# African football qualification developments

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/african-football-qualification-developments
> Updated: 2026-10-25T10:20:52.000Z. Sources: 5. Developments: 2.

Recent developments in African football qualification include preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) qualifiers, notably a decisive match between Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Harare. 

In youth football, the Congo U20 national team, the ‘Diables Rouges’, failed to qualify for the 2027 Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana after finishing third in the UNIFFAC tournament. This outcome has prompted discussions regarding the need for structural reforms in Congolese football, specifically in areas such as talent detection and coordination between academies and the national federation.

## Timeline

### 2026-10-25: Congo U20 national team fails to qualify for 2027 CAN

Congo's U20 national team, the Diables Rouges, missed out on qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations after finishing third in the UNIFFAC tournament.

5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/congo-u20-national-team-fails-to-qualify-for-2027-can

### 2026-10-14: African sports: CAN 2027 qualifiers and AfroCan qualification

Zimbabwe and DR Congo face off in crucial 2027 CAN qualifiers, while Gabon's basketball team qualifies for AfroCan 2027.

5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/african-sports-can-2027-qualifiers-and-afrocan-qualification

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Cite as: African football qualification developments. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/african-football-qualification-developments