With only one match left in the qualification group stages, the list of nations to take part in the 2019 Total Africa Cup of Nations is beginning to take shape.
A total of thirteen nations so far have booked places at the newly-extended 24-team finals scheduled to take place in Cameroon next year.
Madagascar became the first side to book their spot at the tournament for the first time in their nation’s history when they beat Equatorial Guinea 1-0 in October, to qualify for next year’s final tournament with two matches to spare.
Patrick Kaddu’s 76th-minute goal against Cape Verde in Kampala assured that Uganda qualified for back-to-back Afcon tournaments for the first time in 39 years.
Mauritania qualified for the first time from Group I as they came from a goal down to beat Botswana 2-1 at home scoring an 84th minute winner.
Guinea progressed yesterday before they even kicked a ball after Rwanda held the Central African Republic to a 2-2 draw in Group H.
Their 1-1 draw at home with Ivory Coast later in the day meant the Elephants also progressed to the finals in Cameroon in 2019.
The final matches of all the groups will be played on 22nd March 2019 on which the remaining eleven nations will seal their places.
The 2019 AFCON tournament will be hosted in Cameroon. The competition will be held in June and July 2019 to move it from January/February for the first time.
It will also be the first Africa Cup of Nations expanded from 16 to 24 teams.
Qualifed teams; Cameroon (Hosts), Senegal, Madagascar, Morocco, Mali, Algeria, Tunisia, Nigeria, Egypt, Uganda, Mauritania, Guinea and Ivory Coast.