Hockey Africa Cup of Nations 2025
The 12th edition of the Hockey Africa Cup of Nations will be held in Ismailia, Egypt from 20 to 31 August 2025. Serving as the qualifier for the Hockey World Cup 2026, the tournament holds significant value.
The top 8 teams from all over Africa will take part in this tournament, including:
- South Africa
- Egypt
- Kenya
- Ghana
- Namibia
- Zambia
- Uganda
- Nigeria
Tournament Format
The tournament will be played in a group format, with the teams divided into 2 pools of 4 teams each.
2 teams from each pool will qualify for the Semi-Final stages.
The remaining teams finishing 3rd and 4th in each pool will then play for classification from 5th to 8th place.
Note: The pools are yet to be announced for the tournament.
Qualification Breakdown
South Africa and Egypt got automatic qualification into the tournament based on FIH World Rankings.
Ghana and Nigeria qualified as North West African teams, while Kenya and Uganda qualified as North East African teams.
The Central-South Africa Qualifier was held in Harare, Zimbabwe, from where Namibia and Zambia made their way into the Africa Cup of Nations 2025.
World Cup Qualification Importance
The tournament holds great significance, as it is the sole opportunity for all the participating teams to qualify for the Hockey World Cup 2026.
Only 1 team will get direct qualification into the Hockey World Cup 2026.
The runner-up will advance to the next round of qualifiers, the Hockey World Cup Qualifiers 2026, scheduled for the end of February 2026.
The team finishing 1st qualifies directly for the World Cup, while the runner-up moves into the next qualification round.
The Battle for African Glory
The competition to be the champions of Africa will be intense. But most importantly, the aim to secure a spot in the World Cup 2026 will be the top priority for every team.
South Africa are the 8-time defending champions of the Africa Cup of Nations.
They last won in 2022, as the tournament typically occurs every 3 or 4 years.
South Africa won the 2022 edition by defeating Egypt in the final via penalty shootout, thus qualifying for the Hockey World Cup 2023.
Nigeria secured 3rd place after defeating Kenya 4-2 in the 3rd place playoff.
Where to Watch?
The official broadcasting rights for the tournament are yet to be announced, but it is strongly expected that SuperSport will broadcast the matches live.
For further updates and clarification, stay connected with our website and our YouTube channel SportsCursor to stay updated!