African teams stumble in Arab Cup qualifying

Thursday Nov 27, 2025. 11:00

African sides struggled in the qualifying round of the 2025 FIFA Arab Cup on 25 and 26 November, with only two out of seven teams advancing to the group stage of the tournament in Qatar.

The Comoros claimed a 4-2 win on penalties over Yemen after a 4-4 draw, while Sudan claimed a 2-1 win over Lebanon to secure their spots in the group stage.

Mauritania fell 2-0 to Kuwait, South Sudan lost to Syria by the same margin, Djibouti lost 1-0 to Bahrain, while Somalia and Libya both fell on penalties to Oman and Palestine respectively after 0-0 draws.

The Comoros and Sudan will join Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt and Algeria as Africa’s representatives at the tournament.

This year marks the Arab Cup’s second edition after a successful inaugural edition in 2021, with Qatar once again serving as the host nation.

The tournament brings together 16 nations from across the Arab world, with silverware and bragging rights on the line.

With qualifying wrapped up, the group stage will begin on 1 December, with the competition ending on 18 December.

By Nic Gleeson