2017_Africa_Cup_of_Nations_qualification

2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification

2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification

International football competition


The 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification matches were organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to decide the participating teams of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, the 31st edition of the international men's football championship of Africa. A total of 16 teams qualified to play in the final tournament, including Gabon who qualified automatically as hosts.[1]

Quick Facts Tournament details, Dates ...

Draw

A total of 52 teams entered the tournament, including the hosts (Gabon) which qualified automatically for the final tournament. The draw for the qualification stage took place on 8 April 2015, immediately after the announcement of the host nation,[2] originally scheduled at 12:30 UTC+2 at the Marriott ‘Zamalek’ Hotel in Cairo, Egypt,[3] but delayed to 15:00.[4] The host nation team (Gabon) was also drawn into a group and played games against those in that group; however, these matches were only considered as friendlies and not counted for the standings.

Due to the cancellation of Morocco being hosts of the 2015 edition, the national team of Morocco were originally banned by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to enter the 2017 and 2019 Africa Cups of Nations.[5] However, the ban was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, allowing Morocco to enter the tournament.[6]

Seeding

For seeding, the teams were ranked using CAF's own system which were calculated based on the team's performance in the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying tournament, the three most recent editions the Africa Cup of Nations, and their qualifying campaigns.[7][8]

More information Pot, Rank ...
Non-participants

Procedure

The draw procedure is as follows:[9]

  • The hosts are placed in its own Pot X. A drawing of lots determines which group the hosts are "drawn" to play friendlies against (meaning this group in effect only has three teams).
  • The 13 teams in Pot 1 are drawn, with each group containing one team.
  • The 13 teams in Pot 2 are drawn, with each group containing one team.
  • The 13 teams in Pot 3 are drawn, with each group containing one team.
  • The 12 teams in Pot 4 are drawn, with each group, except the one with only three teams (where the host had already been "drawn" into), containing one team.

Format

There were thirteen groups, twelve with four teams and one with three teams (plus the host nation which played friendlies with the three teams). The group winners and two best overall runners-up qualified for the tournament.[2] When determining the best runners-up, the group of the host nation (where only matches between three teams were counted for the standings) was not considered, as well as any group where only three teams were left due to withdrawal of one team.[2]

Tiebreakers

The teams were ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss). If tied on points, tiebreakers were applied in the following order:[10]

  1. Number of points obtained in games between the teams concerned;
  2. Goal difference in games between the teams concerned;
  3. Goals scored in games between the teams concerned;
  4. Away goals scored in games between the teams concerned;
  5. If, after applying criteria 1 to 4 to several teams, two teams still have an equal ranking, criteria 1 to 4 are reapplied exclusively to the matches between the two teams in question to determine their final rankings. If this procedure does not lead to a decision, criteria 6 to 9 apply;
  6. Goal difference in all games;
  7. Goals scored in all games;
  8. Away goals scored in all games;
  9. Drawing of lots.

Schedule

The qualifiers started with the first matches played in the FIFA international dates of 8–16 June 2015.[2][11]

More information Matchday, Date ...

Groups

  The thirteen group winners and the two best runners-up qualified for the final tournament.

Group A

More information Pos, Pld ...
Source: CAF

Group B

More information Pos, Pld ...
Source: CAF

Group C

More information Pos, Pld ...
Source: CAF

Group D

More information Pos, Pld ...
Source: CAF

Group E

More information Pos, Pld ...
Source: CAF

Group F

More information Pos, Pld ...
Source: CAF

Group G

More information Pos, Pld ...
Source: CAF
Notes:
  1. On 27 March 2016, it was announced that Chad had withdrawn from the competition on financial grounds.[12][13] At that point, Chad had played three matches, and all results were annulled and not taken into consideration according to the regulations. Moreover, the runners-up were not eligible to qualify as one of the two group runners-up with the best records.

Group H

More information Pos, Pld ...
Source: CAF

Group I

More information Pos, Pld ...
Source: CAF
  •  Gabon was also drawn into this group and played against the other three teams in the group; however, those matches were only considered friendlies and did not count for the standings.

Group J

More information Pos, Pld ...
Source: CAF

Group K

More information Pos, Pld ...
Source: CAF

Group L

More information Pos, Pld ...
Source: CAF

Group M

More information Pos, Pld ...
Source: CAF

Ranking of second-placed teams

Only groups with four teams were considered for this ranking. Therefore, Group I was not considered, as well as Group G, where only three teams were left due to the withdrawal of one team.[2]

More information Pos, Grp ...
Source: CAF
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Drawing of lots

Qualified teams

  Qualified
  Failed to qualify
  Withdrew, disqualified or did not enter
  Not part of CAF

The following teams qualified for the tournament.

More information Team, Qualified as ...
1 Bold indicates champion for that year. Italic indicates host for that year.

Goalscorers

7 goals
6 goals
5 goals
4 goals
3 goals
2 goals
1 goal
1 own goal

References

  1. "Gabon named hosts of AFCON 2017". CAF. 8 April 2015. Archived from the original on 9 February 2017.
  2. "FORMAT OF 2017 AFCON QUALIFIERS AND 2018 WORLD CUP". CAFonline.com. 22 January 2015. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  3. "Morocco Fined, Banned From Two AFCON Tournaments". CAF Online. 6 February 2015. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  4. "CAN 2017 DRAW PROCEDURE AND RANKING". CAFonline.com. 8 April 2015. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  5. "CAF Ranking" (XLS). CAF.
  6. "Regulations of the Orange Africa Cup of Nations" (PDF). Confederation of African Football.

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