Playing at the highest level of National team football is every professional football player’s dream, a status which the African Cup of Nations (AFCON)and other Continental competitions have, just right behind the FIFA World Cup.
For every player born or eligible for an African team, playing at the AFCON is an achievement of sorts.
Since the inaugural edition of the competition which saw three teams participate in it, the competition has grown in leaps and bounds with the number of participating teams rising.
In 2019, the competition for the first time saw a record number of 24 teams participating, and as expected three new countries have registered their names on the attendance sheet for the biggest football fiesta in Africa.
Madagascar, Burundi, and Mauritania join thirty-nine others who have featured at the AFCON having qualified for the first time in their histories, however, with the 24-team format more teams are expected to debut at the competition in subsequent editions but until then.
This article was first published on June 25 2019 by Daniel Ademiju & updated on Oct 16 2023 by Conor Donoghue
Countries That Have Never Played In The AFCON
The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) stands as one of the most prestigious football tournaments and one of the most watched football competitions, showcasing the best African players who have played for elite clubs in Europe.
While giants like Nigeria, Egypt, and Cameroon have consistently made their mark in the tournament, there are several countries that have never qualified for the AFCON.
These nations, often overshadowed by their more prominent counterparts, small populations, internal conflicts, and limited resources have struggled to secure a spot in the prestigious competition.
Today, we reveal 10 countries that have never qualified for the tournament.
Central African Republic
Ranking: 127
Nickname: Les Fauves
Head coach: Raoul Savoy
Most Cap Player : Foxi Kéthévoama (48)
Home Ground: Barthélémy Boganda Stadium
The Central African Republic embarked on its competitive journey during the 1961 Friendship Games in Ivory Coast.
Despite drawing twice against Upper Volta and Liberia, they faced a setback by losing to the hosts, Ivory Coast, ultimately missing the chance to progress to the next round.
In the 1974 African Cup of Nations qualification, CAR entered the stage for the first time, advancing due to Gabon’s withdrawal.
However, their journey came to an end with a 5–4 aggregate defeat to Ivory Coast.
This encounter was marked by disputes among players, leading to the abandonment of the second leg at halftime.
A replay in Lagos ensued, ending with a 5–1 defeat to Ivory Coast.
Despite their longstanding involvement in African football, it remains somewhat surprising that the Central African Republic has never qualified for AFCON.
Eswatini
Ranking: 144
Nickname: King Shield
Head coach : Dominic Kunene
Most Cap Player: Tony Tsabedze (71)
Home Ground: Somhlolo National Stadium
Eswatini’s national team made its international debut against Malawi, clinching a 2–0 victory.
In the first decade, their matches were limited to contests against Malawi and Zambia, with no wins recorded from 1969 until 1984. The breakthrough came in 1984 when they secured a 3–1 victory over Lesotho in a home-friendly.
Buoyed by the Lesotho win, Eswatini entered the 1986 African Cup of Nations qualifiers for the first time, but their journey was cut short with an 8–1 aggregate loss to Zimbabwe.
Undeterred, they joined the 1987 All-Africa Games qualifiers, only to face a 9–2 aggregate defeat against Malawi.
Eswatini’s first successful progression beyond the initial round occurred during the 1990 African Cup of Nations qualifiers, where they triumphed over Tanzania, winning 3–1 on penalties after a 2–2 draw.
Despite consistent participation in qualifiers, this small African nation has yet to secure qualification for the African Cup of Nation tournament. The bad luck has remained beyond their grasp despite ongoing efforts.
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Lesotho
Ranking: 152
Nickname: Likuena (Crocodile)
Head coach: Leslie Notsi (caretaker)
Most Cap Player: Jane Thabantso
Home Ground: Setsoto Stadium
Lesotho made their international debut in 1970 with a 2–1 victory against Malawi.
Their highest FIFA World Ranking position was 105th in August 2014. The team’s notable achievement was reaching the final of the 2000 COSAFA Cup.
In 2005, the under-20 national team qualified for the African Youth Championship, finishing third in Group B with one win and two losses.
Their most significant win was in April 2006, with a 5–0 win against Swaziland.
Despite consistent efforts, the landlocked nation has never qualified for AFCON. The challenges lie in their small population and a general lack of resources, hindering their aspirations to qualify.
South Sudan
Ranking: 167
Nickname: Bright Stars
Head Coach: Stefano Cusin
Most Cap Player: Peter Chol (31)
Home Ground: Juba National Stadium
South Sudan officially joined CAF on February 10, 2012.
On July 10, 2012, South Sudan marked a significant milestone by participating in its first full international match—a friendly against Uganda in Juba.
The match ended in a 2–2 draw, with goals from James Moga and Richard Justin Lado, leading to South Sudan’s debut in the FIFA rankings at the start of August, securing the 199th position.
The South Sudanese national team made their tournament debut at the 2012 CECAFA Cup in Uganda.
In 2014, they ventured into their first major international competition during the qualification rounds for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.
As one of the four lowest-ranked national teams in Africa, they entered the preliminary stage, initially set to play against Eritrea, who withdrew. This led to South Sudan’s qualification for the first qualifying round.
Given this relatively recent entry into international football, it’s understandable why they find it hard to qualify for AFCON, and we can cut them some slack.
Chad
Ranking: 181
Nickname: Les Sao
Head Coach:Djimtan Yatamadji
Most Cap Player :Ezechiel N’Douassel (47)
Home Ground: Stade National
Founded in 1962, the Chadian Football Federation secured affiliation with FIFA and CAF in 1988.
Chad’s national football team only gained prominence in football during the 1990s.
Prior to the early 1990s, they abstained from qualifiers. The team’s initiation into such competitions occurred in the early 1990s when they entered the qualifiers for the 1992 Africa Cup of Nations, hosted by Senegal.
Until then, their engagements majorly consist of friendly matches and minor cups, mostly against other African teams.
The national team faced a challenging start, with their inaugural match taking place in the L’Amitié Tournament in Senegal in 1963, resulting in a 2–1 defeat to Liberia.
Despite their efforts, they have never qualified for either the Africa Cup of Nations or the World Cup. Their first foray into World Cup qualifiers happened in 2000, when they were eliminated in the first round by Liberia.
São Tomé and Príncipe
Ranking:. 188
Nickname: The Falcons and True Parrots
Head coach: Gustave Clément Nyoumba
Most Cap Player: Joazhifel Soares (29)
Home Ground: Estádio Nacional 12 de Julho
The small nation embarked on their football journey in May 1976 with a friendly against Gabon, resulting in a 6–1 loss.
The 1976 Central African Games marked a challenging chapter, witnessing a notable 11–0 defeat to Congo, São Tomé’s most significant loss to date. The competition finished with São Tomé experiencing a 2–1 loss to the Central African Republic and a 5–0 loss to Chad.
The subsequent year brought São Tomé their first triumph in a friendly match against Rwanda.
In both 1978 and 1987, they managed home draws against Angola.
After an eleven-year hiatus, São Tomé returned to the international stage with a series of matches, including their inaugural entry into a FIFA-sanctioned tournament.
This island nation has faced challenges in qualifying, attributed to its small population and limited resources.
Djibouti
Ranking: 193
Nickname: Shoremen of The Red Sea
Head Coach: Mohamed Meraneh Hassan
Most Cap Player: Daoud Wais (34)
Home Ground: Stade du Ville
Djibouti debuted in international football as French Somaliland on December 5, 1947, facing Ethiopia at home and suffering a 5–0 defeat, marking Ethiopia’s inaugural match as well.
In 1954, Djibouti faced Ethiopia three times, experiencing a 10–2 away loss on May 1, a 2–0 home loss on June 1, and a 2–1 home loss the following day.
After a hiatus until 1960, when Djibouti entered a tournament for French-speaking countries held in Madagascar, the team gained independence in 1977.
Djibouti played under its own name for the first time in an away match against Ethiopia on March 27, 1983, ending in an 8–1 loss.
Djibouti’s inaugural appearance at the CECAFA Cup, a regional competition for East and Central African nations, occurred in Kenya in 1994.
Djibouti has struggled in all the qualifiers over the years. A combination of limited talent, insufficient funding, and organizational challenges has hindered their progress.
Eritrea
Ranking: 195
Nickname: Red Sea Camels
Head coach:Alemseged Efrem
Most Cap Player :Yidnekachew Shimangus (22)
Home Ground: Cicero Stadium
In 1992, a team from Eritrea took part in a friendly tournament in Sudan, a year before Eritrea gained independence.
Despite the Eritrean National Football Federation (ENFF) not being established until 1996, Eritrea competed in the 1994 CECAFA Cup organized by the Council for East and Central Africa Football Association.
Eritrea’s first full international match occurred in the 1999 CECAFA Cup, the year following its affiliation with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and FIFA.
However, Eritrea has never qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations.
The challenges of internal conflict and a nascent football association, coupled with insufficient funding, have hindered Eritrea from fielding a competitive team for qualification.
Somalia
Ranking: 194
Nickname: Ocean Stars
Head coach: Rachid Lousteque
Most Cap Player: Yasin Ali Egal (19)
Home Ground: Mogadishu National Stadium
The roots of Somali football trace back to the 1940s when the first teams were established.
These early competitions, linked to the anti-colonial movement, were initiated by the Somali Youth League (SYL), the country’s inaugural political party. The SYL assembled a local youth team to face Italian expatriate teams, initially known as FYL and later renamed Bondhere, which dominated the early competitions.
In 1951, the Somali Football Federation (SFF) was founded, and the first Somali commissioner for sport was appointed in 1958.
Despite the Somali national football team’s participation in preliminary matches, it has never qualified for the AFCON. The outbreak of the civil war in the early 1990s led to a prolonged hiatus of FIFA-sanctioned games within the country.
Seychelles
Ranking: 195
Nickname: Pirates
Head coach: Vivian Bothe
Most Cap Player : Benoit Marie (61)
Home Ground: Stade Linité
This beautiful and picturesque island nation has never played in the AFCON.
The relatively small population makes it almost impossible to form competitive soccer teams, and they often find themselves at the bottom of their qualifying group.
Football was introduced to the Seychelles in the 1930s. The first official competition, the Challenge Cup, was organized in 1936. In 1941, a championship involving five teams was established, with matches lasting 60 minutes and played barefoot.
In 1969, the president of the Seychelles Football Federation aimed to create a national team.
Adrian Fisher, volunteering for the task, arrived on the island in September to revamp Seychelles football. He provided all the players with shoes, introduced modern training techniques, and extended match times to 90 minutes.
The newly formed national team played their first matches at a friendly tournament held in Kenya in April 1970. In Seychelles’ inaugural match on a proper football pitch, they managed a 2–2 draw against Feisal F.C.
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