Sao Tome & Principe would advance on an aggregate score of 4-3 after a second leg draw. They were the only unseeded team to advance through the preliminary round.

In the table below, the team to advance is in bold.