The Evolution of AFCON from four to 24 teams

Accra, March 25, GNA - The 2019 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament to be hosted in Egypt, between June and July, will be the first time 24 teams, will be participating.

The founding members of Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) – Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia and South Africa, were the four teams that participated in the first edition of the tournament in 1957, held in Khartoum, Sudan even though one (the later) could not play.

From 1957 to 2019, the tournament has increased in participants, from four, six, eight, twelve, sixteen and now twenty-four.

The 21st century football lovers on the continent had almost become used to the 16 team tournament, which began in 1996 to 2017.

All candidates for the tournament were placed in 12 groups with each group presenting two countries at the end of the qualifiers.

It is safe to say that Madagascar, Burundi and Mauritania are the biggest beneficiaries of the new structure since they would be making their appearance for the first time in the tournament.

Of the 24 teams making it into the final, 12 were part of the last edition in Gabon 2017.

They include; defending champions Cameroon, runners-up Egypt, semi-finalist Ghana, Ivory Coast, Guinea Bissau, Senegal, Tunisia, Algeria, Zimbabwe, DR Congo, Morocco, Mali, and Uganda.

Having missed the last edition, 2013 champions Nigeria, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania and Benin would make a return to the tournament in Egypt.

Tanzania are returning for the first time since 1980, with Kenya last appearing in Tunisia 2004, while Namibia comes back 11 years after their last participation in Ghana 2008 and Benin return for the first appearance since Angola 2010.

Nigeria after winning in 2013 have failed to qualify for subsequent editions until 2019, with South Africa and Guinea sealing for April’s draw in Cairo for the first time since 2015.

Egypt saved the continent from embarrassment barely six months to the start of the tournament following Cameroon’s unpreparedness to host the tournament after its expansion.

But CAF has however, defended the expansion to 24 teams as an opportunity to “triple” its income through lucrative broadcast and marketing deals.

Also significant to the 2019 tournament is, the competition which is usually hosted in January and February will now be moved to June and July.

Egypt’s host of the tournament would be memorable as it makes history with the new structure of 24 teams and a month-long duration.

Here are the qualified teams; Egypt (hosts), Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Ghana, Algeria, Senegal, Morocco, Kenya, Guinea, Angola, Uganda, Mali, Madagascar, Mauritania, Burundi, Tunisia, Cameroon, Namibia, Guinea Bissau, Zimbabwe, DR Congo, Benin Republic, Tanzania and South Africa.

GNA

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