• Kenya will not be featuring in the matches owing to the ban imposed on them by FIFA for the government’s interference in the sport.
• Libya and Equatorial Guinea from Group J will kick off proceedings today at 10pm.
Image: COURTESY
The final round of qualifiers for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) are set to be played across the continent from Wednesday.
The AFCON will be held in Côte d'Ivoire in January 2024.
The matches are to be played from 6 to 12 September. Libya and Equatorial Guinea from Group J will kick off proceedings today at 10pm.
Kenya will not be featuring in the matches owing to the ban imposed on them by FIFA for the government’s interference in the sport.
Equatorial Guinea currently sit top of the group with 12 points with Libya exceeding only three points.
Cameroon vs Burundi will be one of the key matches to watch. Cameroon are five-time winners of the tournament while Burundi are dreaming of a second appearance at the competition.
The two are closely tied at 4 points and any loser between this tie will automatically lose out on a trip to Cote d’Ivoire.
The Indomitable Lions will count on the goalkeeping presence of André Onana. The Cameroonian shot-stopper, who came out of international retirement after a horrendous 2022 World Cup.
Veteran striker, Vincent Aboubakar, as the world witnessed during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar will look to draw confidence from the home crowd and showcase his prowess.
Group E will also have a mouth-watering tie which sees Ghana taking on the Central African Republic.
A tricky assignment awaits the Black Stars. Even though Ghana tops Group E with nine points, they face a Central African Republic (CAR) side that is just two points behind them.
CAR will be gunning for a full haul of points to secure their first-ever AFCON appearance while the four-time champions Black Stars need just a draw at home in Kumasi to advance.
Morocco vs Liberia headline group K will be a spectacle to watch.
Morocco is second in Group K just a point behind South Africa. Liberia sit bottom with just a point.
Group E has yet another scintillating tie that will see Angola pitted against Madagascar.
Angola sit second in Group E behind Ghana with eight points while Madagascar come in last with just two.
With Madagascar already out of contention, Angola could spoil the party for the Black Stars. Should they win and the Black Stars lose to CAR, it could spell disaster for the West Africans in what would be a huge upset in the group.
Fixtures and Dates of AFCON qualifier matches.
6-Sep-2023 Libya v Equatorial Guinea Group J
7-Sep-2023 Angola v Madagascar Group E
7-Sep-2023 Ghana v CAR Group E
7-Sep-2023 Niger v Uganda Group F
7-Sep-2023 Algeria v Tanzania Group F
7-Sep-2023 Tunisia v Botswana Group J
8-Sep-2023 Burkina Faso v Eswatini Group B
8-Sep-2023 Egypt v Ethiopia Group D
8-Sep-2023 Mali v South Sudan Group G
9-Sep-2023 Malawi v Guinea Group D
9-Sep-2023 Comoros v Zambia Group H
9-Sep-2023 Cote d'Ivoire v Lesotho Group H
9-Sep-2023 Mauritania v Gabon Group I
9-Sep-2023 Congo DR v Sudan Group I
9-Sep-2023 Morocco v Liberia Group K
9-Sep-2023 Mozambique v Benin Group L
9-Sep-2023 Senegal v Rwanda Group L
10-Sep-2023 Nigeria v Sao Tome & Principe Group A
10-Sep-2023 Togo v Cape Verde Group B
10-Sep-2023 Gambia v Congo-Brazzaville Group G
11-Sep-2023 Guinea Bissau v Sierra Leone Group A
12-Sep-2023 Cameroon v Burundi Group C