Factfiles of Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers

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Factfiles of qualifiers for the Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Cameroon next January:

Algeria
Popular name: Desert Foxes

Rankings: 3 Africa, 31 world

Coach: Djamel Belmadi

Results: Zambia 5-0 home, 3-3 away, Botswana 5-0 1-0, Zimbabwe 3-1 2-2

Scorers: 4 – Baghdad Bounedjah, 3 – Riyad Mahrez, 2 – Youcef Belaili, Sofiane Feghouli, Islam Slimani, 1 – Ramy Bensebaini, Farid Boulaya, Andy Delort, Rachid Ghezzal, Aissa Mandi, El Arabi Hilal Soudani

Previous appearances: 18

Best placings: Champions 1990, 2019

Burkina Faso
Popular name: Stallions

Rankings: 10 Africa, 58 world

Coach: Kamou Malo

Results: Uganda 0-0 0-0, South Sudan 1-0 2-1, Malawi 3-1 0-0

Scorers: 2 – Aristide Bance, Lassina Traore, 1 – Bertrand Traore, Bryan Dabo

Previous appearances: 11

Best placing: Runners-up 2013

Cameroon
Popular name: Indomitable Lions

Rankings: 7 Africa, 50 world

Coach: Toni Conceicao (POR)

Results: Cape Verde 0-0 1-3, Rwanda 0-0 1-0, Mozambique 4-1 2-0

Scorers: 3 – Vincent Aboubakar, 1 – Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Pierre Kunde, Moumi Ngamaleu, Clinton N’Jie, Serge Tabekou

Previous appearances: 19

Best placings: Champions 1984, 1988, 2000, 2002, 2017

Cape Verde
Popular name: Blue Sharks

Rankings: 15 Africa, 80 world

Coach: Pedro ‘Bubista’ Brito

Results: Cameroon 3-1 0-0, Mozambique 2-2 1-0, Rwanda 0-0 0-0

Scorers: 2 – Ryan Mendes, 1 – Jailton ‘Kuca’ Miranda, Garry Rodrigues, Macky Bagnack (CMR) own-goal, Faisal Bangal (MOZ) own-goal

Previous appearances: 2

Best placing: Quarter-finalists 2013

Comoros
Popular name: Coelacanths (rare fish)

Rankings: 36 Africa, 130 world

Coach: Amir Abdou

Results: Togo 0-0 1-0, Egypt 0-0 0-4, Kenya 2-1 1-1

Scorers: 1 – Youssouf M’Changama, Faiz Mattoir, El Fardou Mohamed Ben Nabouhane, Faiz Selemani

Previous appearances: 0

Egypt
Popular name: Pharaohs

Rankings: 6 Africa, 49 world

Coach: Hossam el Badry

Results: Kenya 1-1 1-1, Comoros 4-0 0-0, Togo 1-0 3-1

Scorers: 2 – Mohamed ‘Afsha’ Magdy, Mohamed Salah, Mohamed Sherif, 1 – Mohamed Elneny, Mahmoud ‘El Winsh’ Hamdy, Mahmoud ‘Trezeguet’ Hassan, Mahmoud Kahraba

Previous appearances: 24

Best placings: Champions 1957, 1959, 1986, 1998, 2006, 2008, 2010

Equatorial Guinea
Popular name: National Thunder

Rankings: 38 Africa, 134 world

Coaches: Juan Micha and Casto Nopo

Results: Tanzania 1-0 1-2, Tunisia 0-1 1-2, Libya 1-0 3-2

Scorers: 2 – Pedro Obiang, 1 – Iban Edu, Josete Miranda, Emilio Nsue, Salomon Obama, Firas Chaouat (TUN)-own goal

Previous appearances: 2

Best placing: Semi-finalists 2015

Ethiopia
Popular name: Walias

Rankings: 42 Africa, 146 world

Coach: Wubetu Abate

Results: Madagascar 4-0 0-1, Ivory Coast 2-1 1-3, Niger 3-0 0-1

Scorers: 3 – Getaneh Kebede, 2 – Shimelis Bekele, Amanuel Gebremichael, 1 – Surafel Dagnachew, Mohamed Mesud, Abubeker Nassir

Previous appearances: 10

Best placing: Champions 1962

Gabon
Popular name: Panthers

Rankings: 18 Africa, 86 world

Coach: Patrice Neveu (FRA)

Results: DR Congo 3-0 0-0, Angola 2-1 0-2, Gambia 2-1 1-2

Scorers: 3 – Denis Bouanga, 2 – Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Aaron Boupendza, 1 – Bruno Ecuele Manga

Previous appearances: 7

Best placings: Quarter-finalists 1996, 2012.

Gambia
Popular name: Scorpions

Rankings: 46 Africa, 157 world

Coach: Tom Saintfiet (BEL)

Results: Angola 1-0 3-1, DR Congo 2-2 0-1, Gabon 2-1 1-2

Scorers: 3 – Assan Ceesay, 2 – Bubacarr Jobe, 1 – Modou Barrow, Musa Barrow, Pa Modou Jagne, Suleyman Marreh

Previous appearances: 0

Ghana
Popular name: Black Stars

Rankings: 8 Africa, 52 world

Coach: Charles Akonnor

Results: South Africa 2-0 1-1, Sudan 2-0 0-1, Sao Tome e Principe 3-1 1-0

Scorers: 2 – Andre Ayew, Jordan Ayew, Mohammed Kudus, 1 – Nicholas Opuku, Thomas Partey, Baba Rahman

Previous appearances: 22

Best placings: Champions 1963, 1965, 1978, 1982

Guinea
Popular name: Sylla Nationale (national elephant)

Rankings: 14 Africa, 72 world

Coach: Didier Six (FRA)

Results: Mali 1-0 2-2, Namibia 2-0 1-2, Chad 1-0 1-1

Scorers: 2 – Naby Keita, 1 – Mohamed Camara, Sekou Conde, Mamadou Kane, Jose Kante, Seydouba Soumah, Issiaga Sylla

Previous appearances: 12

Best placing: Runners-up 1976

Guinea-Bissau
Popular name: Djurtus (wild dog)

Rankings: 30 Africa, 119 world

Coach: Baciro Cande

Results: Eswatini 3-0 3-1, Congo 3-0 0-3, Senegal 0-1 0-2

Scorers: 2 – Jorginho, Piqueti, 1 – Marcelo Djalo, Joao Mario, Frederic Mendy, Pele, Alfa Semedo

Previous appearances: 2

Best placing: Last in group in both appearances

Ivory Coast
Popular name: Elephants

Rankings: 12 Africa, 61 world

Coach: Patrice Beaumelle (FRA)

Results: Niger 1-0 3-0, Ethiopia 3-1 1-2, Madagascar 2-1 1-1

Scorers: 3 – Franck Kessie, 2 – Serge Aurier, 1 – Willy Boly, Gervinho, Max Gradel, Sebastien Haller, Wilfried Kanon, Jean Kouassi

Previous appearances: 23

Best placings: Champions 1992, 2015

Malawi
Popular name: Flames

Rankings: 32 Africa, 123 world

Coach: Meke Mwase

Results: South Sudan 1-0 1-0, Uganda 1-0 0-2, Burkina Faso 0-0 1-3

Scorers: 2 – Richard Mbulu, 1 – Frank Mhango, Gerald Phiri

Previous appearances: 2

Best placing: Last in group in both appearances.

Mali
Popular name: Eagles

Rankings: 9 Africa, 54 world

Coach: Mohamed Magassouba

Results: Guinea 2-2 0-1, Chad 3-0 2-1, Namibia 1-0 2-1

Scorers: 1 – El Bilal Toure, Mohamed Camara, Moussa Djenepo, Moussa Doumbia, Sekou Koita, Adama Traore, Issiaga Sylla (GUI) own-goal

Previous appearances: 11

Best placing: Runners-up 1972

Note: Mali awarded 3-0 win after Chad disqualified

Mauritania
Popular name: Chinguetti Lions

Rankings: 22 Africa, 101 world

Coach: Corentin Martins (FRA)

Results: Morocco 0-0 0-0, Central African Republic 2-0 1-0, Burundi 1-1 1-3

Scorers: 1 – Diallo Guidileye, Mockhtar el Hacen, Aboubakar Kamara, Bakary N’Diaye, Mamadou Niass

Previous appearances: 1

Best placing: Last in group

Morocco
Popular name: Atlas Lions

Rankings: 4 Africa, 33 world

Coach: Vahid Halilhodzic (BIH)

Results: Mauritania 0-0 0-0, Burundi 1-0 3-0, Central African Republic 4-1 2-0

Scorers: 3 – Hakim Ziyech, 2 – Achraf Hakimi, Youssef en-Nesyri, 1 – Zakaria Aboukhlal, Munir el Haddadi, Noussair Mazraoui

Previous appearances: 17

Best placing: Champions 1976.

Nigeria
Popular name: Super Eagles

Rankings: 5 Africa, 36 world

Coach: Gernot Rohr (GER)

Results: Benin 2-1 1-0, Lesotho 3-0 4-2, Sierra Leone 4-4 0-0

Scorers: 5 – Victor Osimhen, 3 – Alex Iwobi, 2 – Samuel Chukwueze, Paul Onuachu, 1 – Oghenexxxx Etebo, Samuel Kalu

Previous appearances: 18

Best placings: Champions 1980, 1994, 2013

Senegal
Popular name: Teranga Lions

Rankings: 1 Africa, 20 world

Coach: Aliou Cisse

Results: Congo 2-0 0-0, Ewatini 1-1 4-1, Guinea-Bissau 2-0 1-0

Scorers: 3 – Famara Diedhiou, 2 – Sadio Mane, 1 – Sidy Sarr, Habibou Diallo, Cheikhou Kouyate, Papa Ndiaye, Opa Nguette

Previous appearances: 15

Best placings: Runners-up 2002, 2019

Sudan
Popular name: Jediane Falcons

Rankings: 34 Africa, 127 world

Coach: Hubert Velud (FRA)

Results: Sao Tome e Principe 4-0 2-0, South Africa 2-0 0-1, Ghana 1-0 0-2

Scorers: 3 – Mohammed Abdelrahman, 2 – Seife1din Malik, 1 – Ramadan Agab, Mohamed Elrasheed, Ahmed Hamid, Jordao Diogo (STP)-own goal

Previous appearances: 8

Best placing: Champions 1970.

Tunisia
Popular name: Carthage Eagles

Rankings: 2 Africa, 26 world

Coach: Mondher Kebaier

Results: Libya 4-1 5-2, Equatorial Guinea 2-1 1-0, Tanzania 1-0 1-1

Scorers: 3 – Seifeddine Jaziri, Saifeddine Khaoui, Wahbi Khazri, 1 – Anis Ben Slimane, Mohamed Drager, Youssef Msakni, Ellyes Skhiri, Carlos Akapo (GEQ)-own goal

Previous appearances: 19

Best placing: Champions 2004

Zimbabwe
Popular name: Warriors

Rankings: 26 Africa, 112 world

Coach: Zdravko Logarusic (CRO)

Results: Botswana 0-0 1-0, Zambia 0-2 2-1, Algeria 2-2 1-3

Scorers: 2 – Khama Billiat, 1 – Perfect Chikwende, Prince Dube, Tino Kadewere, Knowledge Musona

Previous appearances: 4

Best placing: Last in group in all appearances

Note: Benin or Sierra Leone will complete 24-nation lineup

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