The 2020 African Nations Championship qualification was a men's football competition which decided the participating teams of the 2020 African Nations Championship. Only national team players who were playing in their country's own domestic league were eligible to compete in the tournament.
A total of 16 teams qualified to play in the final tournament, including Cameroon which qualified automatically as hosts.
Originally, a total of 47 (out of 54) CAF member national teams entered the qualifying rounds, split into zones according to their regional affiliations. The draw for the qualifying rounds was held on 30 January 2019 at the CAF headquarters in Cairo, Egypt. A re-draw of the Central Eastern Zone (CECAFA) was announced on 3 July 2019, after Ethiopia (original hosts) and Djibouti (originally banned) were included. A re-draw of the Central Zone (UNIFFAC) was also made, after Cameroon (new hosts) were excluded from qualifying. Therefore, a total of 48 (out of 53) teams CAF member national teams entered the qualifying rounds after the re-draws.
Qualification ties were played on a home-and-away two-legged basis. If the aggregate score was tied after the second leg, the away goals rule would be applied, and if still level, the penalty shoot-out would be used to determine the winner (no extra time would be played).
The schedule of the qualifying rounds was as follows.
Winners qualified for 2020 African Nations Championship.
Morocco won 3âÂÂ0 on aggregate.
Tunisia won 3âÂÂ1 on aggregate, but withdrew in January 2020. As a result, Libya qualified.
Mali won 7âÂÂ0 on aggregate.
Mauritania won 2âÂÂ1 on aggregate.
Senegal won 3âÂÂ1 on aggregate.
Winners qualified for 2020 African Nations Championship.
Mali won 2âÂÂ0 on aggregate.
1âÂÂ1 on aggregate. Guinea won 3âÂÂ1 on penalties.
Togo won 1âÂÂ0 on aggregate.
Winners qualified for 2020 African Nations Championship.
Togo won 4âÂÂ3 on aggregate.
Niger won 2âÂÂ1 on aggregate.
Burkina Faso won 1âÂÂ0 on aggregate.
Original draw (before Cameroon were excluded):
Central African Republic won on walkover after São Tomé and PrÃÂncipe withdrew.
Equatorial Guinea won 5âÂÂ4 on aggregate.
Winners qualified for 2020 African Nations Championship.
DR Congo won 6âÂÂ1 on aggregate.
Congo won 3âÂÂ2 on aggregate.
Original draw (before Ethiopia and Djibouti were included):
Burundi won 4âÂÂ1 on aggregate.
Uganda won 7âÂÂ2 on aggregate.
Ethiopia won 5âÂÂ3 on aggregate.
0âÂÂ0 on aggregate. Tanzania won 4âÂÂ1 on penalties.
Winners qualified for 2020 African Nations Championship.
Uganda won 6âÂÂ0 on aggregate.
Rwanda won 2âÂÂ1 on aggregate.
2âÂÂ2 on aggregate. Tanzania won on away goals.
Botswana won 5âÂÂ1 on aggregate.
1âÂÂ1 on aggregate. Eswatini won on away goals.
Zambia won 3âÂÂ2 on aggregate.
2âÂÂ2 on aggregate. Eswatini won 5âÂÂ4 on penalties.
Namibia won 2âÂÂ0 on aggregate.
3âÂÂ3 on aggregate. Madagascar won on away goals.
Lesotho won 6âÂÂ2 on aggregate.
Zimbabwe won 7âÂÂ1 on aggregate.
Winners qualified for 2020 African Nations Championship.
Zambia won 3âÂÂ2 on aggregate.
Namibia won 2âÂÂ1 on aggregate.
Zimbabwe won 3âÂÂ1 on aggregate.
The following 16 teams qualified for the final tournament.