Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers begin with 2025 champions still undecided

Senegal's squad originally brandished the Cup of Nations trophy following their 1-0 win over Morocco at the Stade Prince Moulay Abdellah in Rabat on 18 January 2026.

They start their campaign for next year's tournament against Mozambique in Maputo in Group J on Friday.

But Morocco, who begin against Gabon in Group A on Friday night in Rabat, were awarded the 2025 championships on 17 March after the organisers stripped Senegal of the title for flouting competition rules.

The appeals panel of the Confederation of African Football (Caf) said Senegal effectively forfeited the game when they walked off the pitch and delayed the match for nearly 20 minutes in protest over the decision of referee Jean-Jacques Ngambo to consult video assistants before awarding Morocco a penalty deep into second-half stoppage time.

Minutes earlier, Ngambo had refused to refer to the video when disallowing Ismaila Sarr's goal for Senegal.

Senegal's football federation has taken the decision of Caf's appeals panel to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas). Judges at the international tribunal in the Swiss city of Lausanne will consider the evidence on 8 October and deliver their verdict in November.

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2027 campaign begins

By the time they specify the 2025 victor, four of the six qualifiers will have taken place to whittle the 48 teams down to 24 for the tournament between 19 June and 17 July in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

The co-hosts will play games in Group D, H and L respectively. Only one other team from those pools will advance to the finals. In the other nine groups, the top two sides will progress.

Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire, who played at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, are favourites to emerge from Group C, which also contains Gambia and Somalia.

Both Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire reached the last-32 knockout round at the World Cup, but Ghana went down to Colombia while the Ivorians lost to Norway.

Despite the early exit, Ghana's football chiefs have kept faith with coach Carlos Queiroz.

“There is always a new challenge,” said the 73-year-old Portuguese veteran on the eve of the clash in Bouaké.

“For me, the most important trophy at this moment is the next game … You cannot be on the top roof without climbing the steps of the building, and the steps for us now are to win the next game.”

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Renard returns to Côte d'Ivoire

Ivorian football bosses parted company with Emerse Faé, who led the squad to the 2023 Cup of Nations title, and replaced him with Hervé Renard, the coach of the Côte d'Ivoire team that lifted the Cup of Nations in 2015.

“The game against Ghana is a major fixture in African football,” said the 57-year-old Frenchman, who also oversaw Zambia's surge to the Cup of Nations crown in 2012.

“Ghana are a strong side. The match will be no easy task for anyone. Against such a formidable opponent, we'll need to be fully focused from the kick-off and stick to our game plan.

“Nothing will be handed to us on a plate but we've prepared with the utmost rigour and with the firm intention of dictating the pace of the game on home soil.”

Fresh from their debut appearance at the World Cup, Cape Verde will try to qualify for the Cup of Nations with new coach Humberto Bettencourt, who replaces CAF Coach of the Year Bubista. Humberto Bettencourt took over from Bubista as head coach of Cape Verde.

Video: Cape Verde, united behind their World Cup team

The Blue Sharks, as Cape Verde are nicknamed, start against Mali in Group K on Friday and will also face Rwanda and Liberia.

Nigeria launch their campaign on Friday at home to Madagascar – but without star striker Victor Osimhen, who was ruled out of the first two games in Group L with a muscle injury.

Nigeria's head coach Eric Chelle has drafted in the 29-year-old Coventry City striker Taiwo Awoniyi, who last played for his country in 2023.

In Group L's other game on Friday, Tanzania take on Guinea Bissau.