The qualification phase for the 2014 African Nations Championship was played from November 2012 to August 2013. Qualification was divided into the CAF Regional Zones. Each zone had either two or three teams that qualified for the final tournament in South Africa.[1]
Qualification zones
Zone
Number of participating teams
Number of qualifying teams
Number of teams not entered
North Zone
4
2
1 (Egypt)
Zone West A
6
2
3 (Cape Verde, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau)
Zone West B
7
3
0
Central Zone
5
3
3 (Chad, Equatorial Guinea, São Tomé & Príncipe)
Central-East Zone
8
3
3 (Djibouti, Somalia, South Sudan)
Southern Zone
11 (including hosts South Africa)
3 (including hosts South Africa)
3 (Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi)
Total
41
16
13
North Zone
First round
The two winners of the first round qualify for the final tournament.[2] Algeria withdrew due to poor squad standards.[3]
The preliminary round winner qualify for the first round.
Ghana, Niger, Côte d'Ivoire, Nigeria and Benin receive a bye and advance directly to the first round.[2]
The two preliminary round winners qualify for the first round.
Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania receive a bye and advance directly to the first round.[2]
The two preliminary round winners qualify for the first round.
Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe receive a bye and advance directly to the first round.[2]
Note: Mozambique was not included in the initial draw published by CAF on June 9, 2012,[10] and Seychelles was supposed to also receive a bye and advance directly to the first round, but then Mozambique was included to play a preliminary round against Seychelles, the qualifier taking the spot in the first round which was firstly drawn for Seychelles (vs. Namibia).[citation needed]