Which teams have been eliminated from AFCON 2025? Updated list, FIFA rankings of nations knocked out of Africa Cup of Nations

 The Africa Cup of Nations is taking place in Morocco and will crown the continent's premier international football team.

However, with glory also comes sorrow, as there cannot be light without the darkness. Only one team can cross the finish line at the end of its AFCON journey, with all others falling just short of the goal.

The top two finishers in each group earn automatic passage to the knockout stage, while the top four third-place finishers also advance. However, the bottom two third-place finishers plus all fourth-place finishers are sent home. From there, the knockout stage is single-elimination, with half the participants in each round bounced from the competition.

The Sporting News brings you a look at what teams have been sent packing from the tournament as each stage progresses.

Teams eliminated from AFCON 2025

The first team eliminated from AFCON 2025 was Botswana, who were mathematically out of reach after two group stage matches. Equatorial Guinea and Gabon followed soon after, making it three nations sent packing after the first two rounds of play at the competition.

Comoros was the first third-place team eliminated, as they finished their third match already below four of the other five third-place teams, putting them on the outside looking in. A similar fate befell Angola, who took two points from three winless matches.

Angola and Comoros' struggles meant the best third-place qualifiers were confirmed as Mozambique, Benin, Sudan and Tanzania.

AFCON 2025 knockout stage schedule, fixtures, results

The top two teams from each group, plus the three best third-place nations, comprise the 16 sides that enter the knockout stage.