Qualifying rounds
First round
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Tunisia  | 1–3 |  Libya | 1–0 | 0–3 |
Algeria  | 1–1 (4–2 p) |  Mali | 1–0 | 0–1 |
Morocco  | 1–1 (6–5 p) |  Senegal | 1–0 | 0–1 |
Lesotho  | 7–3 |  Mauritius | 4–1 | 3–2 |
Madagascar  | 3–2 |  Ethiopia | 2–1 | 1–1 |
Egypt  | w/o |  Tanzania | — | — |
Kenya  | w/o |  Sudan | — | — |
Liberia  | w/o |  Ivory Coast | — | — |
Sierra Leone  | w/o |  Guinea | — | — |
Ghana  | Bye | |||
Zambia  | Bye |
| Tunisia | 1–0 | Libya |
|---|---|---|
Ben Mahmoud  16' |
Libya won 3–1 on aggregate and advanced to the second round.
Algeria won 4–2 on penalties after 1–1 on aggregate and advanced to the second round.
Morocco won 6–5 on penalties after 1–1 on aggregate and advanced to the second round.
Lesotho won 7–3 on aggregate and advanced to the second round.
Madagascar won 3–2 on aggregate and advanced to the second round.
Egypt advanced to the second round, Tanzania withdrew.
Kenya advanced to the second round, Sudan withdrew.
| Liberia | w/o | Ivory Coast |
|---|---|---|
| withdrew |
Liberia advanced to the second round, Ivory Coast withdrew.
| Sierra Leone | w/o | Guinea |
|---|---|---|
| withdrew |
Sierra Leone advanced to the second round, Guinea withdrew.
Second round
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sierra Leone | w/o | Liberia | 3–1 | — |
| Ghana | 5–1 | Kenya | 4–1 | 1–0 |
| Morocco | 1–8 | Algeria | 1–5 | 0–3 |
| Zambia | 5–0 | Lesotho | 0–0 | 5–0 |
| Madagascar | 2–2 (3–4 p) | Egypt | 1–1 | 1–1 |
| Libya | Bye |
| Liberia | w/o | Sierra Leone |
|---|---|---|
| withdrew |
Liberia advanced to the third round, Sierra Leone withdrew in the second leg.
Ghana won 5–1 on aggregate and advanced to the third round.
Algeria won 8–1 on aggregate and advanced to the third round.
Zambia won 5–0 on aggregate and advanced to the third round.
| Madagascar | 1–1 | Egypt |
|---|---|---|
| Abdou 40' |
Egypt won 4–3 on penalties after 2–2 on aggregate and advanced to the third round.
Third round
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Egypt | 5–2 | Zambia | 4–1 | 1–1 |
| Liberia | 2–4 | Ghana | 0–2 | 2–2 |
| Algeria | w/o | Libya | — | — |
Egypt won 5–2 and qualified for the 1980 Summer Olympics football tournament.
Ghana won 4–2 and qualified for the 1980 Summer Olympics football tournament.
Algeria qualified for the 1980 Summer Olympics football tournament, Libya withdrew.
Note: Due to the American-led political boycott, two countries Egypt and Ghana who qualified did not enter the Final Tournament and were replaced respectively by Zambia and Nigeria which participated with Algeria. [1]