With the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar around the corner, 5 countries, Senegal, Ghana, Cameroon, Morocco and Tunisia will represent the African continent in Qatar.
With football as the most popular sport on the continent, 41 of the 54 active FIFA and CAF members have never qualified for the final tournament.
Since 1970, when the African zone of qualifications gains momentum only a few countries out of the 41 narrowly missed out on the qualifications.
Zambia and Liberia have narrowly missed out twice, Zambia’s best attempts were in 1990 and 1994 when they missed out to Tunisia and Morocco with just a point difference.
In 1990 and 2022 Liberia came close to sealing qualifications but missed out after finishing second with 6 points behind Egypt who topped the group with 8 points in 1998 and in 2002 against Nigeria who won group B of the qualifications with 16 points while the Leone Stars of Liberia finished second with 15 points.
Guinea missed out to Nigeria who won group 1 with 13 points while Guinea accumulated 12 points in 1994.
In 2014, Burkina Faso and Ethiopia also make attempt but were eliminated in the playoffs round, while Ethiopia was beaten 4-1 aggregate by Nigeria, Burkina Faso failed to progress on away goal rules after a 3-3 draw with Algeria
Below are the 41 African countries that are yet qualify for a FIFA World Cup tournament.
Zambia
Guinea
Kenya
Ethiopia
Sudan
Burkina Faso
Malawi
Sierra Leone
Zimbabwe
Uganda
Congo
Liberia
Madagascar
Tanzania
Benin
Gabon
The Gambia
Libya
Mozambique
Lesotho
Mauritius
Namibia
Niger
Eswatini
Botswana
Guinea-Bissau
Mauritania
Rwanda
Somalia
Burundi
Cape Verde
Chad
Equatorial Guinea
Mali
Seychelles
Djibouti
Eritrea
São Tomé and PrÃncipe
Comoros
Central African Republic
South Sudan