Forgotten 10: Nations That Have Never qualified for AFCON since 1957

Since its inception in 1957, the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) has blossomed into one of the world’s most vibrant footballing spectacles, yet for ten specific nations, the final tournament remains an elusive dream.

As of the 2025 edition currently concluding in January 2026, the list of countries that have never qualified consists of Lesotho, Eswatini, Somalia, Seychelles, Djibouti, Eritrea, South Sudan, São Tomé and Príncipe, Central African Republic, and Chad.

While the tournament has expanded to 24 teams to be more inclusive, these "forgotten ten" continue to struggle against a glass ceiling built from socio-economic, political, and geographical barriers.

Promisingly, in the recent years, perennial underdogs like Mauritania, Burundi, Madagascar, Comoros, and the Gambia have finally make their historic debuts, proving that the wall is permeable, though still incredibly high for the remaining few.

The causes for this persistent absence are multifaceted, often rooted in circumstances far beyond the football pitch. For nations like Somalia, South Sudan, and Eritrea, long-standing internal conflicts and political instability have decimated sports infrastructure and forced talented athletes to flee abroad or abandon the game entirely.

Eritrea, for instance, has frequently withdrawn from qualifiers due to concerns over player defections, while South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation, is still in the infancy of building a national sporting identity from the ruins of war. In contrast, island nations like Seychelles and São Tomé and Príncipe face the "small pool" dilemma; with tiny populations and limited revenue, they lack the professional domestic leagues necessary to cultivate a steady stream of elite talent. Furthermore, the Central African Republic and Chad have often been hindered by administrative mismanagement and a chronic lack of funding, which sometimes leads to mid-campaign withdrawals that incur heavy fines and further set back their developmental cycles.

The way out for these nations lies in a combination of grassroots investment and clever utilization of the "diaspora" model that has revolutionized teams like Cape Verde and Comoros. By scouting and integrating players of national descent playing in European lower leagues, these countries can instantly inject tactical discipline and professional experience into their squads.

Simultaneously, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) must continue to provide tailored financial support for infrastructure, ensuring that teams like the Central African Republic—who often have individual stars like Geoffrey Kondogbia—can play their home matches in high-standard stadiums rather than on neutral ground.

As the 2026 World Cup qualifiers have already shown "smaller" nations like Rwanda and Sudan punching significantly above their weight, the blueprint for success exists: it requires a marriage of political will, administrative transparency, and a long-term commitment to youth academies.

For the "forgotten ten," the goal is no longer just participation, but the realization that with the right structure, the "uncharted territory" of AFCON is only one successful qualifying cycle away.