Charles Oduor 
All 23 teams have now qualified for the Afcon 2021 tournament which comes up for African teams to compete while Sierra Leone verses Benin game postponed. The final Group L game between Benin and Sierra Leone was postponed due to the former side refusing to accept their positive coronavirus test results therefore one of the 24 qualifiers remains outstanding.
The qualified competitors include defending champions Algeria,Senegal,Morocco, Nigeria, Egypt, Tunisia, Ivory coast ,Cameroon, Ghana ,Burkina Faso ,Mali, Guinea, Cape verde, Gabon Mauritania, Zimbambwe, Gambia, Comoros, Guinea Bissau, Ethiopia, Malawi and equatorial Guinea
Comoros and Gambia have now on the first time made for AFCON showing that other teams should expect stiff competition. The Comoros national football team represents the Comoros in international football and is controlled by the Comoros Football Federation having formed in 1979.
Comoros joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in 2003, and became a FIFA member in 2005. Comoros has qualified for their first major tournament in 2021, after their 0–0 draw with Togo.
On the other hand the Gambia national football team represents The Gambia in men’s international football and is controlled by the Gambia Football Federation. In 2021, Gambia qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations finals for the first time in history. The team represents both FIFA and Confederation of African Football (CAF).
The seven-time champion Egypt drew 1-1 with Kenya on Thursday, and as a result being one of the two qualifying places with Comoros in second place for Group G.. The qualification is the 25th for Egypt in the African cup of nations.
Egypt faced Comoros to round off their qualification campaigns in a clash on Monday evening- a match was seen more of a formalty as both nations have already booked their spots.
Tuesday’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier between Sierra Leone and Benin has been postponed after the visitors refused to accept the results of Covid-19 tests presented to them by the hosts.
Despite arriving at the National Stadium in Freetown for their final Group L game, the Benin team refused to leave their bus after being told within an hour before kick-off that six players—including star striker Steve Mounie—would be prevented from playing after tests showed they have tested positive for coronavirus.
Benin, who claim to have taken tests 72 hours earlier which produced negative results for all of the squad, did not accept the results produced by Sierra Leone and duly refused to contest the match without a full complement of players.
Other teams including Algeria, Senegal, Morocco, Nigeria, Egypt, Tunisia, Ivory coast, Cameroon, Ghana, ,Burkina Farso ,Mali, Guinea, Cape verde, Gabon Mauritania, Zimbambwe have been most participants in the AFCON.
Uganda the East Africans also missed their chances especially with their performance in the last three games. They lost to South Sudan , drew with Burkina Faso at home last week and their loss in Blantyre on Monday sealed their exit out of the plane to Cameroon Malawi taking up the position hence a need for East African teams to perform better in their coming matches.
By Austin Shambetsa
