# 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
The 2019 [Africa Cup of Nations](https://www.edgepedia.org/africa-cup-of-nations) qualification was the series of football tournaments organized by the [Confederation of African Football](https://www.edgepedia.org/confederation-of-african-football) (CAF) to determine 23 of the 24 participants at the [2019 Africa Cup of Nations](https://www.edgepedia.org/2019-africa-cup-of-nations) in Egypt, with only the hosts receiving an automatic place.[1](https://africa.sis.gov.eg/media/20871/english-net-final-june.pdf) It was the first qualification campaign for a 24-team Cup of Nations, expanded from 16 teams in previous editions.[2](https://inside.fifa.com/news/line-up-complete-for-egypt-2019-3021197) The campaign ran alongside an unusual backdrop: the original host, Cameroon, was stripped of the tournament in November 2018 and replaced by Egypt.[3](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46407474)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Places decided | 23 of 24 teams through qualifying; only the hosts qualified automatically[1](https://africa.sis.gov.eg/media/20871/english-net-final-june.pdf) |
| Format change | First Cup of Nations with 24 teams, expanded from 16[2](https://inside.fifa.com/news/line-up-complete-for-egypt-2019-3021197) |
| Host change | Cameroon stripped of hosting on 30 November 2018; Egypt named replacement in January 2019[3](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46407474) • [4](https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2019/1/8/egypt-to-replace-cameroon-as-host-of-2019-africa-cup-of-nations) |
| Final round | Matches on 22-24 March 2019 decided the last ten places[5](https://www.cafonline.com/caf-africa-cup-of-nations/news/fierce-battles-with-final-afcon-places-to-be-decided/) |
| Debutants | Madagascar, Mauritania, and Burundi qualified for the first time; Tanzania returned after 39 years[2](https://inside.fifa.com/news/line-up-complete-for-egypt-2019-3021197) |
| Notable absentees | Burkina Faso, Gabon, Togo, and Zambia failed to qualify[2](https://inside.fifa.com/news/line-up-complete-for-egypt-2019-3021197) |
| Scale | 100 qualifying matches were played overall[6](https://africanfootball.com/news/760558/The-2019-Africa-Cup-of-Nations-qualifiers-in-numbers) |
## Host change during the campaign
CAF's Executive Committee, meeting in [Sharm El Sheikh](https://www.edgepedia.org/sharm-el-sheikh) on 27-28 September 2018, received an inspection report that revealed a significant delay in the delivery of Cameroon's infrastructure, and scheduled a final decision for late November after a last inspection involving the audit firm Roland Berger.[7](https://www.cafonline.com/news/decisions-of-caf-executive-commitee-27-28-september-2018/) At that point the tournament, in its new 24-team format, was still scheduled for 15 June to 13 July 2019.[7](https://www.cafonline.com/news/decisions-of-caf-executive-commitee-27-28-september-2018/)
On 30 November 2018, CAF stripped Cameroon of the hosting rights, citing delays in preparations.[3](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46407474) • [8](https://inside.fifa.com/en/news/egypt-to-stage-2019-africa-cup-of-nations) CAF called for new host bids to ensure the tournament took place the following summer.[9](https://www.cafonline.com/media/ylcfml4u/zp066nfrsjvejndjv1yj.pdf) On 8 January 2019, Egypt was announced as the replacement host, staging the competition for the fourth time.[4](https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2019/1/8/egypt-to-replace-cameroon-as-host-of-2019-africa-cup-of-nations) FIFA's account of the completed line-up gives the final tournament dates as 21 June to 19 July 2019, later than the 15 June to 13 July window CAF had set in September 2018.[2](https://inside.fifa.com/news/line-up-complete-for-egypt-2019-3021197) • [7](https://www.cafonline.com/news/decisions-of-caf-executive-commitee-27-28-september-2018/)
## Format
Only the hosts received an automatic qualification spot; the other 23 teams qualified through the qualification tournament.[1](https://africa.sis.gov.eg/media/20871/english-net-final-june.pdf) At the final tournament, the top two teams in each group and the four best third-placed teams advanced to the round of 16.[1](https://africa.sis.gov.eg/media/20871/english-net-final-june.pdf) The tournament draw was staged on 12 April 2019 in Cairo.[2](https://inside.fifa.com/news/line-up-complete-for-egypt-2019-3021197)
## The qualifying campaign
By the final round of matches, played 22-24 March 2019, 14 countries had already secured places, including seven-time champions Egypt, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Senegal, Guinea, Mali, Uganda, and Kenya, along with two newcomers, [Madagascar](https://www.edgepedia.org/madagascar) and [Mauritania](https://www.edgepedia.org/mauritania).[5](https://www.cafonline.com/caf-africa-cup-of-nations/news/fierce-battles-with-final-afcon-places-to-be-decided/) The last ten places were decided in that final weekend.[5](https://www.cafonline.com/caf-africa-cup-of-nations/news/fierce-battles-with-final-afcon-places-to-be-decided/)
**Group G went to the wire.** Nothing had been decided before the final weekend, where Zimbabwe led on eight points, one ahead of Liberia, with DR Congo and Congo on six and five points.[5](https://www.cafonline.com/caf-africa-cup-of-nations/news/fierce-battles-with-final-afcon-places-to-be-decided/) Home advantage proved decisive: Zimbabwe beat Congo 2-0 with a free-kick from Khama Billiat and a volley from Knowledge Musona, while DR Congo beat Liberia 1-0 through an early second-half goal by Cedric Bakambu.[2](https://inside.fifa.com/news/line-up-complete-for-egypt-2019-3021197)
**Other decisive results.** Burundi, needing a point at home to Gabon to qualify for the first time, held on for a 1-1 draw.[2](https://inside.fifa.com/news/line-up-complete-for-egypt-2019-3021197) Tanzania beat Uganda 3-0 on the final matchday to take second place in Group L behind Uganda, their first appearance since 1980, under coach [Emmanuel Amunike](https://www.edgepedia.org/emmanuel-amunike), appointed in August 2018.[2](https://inside.fifa.com/news/line-up-complete-for-egypt-2019-3021197) In Group D, Benin beat Togo 2-1 to take the section's final ticket behind Algeria, returning after a nine-year hiatus.[2](https://inside.fifa.com/news/line-up-complete-for-egypt-2019-3021197) South Africa, needing to avoid defeat against Libya, won 2-1 away thanks to a [Percy Tau](https://www.edgepedia.org/percy-tau) brace, with the striker opening the scoring from the edge of the area and restoring the lead with a curling strike after a Libyan penalty.[2](https://inside.fifa.com/news/line-up-complete-for-egypt-2019-3021197) Angola secured their place on the Friday, Burundi, Cameroon, Guinea-Bissau, and Namibia followed on the Saturday, and Zimbabwe, Congo DR, Benin, Tanzania, and South Africa completed the field on Sunday 24 March.[2](https://inside.fifa.com/news/line-up-complete-for-egypt-2019-3021197)
Cameroon, the deposed host, still qualified as a participant: the Indomitable Lions, winners of the 2017 edition, beat Comoros 3-0 in Yaounde in the final [Group B](https://www.edgepedia.org/group-b) match, needing at least a draw to advance.[10](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47679695)
Earlier milestones included Mauritania's first-ever qualification, sealed with a 2-1 win over Botswana in [Nouakchott](https://www.edgepedia.org/nouakchott), and Ghana's 2-0 win away to Ethiopia in which [Jordan Ayew](https://www.edgepedia.org/jordan-ayew) scored both goals; Algeria also booked their place that day, with [Riyad Mahrez](https://www.edgepedia.org/riyad-mahrez) scoring a brace in a 4-1 win away to Togo.[11](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46254218)
## Debutants, returns, and absentees
Three teams made their tournament debuts: Madagascar, among the first to qualify in October 2018; Mauritania, who stamped their ticket a month later with a game still to play; and Burundi, then 138th in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking, described by FIFA as the most surprising of the unexpected qualifiers.[2](https://inside.fifa.com/news/line-up-complete-for-egypt-2019-3021197) Tanzania returned 39 years after their single previous participation in 1980.[2](https://inside.fifa.com/news/line-up-complete-for-egypt-2019-3021197)
The expansion to 24 teams did not spare every established side. [Burkina Faso](https://www.edgepedia.org/burkina-faso), Gabon, Togo, and Zambia were the most notable absentees from the 32nd edition.[2](https://inside.fifa.com/news/line-up-complete-for-egypt-2019-3021197)
## Sierra Leone's disqualification
The CAF Executive Committee, meeting on 30 November 2018 in Accra, decided the case of [Sierra Leone](https://www.edgepedia.org/sierra-leone) in the 2019 qualifiers.[12](https://www.cafonline.com/afcon2025/news/sierra-leone-disqualified-from-total-afcon-2019-qualifiers/) FIFA had suspended the Sierra Leone Football Association on 5 October 2018, and Sierra Leone was disqualified from the competition.[13](https://www.11v11.com/competitions/africa-cup-of-nations/2019/qualifying/) • [12](https://www.cafonline.com/afcon2025/news/sierra-leone-disqualified-from-total-afcon-2019-qualifiers/)
## The campaign in numbers
A statistical review of the preliminaries counted 100 qualifying matches played overall, ahead of a tournament then still planned for Cameroon on 15 June 2019, with 213 days remaining at the time of writing.[6](https://africanfootball.com/news/760558/The-2019-Africa-Cup-of-Nations-qualifiers-in-numbers)
## References
1. [Africa 2019 (tournament format), State Information Service, Egypt](https://africa.sis.gov.eg/media/20871/english-net-final-june.pdf)
2. [Joy abounds as AFCON line-up completed, FIFA](https://inside.fifa.com/news/line-up-complete-for-egypt-2019-3021197)
3. [Cameroon stripped of hosting 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, BBC Sport](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46407474)
4. [Egypt to replace Cameroon as host of 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, Al Jazeera](https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2019/1/8/egypt-to-replace-cameroon-as-host-of-2019-africa-cup-of-nations)
5. [Fierce battles with final AFCON places to be decided, CAF](https://www.cafonline.com/caf-africa-cup-of-nations/news/fierce-battles-with-final-afcon-places-to-be-decided/)
6. [The 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in numbers, AfricanFootball](https://africanfootball.com/news/760558/The-2019-Africa-Cup-of-Nations-qualifiers-in-numbers)
7. [Decisions of CAF Executive Committee, 27 & 28 September 2018, CAF](https://www.cafonline.com/news/decisions-of-caf-executive-commitee-27-28-september-2018/)
8. [Egypt to stage 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, FIFA](https://inside.fifa.com/en/news/egypt-to-stage-2019-africa-cup-of-nations)
9. [Decisions of CAF Executive Committee's Extraordinary Meeting, 30.11.2018, CAF](https://www.cafonline.com/media/ylcfml4u/zp066nfrsjvejndjv1yj.pdf)
10. [2019 Africa Cup of Nations: Cameroon beat Comoros 3-0 to qualify, BBC Sport](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47679695)
11. [Afcon 2019: Mauritania, Guinea, Ivory Coast qualify, BBC Sport](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46254218)
12. [Sierra Leone disqualified from Total AFCON 2019 qualifiers, CAF](https://www.cafonline.com/afcon2025/news/sierra-leone-disqualified-from-total-afcon-2019-qualifiers/)
13. [Africa Cup of Nations 2019 qualifying, 11v11](https://www.11v11.com/competitions/africa-cup-of-nations/2019/qualifying/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football competitions and records › Competitions and recurring events › International competitions beyond FIFA and UEFA › Confederation national-team championships › Africa Cup of Nations*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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