AFCON 2022 group standings: Updated tables, scores, results & highlights from African championship

Simon Borg

AFCON 2022 group standings: Updated tables, scores, results & highlights from African championship image

The Africa Cup of Nations kicked off with a group stage that saw the field of 24 teams whittled down to 16, with a couple of surprises along the way. Defending champion Algeria and traditional power Ghana did not survive the group stage.

Similar to the Euros and World Cup, the top two teams in each of the six groups (Groups A-F) advanced to the Round of 16 along with the four best third-place finishers. Each nation played three group-stage games and they were ranked by points — three for a win, one for a draw and none for losses — with tiebreakers in place for teams that were level on points (see the tiebreaker list at the end of this post).

The knockout bracket was already predetermined as reflected in the schedule below, and teams that advanced secured specific slots in the bracket based on their group finish. The knockout stages started with the Round of 16 and runs all the way to the final with 30 minutes of extra time and penalty-kick shootouts employed in case of a draw after 90 minutes.

MORE: Scenarios for each team to advance to Round of 16

Here are the final AFCON group standings, schedules, results and highlights, including TV and streaming info in the USA and Canada.

Note: PTS = Points, GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, D = Draws, GF = Goals For (scored), GA = Goals Against (conceded), GD = Goal Difference (goals scored less goals conceded)

AFCON 2022 standings

Group A final table

Team PTS GP W L D GF GA GD
1. Cameroon-X 7 3 2 0 1 7 3 +4
2. Burkina Faso-X 4 3 1 1 1 3 3 0
3. Cape Verde-X 4 3 1 1 1 2 2 0
4. Ethiopia-E 1 3 0 2 1 2 6 -4

X = Qualified to Round of 16 | E = Eliminated

Group A schedule & results

Date Match  
Sun, Jan. 9 Cameroon 2, Burkina Faso 1   Highlights
Sun, Jan. 9 Ethiopia 0, Cape Verde 1 Highlights
Thurs, Jan. 13 Cameroon  4 , Ethiopia  1 Highlights
Thurs, Jan. 13 Cape Verde 0, Burkina Faso 1 Highlights
Mon, Jan. 17 Cape Verde 1, Cameroon 1 Highlights
Mon, Jan. 17 Burkina Faso 1, Ethiopia 1 Highlights

Group B final table

Team PTS GP W L D GF GA GD
1. Senegal-X 5 3 1 0 2 1 0 +1
2. Guinea-X 4 3 1 1 1 2 2 0
3. Malawi-X 4 3 1 1 1 2 2 0
4. Zimbabwe-E 3 3 1 2 0 3 4 -1

X = Qualified to Round of 16 | E = Eliminated

Group B schedule & results 

Date Match  
Mon, Jan. 10 Senegal 1, Zimbabwe 0 Highlights
Mon, Jan. 10 Guinea 1, Malawi 0 Highlights
Fri, Jan. 14 Senegal 0, Guinea 0 Highlights
Fri, Jan. 14 Malawi 2, Zimbabwe 1 Highlights
Tues, Jan. 18 Malawi 0, Senegal 0 Highlights
Tues, Jan. 18 Zimbabwe 2, Guinea 1 Highlights

Group C table

Team PTS GP W L D GF GA GD
1. Morocco-X 7 3 2 0 1 5 2 +3
2. Gabon- X 5 3 1 0 2 4 3 +1
3. Comoros-X 3 3 1 2 0 3 5 -2
4. Ghana-E 1 3 0 2 1 3 5 -2

X = Qualified to Round of 16 | E = Eliminated

Group C schedule & results 

Date Match  
Mon, Jan. 10 Morocco 1, Ghana 0 Highlights
Mon, Jan. 10 Comoros 0, Gabon 1 Highlights
Fri, Jan. 14 Morocco 2, Comoros 0 Highlights
Fri, Jan. 14 Gabon 1, Ghana 1 Highlights
Tues, Jan. 18 Gabon 2, Morocco 2 Highlights
Tues, Jan. 18 Ghana 2, Comoros 3 Highlights

Group D table

Team PTS GP W L D GF GA GD
1. Nigeria-X 9 3 3 0 0 6 1 +5
2. Egypt-X 6 3 2 1 0 2 1 +1
3. Guinea-Bissau-E 1 3 0 2 1 0 3 -3
4. Sudan-E 1 3 0 2 1 1 4 -3

X = Qualified to Round of 16 | E = Eliminated

Group D schedule & results 

Date Match  
Tues, Jan. 11 Nigeria 1, Egypt 0 Highlights
Tues, Jan. 11 Sudan 0, Guinea-Bissau 0 Highlights
Sat, Jan. 15 Nigeria 3, Sudan 1 Highlights
Sat, Jan. 15 Guinea-Bissau 0, Egypt 1 Highlights
Wed, Jan. 19 Guinea-Bissau 0, Nigeria 2 Highlights
Wed, Jan. 19 Egypt 1, Sudan 0 Highlights

Group E table

Team PTS GP W L D GF GA GD
1. Ivory Coast-X 7 3 2 0 1 6 3 +3
2. Equ. Guinea-X 6 3 2 1 0 2 1 +1
3. Sierra Leone-E 2 3 0 1 2 2 3 -1
4. Algeria-E 1 3 0 1 2 1 5 -4

X = Qualified to Round of 16 | E = Eliminated

Group E schedule & results 

Date Match  
Tues, Jan. 11 Algeria 0 , Sierra Leone 0 Highlights
Wed, Jan. 12 Equ. Guinea 0, Ivory Coast 1 Highlights
Sun, Jan. 16 Ivory Coast 2, Sierra Leone 2 Highlights
Sun, Jan. 16 Algeria 0, Equ. Guinea 1 Highlights
Thurs, Jan. 20 Ivory Coast 3, Algeria 1 Highlights
Thurs, Jan. 20 Sierra Leone 0, Equ. Guinea 1 Highlights

Group F table

Team PTS GP W L D GF GA GD
1. Mali-X 7 3 2 0 1 4 1 +3
2. Gambia-X 7 3 2 0 1 3 1 +2
3. Tunisia-X 3 3 1 2 0 4 2 +2
4. Mauritania-E 0 3 0 3 0 0 7 -7

X = Qualified to Round of 16 | E = Eliminated

Group F schedule & results

Date Match  
Wed, Jan. 12 Tunisia 0, Mali 1 Highlights
Wed, Jan. 12 Mauritania 0, Gambia 1 Highlights
Sun, Jan. 16 Gambia 1, Mali 1 Highlights
Sun, Jan. 16 Tunisia 4, Mauritania 0 Highlights
Thurs, Jan. 20 Gambia 1, Tunisia 0 Highlights
Thurs, Jan. 20 Mali 2, Mauritania 0 Highlights

AFCON 3rd place qualification

The four best third-place teams moved on to the Round of 16. Here's the final table indicating the four which advanced:

3rd-Place Team Group PTS GP W L D GF GA GD
1. Cape Verde-X A 4 3 1 1 1 2 2 0
2. Malawi-X B 4 3 1 1 1 2 2 0
3. Tunisia-X F 3 3 1 2 0 4 2 +2
4. Comoros-X C 3 3 1 2 0 3 5 -2
5. Sierra Leone-E E 2 3 0 1 2 2 3 -1
6. Guinea-Bissau-E D 1 3 0 2 1 0 3 -3

X = Qualified to Round of 16 | E = Eliminated

Round of 16

Date Match  
Sun, Jan. 23 RD16 #1: Burkina Faso 1, Gabon 1 (7-6 PKs) Highlights
Sun, Jan. 23 RD16 #2: Nigeria 0, Tunisia 1 Highlights
Mon, Jan. 24 RD16 #3: Guinea 0, Gambia 1 Highlights
Mon, Jan. 24 RD16 #4: Cameroon 2, Comoros 1 Highlights
Tues, Jan. 25 RD16 #5: Senegal 2, Cape Verde 0 Highlights
Tues, Jan. 25 RD16 #6: Morocco 2, Malawi 1 Highlights
Wed, Jan. 26 RD16 #7: Ivory Coast 0, Egypt 0 (4-5 PKs) Highlights
Wed, Jan. 26 RD16 #8: Mali 0, Equatorial Guinea 0 (5-6 PKs) Highlights

Quarterfinals

Date Match  
Sat, Jan. 29 Gambia 0, Cameroon 2 Highlights
Sat, Jan. 29 Burkina Faso 1, Tunisia 0 Highlights
Sun, Jan. 30 Egypt 2, Morocco 1 (a.e.t.) Highlights
Sun, Jan. 30 Senegal 3, Eq. Guinea 1 Highlights

Semifinals

Date Match  
Wed, Feb. 2 Burkina Faso 1, Senegal 3 Highlights
Thurs, Feb. 3 Egypt 0, Cameroon 0 (3-1 PKs) Highlights

3rd Place

Date Match  
Sat, Feb. 5 Burkina Faso 3, Cameroon 3 (3-5 PKs) Highlights

Final

Date Match  
Sun, Feb. 6 Senegal 0 vs. Egypt (4-2 PKs) Highlights

AFCON 2022 group tiebreakers

If two teams finished even on points in the group stage, the following tiebreakers were applied to determine their ranking, according to the official competition rules:

  1. Most points obtained in matches between the two teams;
  2. Goal difference in all group matches;
  3. Most goals scored in all group matches;
  4. Drawing of lots (i.e. random draw).

If three or more teams finished tied on points at the end of the group stage, the tiebreaker formula changed slightly: 

  1. Most points obtained in matches between the teams concerned;
  2. Goal difference in matches between the teams concerned;
  3. Most goals scored in matches between the teams concerned;
  4. Goal difference in all group matches;
  5. Most goals scored in all group matches;
  6. Drawing of lots (i.e. random draw).

One twist to the scenario involving three or more teams: If tiebreakers Nos. 1-3 succeeded in separating at least one team from the rest, then those same tiebreakers Nos. 1-3 were reapplied to the remaining teams before moving on to criteria Nos. 4-6. 

Simon Borg

Simon Borg Photo

Simon Borg is a senior editor at The Sporting News who has covered football/soccer for over a decade. A supporter of Italian club Parma Calcio from his years growing up in Europe, he was previously a long-time member of Major League Soccer's digital media team, as a multimedia content producer, on-air personality, and Editor-in-Chief. Based in New York City, Borg is multilingual and has covered the domestic and global scene for TSN since 2021.