The Africa Cup of Nations is taking place in Morocco and will crown the continent's premier international football team.
However, with glory also comes sorrow, as there cannot be light without the darkness. Only one team can cross the finish line at the end of its AFCON journey, with all others falling just short of the goal.
The top two finishers in each group earn automatic passage to the knockout stage, while the top four third-place finishers also advance. However, the bottom two third-place finishers plus all fourth-place finishers are sent home. From there, the knockout stage is single-elimination, with half the participants in each round bounced from the competition.
AllSportsPeople brings you a look at what teams have been sent packing from the tournament as each stage progresses.
MORE: A full look at the standings, bracket, fixtures, and matchups for AFCON 2025
Teams eliminated from AFCON 2025
The first team eliminated from AFCON 2025 was Botswana, who were mathematically out of reach after two group stage matches. Equatorial Guinea and Gabon followed soon after, making it three nations sent packing after the first two rounds of play at the competition.
Comoros was the first third-place team eliminated, as they finished their third match already below four of the other five third-place teams, putting them on the outside looking in. A similar fate befell Angola, who took two points from three winless matches.
Angola and Comoros' struggles meant the best third-place qualifiers were confirmed as Mozambique, Benin, Sudan and Tanzania.
In the Round of 16, there were some thrillers, leaving a few sides heartbroken to depart. Tunisia saw a last-gasp equalizer against Mali doom them in a penalty shootout, while Benin fell to Egypt in extra-time.
| Nation | FIFA rank | Stage Eliminated | Result |
| Botswana | 138 | Group D | Fourth place |
| Equatorial Guinea | 97 | Group E | Fourth place |
| Gabon | 78 | Group F | Fourth place |
| Zimbabwe | 129 | Group B | Fourth place |
| Zambia | 91 | Group A | Fourth place |
| Comoros | 109 | Group A | Third place |
| Angola | 89 | Group B | Third place |
| Uganda | 85 | Group C | Fourth place |
| Sudan | 117 | Round of 16 | L 3-1 vs. Senegal |
| Tunisia | 41 | Round of 16 | L on pens after 1-1 vs. Mali |
| South Africa | 61 | Round of 16 | L 2-1 vs. Cameroon |
| Benin | 92 | Round of 16 | L 3-1 vs. Egypt (a.e.t.) |
| Mozambique | 102 | Round of 16 | L 3-0 vs. Nigeria |
| DR Congo | 56 | Round of 16 | L 1-0 vs. Algeria (a.e.t.) |
| Burkina Faso | 62 | Round of 16 | L 3-0 vs. Ivory Coast |
| Mali | 53 | Quarterfinals | L 1-0 vs. Senegal |
| Cameroon | 57 | Quarterfinals | L 2-0 vs. Morocco |
| Algeria | 34 | Quarterfinals | L 2-0 vs. Nigeria |
| Ivory Coast | 42 | Quarterfinals | L 3-2 vs. Egypt |
AFCON 2025 knockout stage schedule, fixtures, results
The top two teams from each group, plus the three best third-place nations, comprise the 16 sides that enter the knockout stage.
Round of 16
| Date | Time (CET) | Match | Venue |
| Jan. 3, 2026 | 5 p.m. | Senegal (1D) 3-1 Sudan (3E) | Ibn Batouta Stadium, Tangier |
| Jan. 3, 2026 | 8 p.m. | Mali (2A) 1-1 Tunisia (2C) Mali won 3-2 on pens | Mohammed V Stadium, Casablanca |
| Jan. 4, 2026 | 5 p.m. | Morocco (1A) 1-0 Tanzania (3C) | Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat |
| Jan. 4, 2026 | 8 p.m. | South Africa (2B) 1-2 Cameroon (2F) | Al Barid Stadium, Rabat |
| Jan. 5, 2026 | 5 p.m. | Egypt (1B) 3-1 Benin (3D) | Adrar Stadium, Agadir |
| Jan. 5, 2026 | 8 p.m. | Nigeria (1C) 4-0 Mozambique (3F) | Fez Stadium, Fez |
| Jan. 6, 2026 | 5 p.m. | Algeria (1E) 1-0 DR Congo (2D) a.e.t. | Moulay Hassan Stadium, Rabat |
| Jan. 6, 2026 | 8 p.m. | Ivory Coast (1F) 3-0 Burkina Faso (2E) | Marrakesh Stadium, Marrakesh |
Quarterfinals
| Date | Time (CET) | Match | Venue |
| Jan. 9, 2026 | 5 p.m. | Mali 0-1 Senegal | Ibn Batouta Stadium, Tangier |
| Jan. 9, 2026 | 8 p.m. | Cameroon 0-2 Morocco | Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat |
| Jan. 10, 2026 | 5 p.m. | Algeria 0-2 Nigeria | Marrakesh Stadium, Marrakesh |
| Jan. 10, 2026 | 8 p.m. | Egypt 3-2 Ivory Coast | Adrar Stadium, Agadir |
Semifinals
| Date | Time (CET) | Match | Venue |
| Jan. 14, 2026 | 6 p.m. | Senegal vs. Egypt | Ibn Batouta Stadium, Tangier |
| Jan. 14, 2026 | 8 p.m. | Nigeria vs. Morocco | Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat |
Third-place playoff
| Date | Time (CET) | Match | Venue |
| Jan. 17, 2026 | 5 p.m. | Losers SF 1 vs. Losers SF 2 | Mohammed V Stadium, Casablanca |
Final
| Date | Time (CET) | Match | Venue |
| Jan. 18, 2026 | 8 p.m. | Winners SF 1 vs. Winners SF 2 | Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat |