The qualification series for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations(AFCON) kicked off Thursday, with eight Match Day 1 clashes happening across Africa. Nigeria is scheduled to kick off their journey against Madagascar on Friday.
The Super Eagles will host Madagascar at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, competing in Group L, with their match starting at 5 pm Nigerian time.
In their group, Nigeria shares the stage with Madagascar, Guinea-Bissau, and co-host Tanzania, which already has a spot in the finals. Only the top team among Nigeria, Madagascar, and Guinea-Bissau will advance from Group L.
Nigeria’s next game in the group will be an away match against Guinea-Bissau on Tuesday, while Madagascar will take on Tanzania.
Results from Thursday’s games:
Group C:
Côte d’Ivoire 2, Ghana 0
The Ivory Coast team started strong, with Malick Yalcouyé and Franck Kessié netting for the home side.
Group E:
DR Congo 2, Equatorial Guinea 0
Chancel Mbemba opened the scoring early for DR Congo, followed by Yoane Wissa’s goal in the second half.
Group E:
Sierra Leone 2, Zimbabwe 3
Sierra Leone initially led 2-0 with goals from Alie Conteh and Sallieu Tarawallie, but Zimbabwe fought back in the second half, with Marshall Munetsi scoring twice and Tawanda Chirewa adding another to clinch the victory.
Group F:
Mauritania 3, Central African Republic 1
After falling behind in the first half, Mauritania turned the game around with goals from Aboubakary Koïta, Dawda Camara, and Mamadou Diallo.
Group G:
Namibia 1, Congo 0
Bethuel Muzeu scored right after halftime to give Namibia a narrow win.
Group G:
Cameroon 3, Comoros 1
Cameroon’s scoring was led by David Roy Nyengue, Bryan Mbeumo, and Daniel Namaso. Comoros scored once via a free-kick.
Group H:
Tunisia 1, Uganda 1
Tunisia’s goal was scored by Ali Arous, while Rogers Mato equalized for Uganda.
Group H:
Libya 2, Botswana 2
Botswana initially led 2-0 with Tumisang Orebonye’s goals, but Libya equalized, with Maruwan Alhibeeshi and Ezoo El Mariamy scoring in stoppage time from penalties.
Upcoming fixtures on Friday:
- Group A: Niger vs Lesotho, Morocco vs Gabon
- Group B: Malawi vs South Sudan, Egypt vs Angola
- Group C: Gambia vs Somalia
- Group F: Burkina Faso vs Benin
- Group I: Togo vs Burundi, Algeria vs Zambia
- Group J: Sudan vs Ethiopia, Senegal vs Mozambique
- Group K: Rwanda vs Liberia, Mali vs Cape Verde
- Group L: Tanzania vs Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria vs Madagascar
Match Day 1 continues on Saturday with matches between Kenya and Eritrea, and South Africa vs Guinea.
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