In Numbers: The road to the next AFCON

Ismael Bennacer and Adam Ounas of Algeria celebrates winning the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations Finals, Final match between Senegal and Algeria at Cairo International Stadium, Cairo, Egypt on 19 July 2019 ©Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix

by Graeme Jackson

Saturday Dec 26, 2020. 15:00

African Football take a closer statistical look at the road to the next Africa Cup of Nations, which will be held in Cameroon in early 2022.

5 – The number of teams which have already secured qualification for the next AFCON: Cameroon (hosts), Senegal, Algeria, Mali and Tunisia.

8 – The five qualified teams have won a combined eight AFCON titles (five for Cameroon, two for Algeria and one for Tunisia).

1 – Only one team has a perfect record in the qualifiers thus far: Senegal have won all four of their Group I matches.

236 – The number of goals scored in the qualification tournament thus far, at an average of 2.27 per match.

24 – The next AFCON will be the first to adopt a new 24-team format.

4 – Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen is the leading goal scorer in the qualifiers thus far, having netted four times for the Super Eagles.

90 – Assuming Matchday 5 begins on Thursday 25 March 2021, there are 90 days until the AFCON qualifiers resume.

11 – The number of goals scored by Algeria, who have been the most prolific team in the group stage thus far.

0 – The number of points claimed by Sao Tome and Principe. They are the only team which has yet to put a point on the board in the group stage.

379 – Assuming the AFCON finals begin on the second Saturday of January 2022 (as was the case when originally scheduled for 2021), there are 379 days until the start start of the tournament.