Reigning champions Nigeria will not defend their title in Equatorial Guinea after failing to qualify from Group A
Reigning champions Nigeria will not defend their title in Equatorial Guinea after failing to qualify from Group A.
In Wednesday’s final round of matches, Nigeria were held 2-2 by South Africa in Uyo, meaning they finished outside of their group’s top two automatic qualification spots with eight points – a total that also put them out of the running to be the best third-placed team.
South Africa had already assured their place at the tournament, which will be played from 17 January to 8 February, and only one spot remains outstanding.
Congo, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Guinea and Mali all claimed their tickets to the continent’s showpiece event with their results on Wednesday.
