Eleven 2019 AFCON places still up for grabs

Dieudonne Bezua Mbokani of DR Congo challenged by Daniel Amartey of Ghana during the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations Finals Afcon Quarter Final football match between DR Congo and Ghana at the Oyem Stadium in Gabon on 29 January 2017 ©Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix

by Staff Reporter

Monday Nov 19, 2018. 12:00

There are still 11 places up for grabs at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations following the penultimate round of qualifiers this past weekend.

Madagascar, Tunisia, Egypt and Senegal were first to book their spot at next year's showpiece alongside hosts Cameroon with a further eight teams having sealed their ticket this past weekend.

Morocco, Nigeria, Uganda, Mali, Guinea, Algeria, Ivory Coast and Mauritania all confirmed their qualification this past weekend.

Mauritania and Madagascar will be making their Afcon debut next year while the Super Eagles will make a return for the first time since lifting the tile on South African soil five years ago.

The final round of qualifiers will take place in March next year with the likes of Bafana Bafana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Burkina Faso and Ghana hoping to be among those who head for Cameroon next year.

Ghana and Kenya, though, could be confirmed qualifiers in coming weeks depending on when the Confederation of Africa Football (Caf) announces what will happen with the points in Group F/ or if the fixtures will be played in the new year, following Sierra Leone's ban which resulted in three rounds of matches cancelled.

The two nations currently sit in first and second place respectively and have effectively qualified with third placed Ethiopia penned down to face Sierra Leone in the final round of qualifiers.

Cameroon beat Egypt in the final of the 2017 Afcon and will be aiming to defend the title on home soil.