The 2012 African Cup of Nations qualification was a process to determine the participating teams of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations. The qualification process began on 1 July 2010. The Arab Spring protests started in late 2010. The protests led to regime changes in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. These countries are also home to North Africas most prominent national football teams. The qualification process for the 2012 African Cup of Nations spanned the period of the Arab Spring protests. The performance of North African national football teams in the 2012 African Cup of Nations qualification may have been influenced by the Arab Spring protests.