All the eight countries that will play in the 2023 African Cup of Nations U23 Tournament have been confirmed.
The tournament’s 2015 Champions Nigeria failed to make it through after falling 2-0 to Guinea with Senegal being the other big name to crash out. After losing the first leg 3-1 to Senegal, the Mali team turned the tables to win the return leg 3-0 in a match played at Stade du 26 Mars, Bamako.
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Gabon also qualified for their first-ever U-23 AFCON tournament after stopping hosts Cameroon 7-6 on penalties. Etienne Emmanuel, Samuel Etoó’s son, netted the lone goal for Cameroon at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaounde to take the decision to penalties since Gabon had also won by the same margin in the first leg.
Ghana eliminated Algeria on a 2-1 aggregate after beating the North Africans 1-0 on Tuesday after a 1-1 draw in the first leg. Abdul Fatawu Issahaku scored the lone goal after 12 minutes to ensure Ghana qualified for their second U-23 AFCON tournament.
Niger also qualified after picking a shocking 2-1 away win in Sudan at the Al Hilal Stadium in Omdurman. The first leg ended goalless.
Mali, Gabon, Guinea, Ghana, and Niger now join hosts Morocco, Congo, and defending champions Egypt for the tournament. The tournament will also be used as a qualifier for the 2024 Summer Olympics men’s football tournament in Paris, France.
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