Six teams bow out of AFCON 2025 as group stage nears end

By Tosin Omojola –

The 35th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), ongoing in Morocco, is gaining momentum as the group stage approaches its conclusion, with six teams already eliminated from the tournament.

Going into Tuesday’s matches, Botswana, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Comoros have seen their AFCON 2025 dreams come to an end in the preliminary stage.

Botswana were the first to exit after losing their opening two matches, followed shortly by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon, who also failed to secure points in their first two games. Zambia’s hopes were dashed on Monday night as hosts Morocco ran out 3–0 winners, sending the Zambians home.

Comoros became the first third-placed team to bow out, finishing their group matches with fewer points than at least four of the other third-placed sides.

Meanwhile, six nations have already secured their spots in the Round of 16: Algeria, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, and Egypt.

As the group stage nears its end, attention now shifts to the upcoming matches, where more teams could join the list of those exiting AFCON 2025.