AFCON 2024: Nigeria and Mali join 12 other qualified teams for final tournament

Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde also make it through

Nigeria, Mali, Guinea-Bissau, and Cape Verde were the latest qualifiers for the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). The tournament will take place in Ivory Coast next year in January and February.

Nigeria and Guinea-Bissau made it through Group A in the qualifier stage. These teams won their recent matches and made it through to the final tournament. Nigeria topped the group with four wins and one loss. Kelechi Ineanacho scored a dramatic winner in injury time to hand his side a 3-2 victory over Sierra Leone.

Mali made it through after topping Group G in the qualifiers and Cape Verde made it through from Group B.

These four teams join 10 other qualified teams for the next year's tournament. Ivory Coast got a direct entry as they are the hosts. Morocco became the second team to make it to the 2024 championship.

Algeria, South Africa, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Tunisia, Zambia, Egypt, and Equatorial Guinea are the other nations that have qualified for the final tournament.

The qualifiers of the AFCON 2024 saw 12 groups with four teams each. The top two teams from each group get an automatic qualification to the final tournament.

These 24 qualified teams will be put in a group of four. The top two teams from the six groups will make it to the knockout stage and four teams with the best third-place record will join them.

There are still 10 vacant spots left in the group stage. Three matches are still left in the June international break. The final qualification round will take place in September.

Nigeria's Victor Osimhen is the highest goal-scorer in the qualifiers with seven goals. He is followed by Sadio Mane of Senegal, who is on five goals.

Senegal will look to defend their crown this time. Egypt are the most successful team in the tournament with seven AFCON titles.