Factbox on Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers Gambia
Africa Cup of Nations record
- Previous appearances in finals: none
- Drawn in Group F with Mali, Mauritania and Tunisia
- Coach: Tom Saintfiet
The Belgian has been in charge of 10 different national teams but getting tiny Gambia to the Cup of Nations finals is his finest achievement.
The 48-year-old has worked across the globe at clubs in the Faroe Islands, Finland, Jordan, Germany, the Netherlands, South Africa and Tanzania.
He took over at Gambia in mid-2018, making it one of his longest stints to date.
Key player: Musa Barrow Age: 23. Striker.
One of several Italy-based players in the squad, Barrow scored a key goal in the qualifiers to help his country to their first finals.
He moved from West Africa to Atalanta while a teenager and was later loaned to Bologna, before making the move permanent in July. Barrow has five Serie A goals this season.
FIFA world ranking Dec 2021: 150
How they qualified: Top placed team in Group D, ahead of Gabon, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Babouccar Gaye (Rot-Weiss Koblenz), Alagie Modou Jobe (Black Leopards) Sheikh Sibi (Virtus Verona)
Defenders: Omar Colley (Sampdoria), James Gomez (Horsens), Pa Modou Jagne (Dietikon), Mohammed Jallow-Mbye (Solvesborg), Saidy Janko (Real Valladolid), Bubacarr Sanneh (unattached), Noah Sonko-Sundberg (Ostersund), Ibou Touray (Salford City)
Midfielders: Ebou Adams (Forest Green Rovers), Modou Barrow (Jeonbuk Motors), Musa Barrow (Bologna), Yusupha Bobb (Piacenza), Ebrima Colley (Spezia), Ebrima Darboe (Roma), Abdoulie Jallow (RFC Seraing), Sulayman Marreh (Gent), Ebrima Sohna (Fortune FC)
Forwards: Muhammed Badamosi (Kortrijk), Assan Ceesay (FC Zurich), Dembo Darboe (Shakhtyor Soligorsk), Lamin Jallow (Fehervar), Bubacarr Jobe (Norrby), Yusupha Njie (Boavista), Steve Trawally (Ajman).
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Factbox on Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers Mali
Africa Cup of Nations record
- Previous appearances in finals: (11) 1972, 1994, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019
- Best performance: Runners up 1972
- Drawn in Group F with Gambia, Mauritania and Tunisia.
- Coach: Mohamed Magassouba
The 61-year-old is from Nara, in the north of Mali, but made his name coaching in the former Zaire where he led Daring Club Motema Pembe to victory in the 1994 African Cup Winners’ Cup.
He also coached TP Mazembe and the national team of DR Congo and worked at clubs in Gabon and Senegal.
He took Mali to the last 16 at the last edition of the Cup of Nations in Egypt in mid-2019 and now coaches at a second successive tournament.
Key player: Amadou Haidara Age: 23 Midfielder
A midfielder at RB Leipzig who is regarded among the top emerging talents in the Bundesliga and is on the radar of several Premier League clubs, according to media reports.
He is a tough holding midfielder with the ability to quickly transition the ball to attack.
He made his debut for Mali while still a teenager and scored at the last Cup of Nations finals in Egypt.
FIFA world ranking Dec 2021: 53
How they qualified: Top placed team in Group A, ahead of Guinea, Namibia and Chad.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Djigui Diarra (Young Africans), Ismael Diawara (Malmo), Ibrahima Mounkoro (TP Mazembe)
Defenders: Senou Coulibaly (Dijon), Mamadou Fofana (Amiens), Massadio Haidara (Racing Lens), Boubacar Kiki Kouyate (Metz), Falaye Sacko (Vitoria Guimaraes), Issiaka Samake (Horoya), Moussa Sissako (Standard Liege), Charles Traore (Nantes), Hamari Traore (Stade Rennes)
Midfielders: Yves Bissouma (Brighton and Hove Albion), Mohamed Camara (Salzburg), Lassana Coulibaly (Salernitana), Aliou Dieng (Al Ahly), Amadou Haidara (RB Leipzig), Romenigue Kouame (Troyes), Diadie Samassekou (Hoffenheim), Adama ‘Noss’ Traore (Hatayspor), Hamidou Traore (Giresunspor)
Forwards: Kalifa Coulibaly (Nantes), Moussa Doumbia (Stade Reims), Moussa Djenepo (Southampton), Ibrahima Kone (Sarpsborg), Lassine Sinayoko (AJ Auxerre), Adama “Malouda” Traore (Sheriff Tiraspol), El Bilal Toure (Stade Reims).
Factbox on Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers Mauritania
Africa Cup of Nations record
- Previous appearances in finals: (1) 2019
- Best performance: Group phase
- Drawn in Group F with Gambia, Mali and Tunisia
- Coach: Didier Gomes Da Rosa
The French-born coach was drafted in by Mauritania in November after the surprise sacking of long-time incumbent Corentin Martins
Gomes Da Rosa coached amateur sides in France before spending the last nine years in Africa where he has taken charge of clubs in Algeria, Cameroon, Egypt, Guinea, Rwanda, Sudan and Tanzania.
It is the 52-year-old’s first national team appointment.
Key player: Khassa Camara Age: 29 Midfielder
The defensive midfielder was one of the first players from France with Mauritanian heritage to commit to the national team and help build their talent base.
He debuted in 2013 when he was still at Troyes but now plays his club football in India.
He was the only player in Mauritania’s squad at the last Cup of Nations finals who played for a team in the top flight of a European league.
FIFA world ranking Dec 2021: 103
How they qualified: Second placed team in Group E, behind Morocco but ahead of Burundi and the Central African Republic.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Babacar Diop (Police), Mohamed El Mokhtar (AS Douanes), Mbacke Ndiaye (Nouakchott Kings)
Defenders: Houssen Abderahmane (Francs Borains), Aly Abeid (Valenciennes), Harouna Abou Demba (unattached), Abdoul Ba (Al Ahli Tripoli), Diadie Diarra (Grand Ouest Lyonnais), El Hassen Houbeibib (Al Zawraa), Souleymane Karamoko (Nancy), Abdoulkader Thiam (US Boulogne)
Midfielders: Mohsen Bodda (FC Nouadhibou), Khassa Camara (NorthEast United), Ibréhima Coulibaly (Le Mans), Mohamed Dellahi Yaly (unattached), Guessouma Fofana (CFR Cluj), Beyatt Lekweiry (AS Douanes), Abdallahi Mahmoud (Istra 1961), Almike Ndiaye (Grand Ouest Lyonnais), Yacoub Sidi (Vita Club), Mohamed Soueid (FC Nouadhibou)
Forwards: Adama Ba (unattached), Pape Ibnou Ba (Le Havre) Oumar Camara (Beroe Stara Zagora), Souleymane Doukara (Giresunspor), Aboubakar Kamara (Aris Salonika), Hemeya Tanjy (FC Nouadhibou), Idrissa Thiam (ASAC Concorde).
Factbox on Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers Tunisia
Africa Cup of Nations record
- Previous appearances in finals: (19) 1962, 1963, 1965, 1978, 1982, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019
- Best performance: Winners 2004
- Drawn in Group F with Gambia, Mali and Mauritania.
- Coach: Mondher Kebaier
The former defender was a break from the long list of foreign coaches Tunisia have appointed when he was named to the post in August 2019.
He had previously worked at the country’s top three clubs -- Club Africain, Esperance and Etoile Sahel.
Despite Tunisia reaching the Arab Cup final last month, there was speculation the 51-year-old was set to be fired, prompting the country’s football federation to issue a statement denying the talk.
Key player: Wahbi Khazri Age: 30 Striker
Khazri, who was born in Corsica and played for France at Under-21 level but whose parents hail from Tunisia, will be competing at his fifth finals.
It will be a welcome break from the struggles of St Etienne, where he is their top scorer this season. Despite his efforts they sit bottom of Ligue 1.
Khazri began his career at Bastia then moved to Girondins Bordeaux before enduring an unsuccesful stint at Sunderland. He returned to French football with Rennes.
FIFA world ranking Dec 2021: 30
How they qualified: Top place team in Group J, ahead of Equatorial Guinea, Tanzania and Libya.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Farouk Ben Mustapha (Esperance), Bechir Ben Said (US Monastir), Aymen Dahmen (CS Sfaxien), Ali Jemal (Etoile Sahel)
Defenders: Ali Abdi (Caen), Mohamed Amine Ben Hamida (Esperance), Dylan Bronn (Metz), Mohamed Drager (Nottingham Forest), Oussama Haddadi (Yeni Malayaspor), Bilel Ifa (Club Africain), Ali Maaloul (Al Ahly), Hamza Mathlouthi (Zamalek), Omar Rekik (Arsenal), Montassar Talbi (Rubin Kazan)
Midfielders: Fires Ben Larbi (Ajman Club), Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane (Esperance), Anis Ben Slimane (Brondby), Ghailene Chaalali (Esperance), Saif-Eddine Khaoui (Clermont), Aissa Laidouni (Ferencvaros), Hannibal Mejbri (Manchester United), Hamza Rafia (Standard Liege), Elyas Skhiri (FC Cologne)
Forwards: Seifeddine Jaziri (Zamalek), Wahbi Khazri (St Etienne), Youssef Msakni (Al Arabi), Naim Sliti (Al Ittifaq), Yoann Touzghar (Troyes).