March 28 – Algeria have qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations following a 1-0 win against Niger through a sixth-minute strike by Baghdad Bounedjah. On 12 points, they enjoy an unassailable lead in Group F with two matches to go.
The Algerians took an early lead in Tunis where Niger hosted the game because CAF deemed their stadium inadequate for international competition, and it was enough for victory and a ticket to next year’s finals in Ivory Coast – the 2023 finals have been shifted from the summer of 2023 to January 2024.
The Algerians endured a dramatic campaign in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations when they failed to make it out of a group with Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea and Sierra Leone.
They join North African rivals Morocco, who qualified last week without playing, in the 24-team finals. With Zimbabwe suspended from the global game and the group, the Moroccans enjoy a five-point cushion over both South Africa and Liberia, who play on Tuesday in Monrovia.
In a friendly, the Moroccans defeated Brazil 2-1 and on Tuesday they meet another South American opponent Peru. “I told my players that we cannot be kings of the world before being kings of our continent,” said Morocco coach Walid Regragui, who led the Atlas lions to a historic fourth place at the last World Cup.
Morocco have however not won the Africa Cup of Nations since 1976.
On Tuesday, there will be thirteen matches in the qualifiers. Mali can qualify with a victory over Gambia while Senegal can secure their ticket with a win against Mozambique.
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