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The Africa Cup of Nations is a tournament that will define the next two years of CAF football, as the winner will become the newest champions of Africa.
Held biannually, at least until the format changes at the end of the decade, AFCON is the pinnacle of African football, and all players who compete internationally for an African nation eye continental glory.
In order to be part of the field, teams are required to qualify, making simply appearing in the competition an achievement, let alone progressing deep in the tournament. While many top African nations expect to participate each and every time, those places still must be earned.
The Sporting News explains how the field played out in 2025 and who will be hoping to lift the trophy.
MORE: A full look at the group stage and knockout bracket for AFCON 2025
Teams qualified for AFCON 2025
In total, 24 nations qualified for AFCON 2025.
The qualifying competition saw 48 teams drawn into 12 groups of four teams each, with the top two in each group reaching the final tournament.
As hosts, Morocco qualified directly to AFCON 2025, but they were allowed to compete in qualifying anyways, winning their group. Had they not finished top two in their group, the other three teams in Group B would have been arranged in a separate table with points from games against Morocco subtracted, with the top team then qualifying directly alongside the hosts.
| Nation | FIFA rank | Qualified Via | Best Finish |
| Morocco | 11 | Host/Group B winners | Won title (1976) |
| Senegal | 19 | Group L winners | Won title (2021) |
| Egypt | 34 | Group C winners | Won title (7x, last 2010) |
| Algeria | 35 | Group E winners | Won title (2x, last 2019) |
| Nigeria | 38 | Group D winners | Won title (3x, last 2013) |
| Tunisia | 40 | Group A runners-up | Won title (2004) |
| Ivory Coast | 42 | Group G runners-up | Won title (3x, last 2023) |
| Mali | 54 | Group I winners | 2nd place (1972) |
| DR Congo | 56 | Group H winners | Won title (2x, last 1974) |
| Cameroon | 57 | Group J winners | Won title (5x, last 2017) |
| South Africa | 61 | Group K winners | Won title (1996) |
| Burkina Faso | 62 | Group L runners-up | 2nd place (2013) |
| Gabon | 78 | Group B runners-up | Quarterfinals (2x, last 2012) |
| Uganda | 85 | Group K runners-up | Runners-up (1978) |
| Angola | 89 | Group F winners | Quarterfinals (3x, last 2023) |
| Zambia | 90 | Group G winners | Won title (2012) |
| Benin | 92 | Group D runners-up | Quarterfinals (2019) |
| Equatorial Guinea | 97 | Group E runners-up | 4th place (2015) |
| Mozambique | 102 | Group I runners-up | Group stage (4x, last 2023) |
| Comoros | 108 | Group A winners | Round of 16 (2021) |
| Tanzania | 112 | Group H runners-up | Group stage (3x, last 2023) |
| Sudan | 118 | Group F runners-up | Won title (1970) |
| Zimbabwe | 129 | Group J runners-up | Group stage (5x, last 2021) |
| Botswana | 138 | Group C runners-up | Group stage (2012) |
Top teams failing to qualify for AFCON 2025
The highest-ranked team not to appear in the 2025 AFCON field is Cape Verde, who failed to qualify despite having confirmed a place at next summer's FIFA World Cup.
Ghana also did not qualify, failing to appear at an Africa Cup of Nations for the first time since 2004.
| Nation | FIFA rank | Last appearance (result) |
| Cape Verde | 68 | 2023 (Quarterfinals) |
| Ghana | 72 | 2023 (Group stage) |
| Guinea | 81 | 2023 (Quarterfinals) |
| Madagascar | 105 | 2019 (Quarterfinals) |
| Niger | 109 | 2013 (Group stage) |
Also did not qualify (FIFA rank): Libya (111), Kenya (113), Mauritania (114), The Gambia (117), Namibia (119), Sierra Leone (121), Togo (124), Malawi (126), Rwanda (131), Guinea-Bissau (133), Congo (134), Central African Republic (139), Liberia (141), Lesotho (144), Burundi (145), Ethiopia (147), Eswatini (159), South Sudan (168), Mauritius (176), Chad (177), Sao Tome & Principe (190), Djibouti (196), Somalia (200), Seychelles (203).
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