On Thursday, six more teams secured qualification for AFCON 2025 joining an exciting lineup of African football giants.

The 15 berths of the 24 available spots at the 2025 CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) are already secured with African football’s finest preparing to dazzle on the grand stage in Morocco.

On Thursday, matchday 5 of the qualifiers brought thrilling results, as six more nations — Nigeria, Tunisia, South Africa, Uganda, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon — punched their tickets to the continent’s most prestigious football competition.

These six teams join an already impressive lineup of African football powerhouses and emerging challengers.

Host nation Morocco, guaranteed a spot by virtue of hosting the event, leads the pack alongside Senegal and Algeria, who breezed through their qualification campaign with consistent dominance.

Egypt, boasting a record seven AFCON titles, and Côte d’Ivoire, the reigning title holders are set to rekindle their storied rivalries on the big stage.

Adding to this blend are DR Congo, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea, three teams hungry to leave their mark in Morocco and eager to make deep runs into the tournament.

South Africa’s qualification is particularly notable marking their return to the AFCON fold for the second time in a row.

Similarly, Uganda and Gabon have reignited hopes of a strong continental presence.

Tunisia and Nigeria, long-standing giants of African football, added their names to the growing list of confirmed participants.

Both nations are perennial AFCON contenders and bring rich histories, world-class talent, and high expectations to the tournament.

Matchday 5 matches roll on into Friday and Saturday, while the final Matchday 6 next week will determine the remaining nine teams to complete the 24-nation roster.

Nigeria secured a ticket to participate in the Africa Cup of Nations finals (the continent’s flagship football championship) for the 21st time after a 1-1 draw with Benin Republic in Abidjan on Thursday that still put the Cheetahs’ prospects for qualification on the wire.

The game played under driving rain inside the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny produced a number of interesting moments, but the biggest was when Victor Osimhen celebrated wildly as his 81st minute header that sailed past goalkeeper Marcel Dandjinou not only secured Nigeria’s first place in the group, but also put him at par with the legendary Olusegun Odegbami in goals’ tally for Nigeria. Both are now joint second to the top man, Rashidi Yekini (of blessed memory) who scored 37 goals in 58 matches.

Osimhen’s goal, in which he profited from a pinpoint cross from Moses Simon, and restored parity on the night after Mohamed Tijani’s goal for the Cheetahs in the 16th minute, was his 23rd for the senior team. Odegbami, the former captain of the team who took the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations finals by the scruff, scored his 23 goals in 46 matches.

The downpour ushered the two teams into a game of two halves, with the Cheetahs keeping possession and running rings round the Super Eagles for large swathes of the first period. However, Tijani’s header from a cross by the vibrant Junior Olaitan that found the net by going through the legs of goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali, was against the run of play.

Minutes earlier, Alex Iwobi had miscued when Osimhen headed down the ball for him from Bruno Onyemaechi’s cross, and Osimhen himself was foiled by Dandjinou just before the Cheetahs struck at the other end.

Nwabali was alert to punch away as Olaitan broke loose three minutes later, and it was ding-dong until four minutes before the break, when Osimhen should have scored from a brilliant Onyemaechi cross, only to watch the ball roll away from goal after his header.

In the 55th minute, Ademola Lookman and Osimhen caused anxious moments at the Benin Republic rear, but Olaitan also got close after Captain William Ekong and Olaoluwa Aina fumbled with the ball down the line. Onyemaechi, coming forward a lot, saw his shot roll agonizingly away from goal just after the hour, and Osimhen headed wide away in the 74th minute as the Cheetahs began to nurse hopes of a win.

Osimhen had other ideas. His goal sent the Super Eagles to Morocco 2025 as group winners, and ensured the Eagles remain unbeaten in the AFCON qualification campaign going into their last game of the series, against Rwanda in Uyo on Monday.

Rwanda, with five points from their five games after an unexpected 1-0 loss to Libya in Kigali also on Thursday, must beat the Super Eagles in Uyo and hope that Libya overwhelm Benin Republic in Tripoli on Monday, to spring to second place and collect the second ticket to the finals from Group D.

“It was a tough game and I congratulate the players for a spirited display in the second half that earned us the equalizer. The downpour made the game difficult for both teams, but I am happy we have the AFCON finals ticket in the bag ahead of the final game of the series against Rwanda in Uyo on Monday,” Coach Augustine Eguavoen said.

One of Real Madrid’s youngest stars, Marc Cucalon, has been forced to retire from professional football at just 19-years-old, after he picked up a serious rare injury which will prevent him playing for Los Blancos. The midfielder announced his decision on social media on Tuesday.

Cucalon was signed Real Zaragoza when he was just 11, and was touted for big things at the Santiago Bernabeu, even drawing comparisons to Real Madrid icon and elite deep-lying playmaker Xabi Alonso. Nicknamed ‘the Xabi Alonso of La Fabrica’, his career was halted by an ACL injury which he suffered during a UEFA Youth League win against Celtic in September 2022.

Although many footballers have suffered ACL injuries and recovered from them to play at the highest level, bacteria entered Cucalon’s body while he was having surgery, which led to an infection. That has subsequently led to it damaging the cartilage in his knee.

Cucalon Announces Retirement
Tributes poured in for the talented youngster

The 19-year-old underwent numerous treatments to try and help him get back on the pitch, but they had little effect on him. With Cucalon still struggling to play the game, he’s been advised to hang up his boots.

Writing on social media, he said: “I arrived at Real Madrid in the summer of 2016 as a kid with a backpack full of dreams and I was very, very happy. And the truth [is] that my life changed completely on 6 September 2022, when I was seriously injured. After several complications, that injury has forced me to make the tough decision to say goodbye to football, at least in the way I had always dreamed of.

“For these past two years I have struggled physically and mentally with all my might and I have tried everything in my power to enjoy this sport again, but it has not been possible to recover from it.

“Don’t get me wrong: this is not a sad farewell at all. After all, I think I have been truly privileged to have been part of the best club in the world and to have lived a dream. I’ve learned and matured as a person and as a player.

“I carry with me for the rest of my life the values that have been instilled in me and, of course, football has taught me in every triumph and in every defeat: you always have to overcome and keep fighting to overcome obstacles. Those lessons will be part of my life forever.”

Alvaro Arbeloa, who coached Cucalon at Real Madrid’s academy, then posted a touching message to the youngster. He said: “You don’t know how many times this game comes to mind. It’s hard for me not to think about the huge player you were going to be (and already were), but you always have to look to the future. You know it better than anyone, you deserve the best, Marc, we will always be there for whatever you need.”