The qualifying campaign for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations launched with high-stakes action across the continent on Thursday, as powerhouse sides including Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, and the Democratic Republic of Congo secured opening-day victories alongside positive starts for Mauritania and Namibia.
In Group C, Côte d’Ivoire delivered a confident 2-0 performance against Ghana in Bouaké. Celebrating the return of head coach Hervé Renard, the hosts broke the deadlock just before halftime when Malick Yalcouyé claimed his maiden goal for the national team. Midfielder Franck Kessié doubled the advantage from the penalty spot early in the second period, securing three points before the team travels to face Somalia in their next fixture.
Cameroon established control in Group G with a 3-1 home win over Comoros in Garoua. David Nyengue drew first blood late in the opening half before Bryan Mbeumo extended the advantage shortly after the restart. Although Warmed Omari pulled one back for the visitors, Danny Namaso put the match out of reach in the 81st minute. Elsewhere in the group, Namibia earned a tight 1-0 win against Congo in Gaborone, courtesy of a second-half strike by Bethuel Muzeu.
Group E provided significant drama, headlined by Zimbabwe’s impressive comeback victory against Sierra Leone. After falling two goals behind, Zimbabwe rallied to claim a dramatic 3-2 win with an 89th-minute winner. In the group’s other encounter, the Democratic Republic of Congo earned a comfortable 2-0 win over Equatorial Guinea through goals from Chancel Mbemba and Yoane Wissa.
Action in Group F saw Mauritania claim a 3-1 victory against the Central African Republic, powered by goals from Aboubakary Koïta, Dawda Camara, and Mamadou Diallo. Meanwhile, Group H finished without a winner in either match. Libya recovered from a two-goal deficit against Botswana to claim a 2-2 draw via a late stoppage-time penalty from Ezoo El Mariamy, while Tunisia and Uganda traded goals in Radès to share the points in a 1-1 outcome.
The opening round of qualifying continues with major clashes featuring Morocco, Egypt, Algeria, and Senegal, ahead of the final group stage fixtures on Saturday. All competing nations are battling for places at the 2027 tournament, which will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda from June 19 to July 17, 2027.
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