Seven COSAFA Teams Make History with AFCON 2025 Qualification, Eye Glory in Morocco

The TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which will be held in Morocco from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026, will have seven Southern African countries competing for the first time.

Since AFCON grew to 24 teams in 2019, the COSAFA region has achieved a new milestone with the participation of Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

The only Southern African countries to have won the AFCON championship thus far are South Africa (1996) and Zambia (2012). Zambia lost in the group rounds of the 2023 tournament in Côte d'Ivoire, while Bafana Bafana just finished in third place.

Zambia will be participating in their 19th AFCON, which is the most in Southern Africa. Angola will compete for the tenth time, and South Africa will do so for the twelfth.

Comoros and Botswana make their second-ever AFCON appearances. Comoros made an impression in 2021 and advanced to the Round of 16, whereas Botswana last participated in a match in 2012.

The Southern African teams face strong opposition in the group stage:

• Group A: Zambia and Comoros take on hosts Morocco and Mali.
• Group B: Angola, South Africa, and Zimbabwe battle Egypt in a competitive group.
• Group D: Botswana faces Senegal, DR Congo, and Benin.
• Group F: Mozambique meets defending champions Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, and Gabon.

With African football becoming more competitive, Southern African teams have a chance to prove their strength on the biggest stage.