This page details the process of qualifying for the 1962 African Cup of Nations. 7 African nations initially entered the competition. Ethiopia and Egypt both automatically qualified as the host country and title holders respectively. Sudan withdrew before the draw, and Morocco would withdraw before play began, thus leaving only 5 teams actually competing for the two spots remaining in the finals.
The 6 nations that entered the draw were paired 2-by-2 and played knock-out matches home-and-away. The 3 winners would then advance to the second round and pair off again to play home-and-away matches. The winners of these pairings would qualify for the finals. Qualifying took place between April 8, 1961, and December 10, 1961.
The aggregate score was tied 1-1 after the two matches. While the regulations stipulated that the tie should be decided on lots, Kenya and Uganda felt it should be decided on the pitch: CAF agreed to their request to stage a playoff.
The second leg was abandoned in the 65th minute after Nigeria walked off to protest the officiating following Tunisia's equalizer; Tunisia were awarded a 2–0 victory, and qualified by an aggregate score of 3–2.
Uganda qualified directly after a drawing of lots by CAF between the three group winners.
