Africa Cup of Nations 1972 / qualification

A total of 26 teams registered to participate in the 1972 Africa Cup in Cameroon .

The qualification went over two knockout rounds. Upper Volta did not participate in the qualification. Hosts Cameroon and defending champions Sudan were exempt from qualifying matches.

Qualifying matches

First round

date		total		First leg	Return leg
18.08./01.09.1971	Guinea	1-0	Senegal	1-0	0-0
12/27 December 1970	Niger	2: 3	Mali	0: 1	1: 3
November 08/22, 1970	Gabon	1: 3	Ivory Coast	1: 2	0: 1
November 08/22, 1970	Nigeria	1: 2	VR Congo	0-0	1: 2
29.11./15.12.1970	Ethiopia	0: 3	Kenya	0: 1	0: 2
November 15/29, 1970	Madagascar	3: 5	Mauritius	2: 1	1: 4
December 10/27, 1970	Algeria	3: 4	Morocco	3: 1	0: 3
03.01./13.07.1971	VA Republic	3: 1	Liberia	2: 1	1-0
November 08/22, 1970	Togo	2: 1	Dahomey	2: 1	0-0
	Ghana		Upper Volta	Upper Volta to.
15.10./01.11.1970	Tanzania	2: 6	Zambia	1: 1	1: 5
November 8/24, 1970	Uganda	1: 5	Zaire	1: 4	0: 1

Second round

date		total		First leg	Return leg
October 13/27, 1970	Guinea	1: 3	Mali	0-0	1: 3
October 13/27, 1970	Ivory Coast	3: 4	VR Congo	3: 2	0: 2
July 4th / 18th, 1971	Kenya	2: 1	Mauritius	2: 1	0-0
October 13/27, 1970	Morocco	5: 3	VA Republic	3-0	2: 3
October 13/27, 1970	Togo	1-0	Ghana	0-0	1-0
October 13/27, 1970	Zambia	2: 4	Zaire	2: 1	0: 3

automatically qualified:

•  Sudan (defending champion)
•  Cameroon (hosts)