Equatorial Guinea has secured a spot in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations without needing to play, thanks to Togo’s defeat in their penultimate Group E qualifier on Wednesday. With this unexpected turn, Equatorial Guinea’s qualification was confirmed, granting them a place in the tournament finals set to be held in Morocco.
Togo, known as the Sparrowhawks, had entered the match with slim hopes of advancing. They needed a full three points from their away game against Liberia, who had already been eliminated. However, those hopes were dashed when Liberia’s Lone Stars claimed a 1-0 victory in Monrovia. Mohammed Sangare scored the decisive goal from the penalty spot in the 83rd minute, ending Togo’s journey and marking their fourth consecutive absence from the Nations Cup, with their last appearance being in Gabon in 2017.
With Togo out, Equatorial Guinea is now guaranteed a top-two finish in Group E, regardless of how their final two matches unfold. They are set to face already-qualified Algeria at home on Thursday (13:00 GMT) and will close out the group stage with an away match in Togo on Sunday. Equatorial Guinea, also known as the National Thunder, has continued to impress, following their successful run to the last 16 at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast earlier this year.
As the ninth team to book their ticket to Morocco, Equatorial Guinea joins an elite lineup of qualified teams, including Algeria, Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, DR Congo, Egypt, and Senegal, who all secured their places in the fourth round of qualifying.
