Liberia’s pulsating 0-0 draws with the Brave Warriors of Namibia over the weekend in Windhoek have pushed the country to the second round, owing to her first-leg’s 1-0 win over the Warriors, on Wednesday, February 29, 2012.
The 64th minute goal from the Swedish based lanky assassin Dioh Williams’s right in the goal mouth of the visitors after being released by the man from Moscow, Sekou Jabateh Oliseh, gave the 1996 African Nations Cup debutants (Liberia) a slender lead against the 1998 African Nations Cup debutants (Namibia).
Liberia is amongst the 30 teams which qualified for the second round of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) said the qualified countries will be ranked based on their performances during the last three Africa Cup of Nations, for instance the 2008, 2010, and 2012 editions.
CAF stated that each of the last three African Cup of Nations Final tournaments, the following system of points is adopted for the qualified countries: Winner – 7 points; Runner-up – 5 points; losing semi-finalists – 3 points; lost quarter-finalists – 2 points and eliminated in 1st round – 1 point.
The continental football governing body indicated that each qualified country will receive a weighted coefficient on points owing to the last three editions of the Africa Cup of Nations as follows-- 2012 edition: points to be multiplied by 3; 2010 edition: points to be multiplied by 2 and 2008 edition: points to be multiplied by 1
CAF further indicated that if two countries are equal in the number of points in the above classification the number of points that they have accumulated throughout all their matches played in the last 3 final tournaments of the CAN will determine their ranking (on the basis of 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 for a match lost).
Owing to Liberia’s failure to qualify for the finals in the last three editions of the Africa Cup of Nations, the Lone Star qualified with zero (0) point.
The organizer of CAF divulged that the draw for the second round will be held in the first week of July 2012, after the first round is completed.
15 winners from the 30 participating countries in the second round will qualify for the finals to join already qualified South Africa to lock horns for the Continental Trophy.
Meanwhile, 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualification is the qualification process for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, the 29th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations tournament.
A total of 47 countries entered the competition, including South Africa, which automatically qualified.
The remaining 46 teams are competing in the qualifiers.
CAF’s rules spell-out that in each of the three rounds; teams will be drawn into two-legged home-and-away knock-out ties. Aggregate goals are used to determine the winner. If the sides are level on aggregate after the second leg, the away goals rule is applied, and if still level, the tie proceeds directly to a penalty shootout (no extra time is played).
