# 2019 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations qualification

The 2019 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations qualification was a men's under-23 football competition, which decided the participating teams of the 2019 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations.
Players born 1 January 1997 or later were eligible to participate in the competition. A total of eight teams qualified to play in the final tournament, including Egypt who qualified automatically as hosts. These matches also served as the first stage of the CAF qualifiers for the 2020 Summer Olympics men's football tournament in Japan.

## Teams

Apart from Egypt, the remaining 53 members of CAF were eligible to enter the qualifying competition, and a total of 43 national teams were in the qualifying draw, which was announced on 2 October 2018. The 13 teams which had the best performance in the 2015 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations final tournament and qualifying competition were given a bye to the second round.
| Final tournament hosts | Bye to second round (13 teams) | First round entrants (30 teams) |
| Egypt | Algeria  Congo  Gabon  Ivory Coast  Mali  Morocco  Nigeria  Senegal  Sierra Leone (D)  South Africa  Tunisia  Zambia  Zimbabwe | Angola  Botswana  Burkina Faso  Burundi  Cameroon  Chad  DR Congo (D)  Equatorial Guinea  Eswatini  Ethiopia  Gambia (W)  Ghana  Guinea  Kenya  Libya  Malawi  Mauritania  Mauritius  Mozambique  Namibia (W)  Niger  Rwanda  São Tomé and Príncipe  Seychelles  Somalia  South Sudan  Sudan  Tanzania  Togo  Uganda |

### Notes

* Teams in bold qualified for the final tournament.
* (D): Disqualified after draw
* (W): Withdrew after draw

### Did not enter

* Benin
* Cape Verde
* Central African Republic
* Comoros
* Djibouti
* Eritrea
* Guinea-Bissau
* Lesotho
* Liberia
* Madagascar

## Format

Qualification ties were played on a home-and-away, two-legged basis. If the aggregate score was tied after the second leg, away goals rule was applied, and if still tied, penalty shoot-out (no extra time) was used to determine the winner.

## Schedule

The schedule of the qualifying rounds was as follows. All matches were played during the FIFA International Window. The third round was originally scheduled for 3–11 June 2019 but was rescheduled to 2–10 September 2019 due to the proximity of its initial dates to the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations between 21 June and 19 July.
| Round | Leg | Date |
| First round | First leg | 12–20 November 2018 |
| First round | Second leg | 12–20 November 2018 |
| Second round | First leg | 18–26 March 2019 |
| Second round | Second leg | 18–26 March 2019 |
| Third round | First leg | 2–10 September 2019 |
| Third round | Second leg | 2–10 September 2019 |

## Bracket

The bracket of the draw was announced by the CAF on 2 October 2018.
The seven winners of the third round qualified for the final tournament.
| First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round |
| Angola | — | — | w/o | | | | | | | | |
| Namibia | — | — | | | | | | | | | |
| Namibia | — | — | | Angola | 1 | 0 | 1 | | | | |
| | | | | South Africa | 3 | 3 | 6 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | South Africa | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| | | | | | | | | Zimbabwe | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mozambique (a) | 0 | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | | Zimbabwe | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Eswatini | 0 | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | |
| Eswatini | 0 | 1 | 1 | Mozambique | 0 | 0 | 0 | | | | |
| | | | | Zimbabwe | 0 | 2 | 2 | | | | |
| First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round |
| Botswana | 1 | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| Malawi | 2 | 1 | 3 | | | | | | | | |
| Malawi | 2 | 1 | 3 | Malawi | 0 | 0 | 0 | | | | |
| | | | | Zambia | 1 | 1 | 2 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | Zambia | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| | | | | | | | | Congo | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Burundi (a) | 2 | 1 | 3 | | | | | | | | | Congo | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Tanzania | 0 | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | | |
| Tanzania | 0 | 3 | 3 | Burundi | 0 | 1 | 1 | | | | |
| | | | | Congo | 0 | 2 | 2 | | | | |
| First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round |
| Ghana | 5 | 0 | 5 | | | | | | | | |
| Togo | 1 | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| Togo | 1 | 1 | 2 | Ghana | 4 | 0 | 4 | | | | |
| | | | | Gabon | 0 | 0 | 0 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | Ghana | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| | | | | | | | | Algeria | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Equatorial Guinea | 1 | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | | Algeria | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| São Tomé and Príncipe | 1 | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| São Tomé and Príncipe | 1 | 1 | 2 | Equatorial Guinea | 0 | 1 | 1 | | | | |
| | | | | Algeria | 0 | 3 | 3 | | | | |
| First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round |
| Cameroon | 3 | 1 | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| Chad | 0 | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | |
| Chad | 0 | 1 | 1 | Cameroon | — | — | w/o | | | | |
| | | | | Sierra Leone | — | — | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | Cameroon (a) | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| | | | | | | | | Tunisia | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Uganda | 1 | 0 | 1 | | | | | | | | | Tunisia | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| South Sudan | 0 | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| South Sudan | 0 | 2 | 2 | South Sudan | 0 | 0 | 0 | | | | |
| | | | | Tunisia | 0 | 1 | 1 | | | | |
| First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round |
| Burkina Faso | 1 | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| Niger | 1 | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| Niger | 1 | 3 | 4 | Niger | 1 | 1 | 2 | | | | |
| | | | | Ivory Coast | 2 | 6 | 8 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | Ivory Coast (a) | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| | | | | | | | | Guinea | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Mauritania | 1 | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | | | Guinea | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Guinea | 2 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| Guinea | 2 | 4 | 6 | Guinea | 2 | 0 | 2 | | | | |
| | | | | Senegal | 1 | 0 | 1 | | | | |
| First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round |
| Seychelles | 1 | 0 | 1 | | | | | | | | |
| Sudan | 1 | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| Sudan | 1 | 1 | 2 | Sudan | 2 | 0 | 2 | | | | |
| | | | | Kenya | 0 | 0 | 0 | | | | |
| Kenya | 5 | 3 | 8 | Kenya | 0 | 0 | 0 | | | | |
| Mauritius | 0 | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | |
| Mauritius | 0 | 1 | 1 | | | | | Sudan | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| | | | | | | | | Nigeria | 0 | 5 | 5 |
| Libya | — | — | w/o | | | | | | | | | Nigeria | 0 | 5 | 5 |
| Gambia | — | — | | | | | | | | | |
| Gambia | — | — | | Libya | 2 | 0 | 2 | | | | |
| | | | | Nigeria | 0 | 4 | 4 | | | | |
| First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round |
| Rwanda | 0 | 0 | 0 | | | | | | | | |
| DR Congo | 0 | 5 | 5 | | | | | | | | |
| DR Congo | 0 | 5 | 5 | DR Congo | 2 | 0 | 2 w/o | | | | |
| | | | | Morocco | 0 | 1 | 1 w/o | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | Morocco | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| | | | | | | | | Mali | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Ethiopia | 4 | 0 | 4 | | | | | | | | | Mali | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Somalia | 0 | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | |
| Somalia | 0 | 1 | 1 | Ethiopia | 1 | 0 | 1 | | | | |
| | | | | Mali | 1 | 4 | 5 | | | | |

## First round

| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Angola | w/o | Namibia | — | — |
| Mozambique | 1–1 (a) | Eswatini | 0–0 | 1–1 |
| Botswana | 2–3 | Malawi | 1–2 | 1–1 |
| Burundi | 3–3 (a) | Tanzania | 2–0 | 1–3 |
| Ghana | 5–2 | Togo | 5–1 | 0–1 |
| Equatorial Guinea | 4–2 | São Tomé and Príncipe | 1–1 | 3–1 |
| Cameroon | 4–1 | Chad | 3–0 | 1–1 |
| Uganda | 1–2 | South Sudan | 1–0 | 0–2 |
| Burkina Faso | 2–4 | Niger | 1–1 | 1–3 |
| Mauritania | 2–6 | Guinea | 1–2 | 1–4 |
| Seychelles | 1–2 | Sudan | 1–1 | 0–1 |
| Kenya | 8–1 | Mauritius | 5–0 | 3–1 |
| Libya | w/o | Gambia | — | — |
| Rwanda | 0–5 | DR Congo | 0–0 | 0–5 |
| Ethiopia | 4–1 | Somalia | 4–0 | 0–1 |
Angola won on walkover after Namibia withdrew.
1–1 on aggregate. Mozambique won on away goals.
Malawi won 3–2 on aggregate.
3–3 on aggregate. Burundi won on away goals.
Ghana won 5–2 on aggregate.
Equatorial Guinea won 4–2 on aggregate.
Cameroon won 4–1 on aggregate.
South Sudan won 2–1 on aggregate.
Niger won 4–2 on aggregate.
Guinea won 6–2 on aggregate.
Sudan won 2–1 on aggregate.
Kenya won 8–1 on aggregate.
Libya won on walkover after Gambia withdrew.
DR Congo won 5–0 on aggregate.
Ethiopia won 4–1 on aggregate.

## Second round

| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Angola | 1–6 | South Africa | 1–3 | 0–3 |
| Mozambique | 0–2 | Zimbabwe | 0–0 | 0–2 |
| Malawi | 0–2 | Zambia | 0–1 | 0–1 |
| Burundi | 1–2 | Congo | 0–0 | 1–2 |
| Ghana | 4–0 | Gabon | 4–0 | 0–0 |
| Equatorial Guinea | 1–3 | Algeria | 0–0 | 1–3 |
| Cameroon | w/o | Sierra Leone | — | — |
| South Sudan | 0–1 | Tunisia | 0–0 | 0–1 |
| Niger | 2–8 | Ivory Coast | 1–2 | 1–6 |
| Guinea | 2–1 | Senegal | 2–1 | 0–0 |
| Sudan | 2–0 | Kenya | 2–0 | 0–0 |
| Libya | 2–4 | Nigeria | 2–0 | 0–4 |
| DR Congo | 2–1 w/o | Morocco | 2–0 | 0–1 |
| Ethiopia | 1–5 | Mali | 1–1 | 0–4 |
South Africa won 6–1 on aggregate.
Zimbabwe won 2–0 on aggregate.
Zambia won 2–0 on aggregate.
Congo won 2–1 on aggregate.
Ghana won 4–0 on aggregate.
Algeria won 3–1 on aggregate.
Cameroon won on walkover due to FIFA's suspension of the Sierra Leone Football Association.
Tunisia won 1–0 on aggregate.
Ivory Coast won 8–2 on aggregate.
Guinea won 2–1 on aggregate.
Sudan won 2–0 on aggregate.
Nigeria won 4–2 on aggregate.
DR Congo won 2–1 on aggregate. However, they were later disqualified for fielding an ineligible (overaged) player, and Morocco won on walkover.
Mali won 5–1 on aggregate.

## Third round

Winners qualified for 2019 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations.
| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| South Africa | 5–0 | Zimbabwe | 5–0 | 0–0 |
| Zambia | 5–4 | Congo | 2–1 | 3–3 |
| Ghana | 2–1 | Algeria | 1–1 | 1–0 |
| Cameroon | 2–2 (a) | Tunisia | 1–0 | 1–2 |
| Ivory Coast | 2–2 (a) | Guinea | 0–1 | 2–1 |
| Sudan | 1–5 | Nigeria | 1–0 | 0–5 |
| Morocco | 1–2 | Mali | 1–1 | 0–1 |
South Africa won 5–0 on aggregate.
Zambia won 5–4 on aggregate.
Ghana won 2–1 on aggregate.
2–2 on aggregate. Cameroon won on away goals.
2–2 on aggregate. Ivory Coast won on away goals.
Nigeria won 5–1 on aggregate.
Mali won 2–1 on aggregate.

## Qualified teams

The following eight teams qualified for the final tournament.
| Team | Qualified on | Previous appearances in Africa U-23 Cup of Nations |
| Egypt (hosts) | 23 June 2017 | 2 (2011, 2015) |
| South Africa | 10 September 2019 | 2 (2011, 2015) |
| Zambia | 8 September 2019 | 1 (2015) |
| Ghana | 10 September 2019 | 0 (debut) |
| Cameroon | 10 September 2019 | 0 (debut) |
| Ivory Coast | 10 September 2019 | 1 (2011) |
| Nigeria | 10 September 2019 | 2 (2011, 2015) |
| Mali | 10 September 2019 | 1 (2015) |
    $^1$ Bold indicates champions for that year. Italic indicates hosts for that year.

## Goalscorers

There were 157 goals scored in 66 matches, for an average of 2.38 goals per match.
5 goals
* Fashion Sakala
4 goals
* Jackson Muleka
* Owusu Kwabena
3 goals
* Osman Bukari
* Victor Osimhen
* Luther Singh
* Waleed Bakhet
2 goals
* Adem Zorgane
* Cédric Mavugo
* Eric Ayuk
* Guy Mbenza
* Jacques Thémopolé
* Pedro Oba
* Daouda Camara
* Yamoussa Camara
* Jules Keita
* Morlaye Sylla
* Willy Braciano
* Christian Kouamé
* James Mazembe
* Pistone Mutamba
* Diadié Samadiaré
* Abdoulaye Salou
* Ndifreke Udo
* Gilson
* Teboho Mokoena
* Enock Mwepu
1 goal
* Jaredi Teixeira
* Billel Benhammouda
* Aymen Mahious
* Gape Gaogangwe
* Mothusi Johnson
* Cédric Badolo
* Mody Cissé
* Bienvenue Kanakimana
* Muryango Mabano
* Victor Ekani
* Ignatius Ganago
* Martin Hongla
* Hervé Ngan
* Gerald Nodji
* Gaius Makouta
* Chandrel Matondo
* Nelson Balongo
* Ginola Mbuangi
* Peter Mutumosi
* Santiago Eneme
* Benjamín Ndong
* Salomón Obama
* Gcinwayinkhosi Dlamini
* Desta Demu
* Esrael Eshetu
* Amanuel Gebremichael
* Kenean Markneh
* Abubeker Sani
* Dauda Mohammed
* Bernard Tekpetey
* Nassam Yakubu
* Yaw Yeboah
* Mai Traoré
* Moussa Corso Traoré
* Youssouf Dao
* Anderson Niangbo
* Ibrahim Sangaré
* Cheick Timité
* Hamed Junior Traorè
* Sydney Lokale
* Ovella Ochieng
* Joseph Okumu
* Johnstone Omurwa
* Osama Albedwi
* Zakaria Alharaish
* Peter Banda
* Gregory Nachipo
* Siaka Bagayoko
* Aliou Dieng
* Bourama Doumbia
* Ibrahima Koné
* Aly Mallé
* Hassem Teguedi
* Fody Traoré
* Adel Langue
* Youssef En-Nesyri
* Sofian Kiyine
* Bonera
* Kairou Amoustapha
* Djibril Boubacar
* Aboubacar Hanhainikoye
* Mahamadou Sabo
* Taiwo Awoniyi
* Sunday Faleye
* Sunusi Ibrahim
* David Okereke
* Ibrahima Ndiaye
* Ryan Henriette
* Feisal Ahmed Hassan
* Lyle Foster
* Kobamelo Kodisang
* Phakamani Mahlambi
* Grant Margeman
* Thendo Mukumela
* Jamie Webber
* Peter Taku
* Makueth Wol
* Walaa Eldin Yaqoub
* Salumu Kiimbwa
* Habib Kyombo
* Mbaraka Yusuph
* Kossi Anika
* Thibault Klidjé
* Nassim Hnid
* Habib Oueslati
* Wajdi Sahli
* Mustafa Kizza
* Obriel Chirinda
* Delic Murimba
1 own goal
* Goitseone Legopelo (against Malawi)
* Inoussa Amadou (against Ivory Coast)
* Don Fanchette (against Sudan)