Ivory Coast has qualified after Chad and Sierra Leone shared spoils 1-1 in their CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 match day five qualifier at the Alassane Ouattara Olympic Stadium in Ebimpé on Wednesday.
The Leone Stars scored a stunner through Abu Dumbuya in the 29th, but the host responded with a penalty 34th kick, which Georgian-based midfielder Mahamat Thiaw scored.
In a closely contested match, both teams struggled to secure three points, leaving Sierra Leone’s qualification hopes uncertain.
Group G results confirm that defending champions Côte d’Ivoire will advance to next year’s competition in Morocco, as Sierra Leone cannot catch up. Côte d’Ivoire leads with nine points, while Sierra Leone trails by four with one match remaining.
Chad secured their third draw in the qualifying campaign, leaving the Leone Stars in third place with five points, while Chad sits at the bottom with three points. Sierra Leone’s qualification chances hinge on the remaining group fixtures.
Meanwhile, Equatorial Guinea is one of the latest countries to qualify for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations finals, but it did not have to play any matches to do so, as the penultimate round of qualifiers began on Wednesday.
Algeria, Equatorial Guinea, Ivory Coast, and Cameroon will compete alongside Angola, Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Morocco, and Senegal in the finals.
Nine more matches on Thursday will further determine qualification, with Nigeria, Sudan, and Tunisia likely to secure their spots in Morocco.
