AFCON
Ghana, Morocco and Senegal struggle in Cup of Nations qualifiers
Heavyweight contenders in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers struggled on Monday with Ghana held to a draw while Morocco and Senegal scraped narrow wins over unfancied opposition.
But for Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, victories continued their positive start to the campaign which kicked off last week.
Ghana gave away a late goal as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Niger while Senegal needed a penalty to edge Burundi 1-0.
Morocco left it late to beat Lesotho with Real Madrid attacker Brahim Diaz scoring a superb individual effort in stoppage time for a 1-0 win in Agadir.
Morocco will host the next finals but are still taking part in the preliminaries despite being guaranteed a place in the 24-team tournament.
They made nine changes from Friday’s 4-1 win over Gabon for their second game in Group B, which was played in Agadir because Lesotho do not have a stadium passed fit for use in international football and ceded home advantage.
French-based Alidu Seidu put Ghana ahead one minute before halftime with a stunning long-range shot but they were unable to hold onto the lead and were caught at the near post from a set piece as Niger equalised through Oumar Sako in the 81st minute.
Ghana have one point in Group F after losing at home last week to Angola, who are top after Randy Nteka grabbed the winner nine minutes from time to beat Sudan 2-1 in Luanda.
SENEGAL BATTLE
Senegal took a full-strength side to neutral Malawi to play Burundi in Group L but faced a battle to break down a team 120 places below them in the FIFA rankings.
They eventually won a penalty when Sadio Mane was kicked in the face but he was not allowed to take the spot kick by the Egyptian referee because he went down injured and left the field for treatment and had not received permission to return.
Ismailia Sarr converted the 71st minute penalty instead to ensure victory and leave his side top with four points.
DR Congo have won two out of two in Group H after a 2-0 victory away to Ethiopia in a match hosted in Dar-es-Salaam. Theo Bongonda and Fiston Mayele netted the second half goals.
Uganda, who came close to upsetting South Africa away last Friday, lead with four points in Group K after a 2-0 home win over Congo in Kampala.
Togo’s Kodjo Fo-Doh Laba scored four minutes into stoppage time as they came from 2-0 down to hold Equatorial Guinea to a 2-2 draw in Malabo in Group E.
Madagascar and the Comoros Islands drew their Group A Indian Ocean derby 1-1, which was played in Tunisia because of the lack of a stadium on either island.
Tuesday sees the conclusion of the second round of qualifiers for the 2025 finals with 15 fixtures scheduled.
-Reuters
Confederation of African Football president Patrice Motsepe has praised Morocco’s King Mohammed VI for what he described as a powerful gesture of unity and reconciliation following the royal pardon granted to Senegalese supporters convicted over offences linked to the final match of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
In a statement released on Saturday, Motsepe expressed deep appreciation on behalf of CAF’s 54 member associations, hailing the Moroccan monarch’s decision as a demonstration of football’s ability to foster peace and solidarity across the continent.
“I would like to express our deep gratitude to His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, for granting His Royal Pardon to the Senegalese supporters convicted of offences relating to the final match of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025,” Motsepe stated.
The CAF president said the pardon reflected Morocco’s enduring commitment to African unity and highlighted football’s growing role as a bridge between nations and cultures.
“CAF has consistently emphasised its commitment to utilise football to contribute to uniting our people from different racial, ethnic and religious backgrounds,” he said.
“The pardon by His Majesty King Mohammed VI is an uplifting and motivating illustration of the power of football to unite and bring our people together in Africa and worldwide.”
Motsepe also revealed that during recent visits to both Morocco and Senegal, he had been struck by the deep historical and cultural bonds shared by the two countries.
“I was amazed and impressed when I was briefed about the historic and extensive ties between the people of Senegal and Morocco,” he added.
The statement further reinforced Morocco’s rising influence within African football, especially after successfully hosting the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and positioning itself as one of Africa’s leading football destinations ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which it will co-host with Spain and Portugal.
Motsepe also extended CAF’s best wishes to Africa’s representatives at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, expressing confidence that the continent’s teams would perform strongly on the global stage.
Among the African nations mentioned were Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Ghana, South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, Cape Verde and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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By Kunle Solaja.
Former African champions Algeria and Zambia are set for an early showdown after the release of the Group I fixtures for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Algeria host Zambia on Matchday One on September 21, 2026, in what is expected to be one of the headline fixtures of the qualifying campaign, while Togo entertain Burundi in the group’s other opening tie.
The Desert Foxes are favourites to qualify, but Zambia’s growing consistency and Togo’s unpredictability could make the race highly competitive.
Algeria travel to Burundi on Matchday Two before facing Togo in back-to-back encounters across Matchdays Three and Four. Zambia also meet Burundi home and away during the same period.
The potentially decisive fixture comes on March 22, 2027, when Zambia host Algeria in a clash that could determine the final standings.
Group I Fixtures
Matchday 1 — September 21, 2026
- Algeria vs Zambia
- Togo vs Burundi
Matchday 2 — October 6, 2026
- Zambia vs Togo
- Burundi vs Algeria
Matchday 3 — October 2026
- Algeria vs Togo
- Zambia vs Burundi
Matchday 4 — November 17, 2026
- Togo vs Algeria
- Burundi vs Zambia
Matchday 5 — March 22, 2027
- Zambia vs Algeria
- Burundi vs Togo
Matchday 6 — March 30, 2027
- Togo vs Zambia
- Algeria vs Burundi
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By Kunle Solaja.
African heavyweights Senegal will launch their quest for another Africa Cup of Nations appearance with a home clash against Mozambique in Group J of the 2027 AFCON qualifiers.
The Lions of Teranga, among the continent’s strongest teams in recent years, headline a group that also includes Sudan and Ethiopia.
Senegal host Mozambique on Matchday One on September 21, 2026, while Sudan tackle Ethiopia in the other opening encounter.
Senegal are strong favourites to dominate the group, but Sudan and Mozambique are expected to battle fiercely for qualification points.
The key fixtures may emerge in the double-header between Senegal and Sudan across Matchdays Three and Four, while Mozambique and Ethiopia also face each other home and away.
Senegal travel to Mozambique on Matchday Five before ending their campaign at home against Ethiopia on March 30, 2027.
Group J Fixtures
Matchday 1 — September 21, 2026
- Senegal vs Mozambique
- Sudan vs Ethiopia
Matchday 2 — October 6, 2026
- Mozambique vs Sudan
- Ethiopia vs Senegal
Matchday 3 — October 2026
- Senegal vs Sudan
- Mozambique vs Ethiopia
Matchday 4 — November 17, 2026
- Sudan vs Senegal
- Ethiopia vs Mozambique
Matchday 5 — March 22, 2027
- Mozambique vs Senegal
- Ethiopia vs Sudan
Matchday 6 — March 30, 2027
- Sudan vs Mozambique
- Senegal vs Ethiopia
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