The final list of sixteen teams to compete at next year’s Africa Cup of Nations (CAN 2017) has been confirmed, and there are some big names missing, with both 2012 champions Zambia and 2013 champions Nigeria failing to qualify for the tournament. Another team to miss out are South Africa’s Bafana, although they’ve consistently under performed in recent years. Two of Africa’s biggest economies not qualifying will be a bit of a blow to the tournament and its marketing team.
Uganda were surprise qualifiers, making it to their first tournament in nearly 40 years.
The tournament will see the return of erstwhile powerhouses Egypt, who made their last appearance in 2010 as well as Zimbabwe, who will be seen at the finals for the first time in over a decade
CAN 2017 will be played in Gabon between 14 January and 5 February, 2017.