Reported by Weng Patrick Atokor l Journalist at Weng Global
The opening round of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers produced comebacks, away victories, coaching debuts and unexpected dropped points as 48 nations began the race for places at next year’s tournament in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
Matchday One was played from September 24 to 26, with several of Africa’s leading football nations making winning starts. Nigeria, Morocco, Algeria, Côte d’Ivoire and Cameroon all collected three points, while Egypt and Senegal were held to draws.
The results also highlighted the special qualification situation in the groups containing the three co-hosts, who are already guaranteed places at the 2027 finals.
Here are 10 key talking points from the opening matchday.
1. Nigeria recover from early setback against Madagascar
Nigeria began their Group L campaign with a 2-1 comeback victory over Madagascar in Uyo.
Madagascar took the lead through Ehsan Kari after 16 minutes, putting pressure on the Super Eagles early in the contest.
Nigeria responded shortly before half-time when George Ilenikhena restored parity. Substitute Moses Usor then completed the comeback in the 65th minute to give the Super Eagles all three points.
The result gives Nigeria three points ahead of their next Group L fixture against Guinea-Bissau on September 29.
Nigeria’s group is unusual because Tanzania, one of the three tournament co-hosts, is already guaranteed a place at AFCON 2027. As a result, Nigeria, Guinea-Bissau and Madagascar are competing for the remaining qualifying position in the group.
2. Guinea-Bissau produce one of the biggest away results
Guinea-Bissau made an important start by defeating co-hosts Tanzania 2-0 away from home.
Franculino Djú opened the scoring in the 33rd minute before Mama Baldé doubled Guinea-Bissau’s advantage in the second half.
The victory puts Guinea-Bissau alongside Nigeria on three points, although Guinea-Bissau sit ahead on goal difference after the opening round.
The result gives the Djurtus an early advantage before their meeting with Nigeria, while Tanzania’s position as an automatically qualified co-host means their results do not determine whether they reach the finals.
3. Zimbabwe complete a remarkable comeback
Zimbabwe produced one of Matchday One’s most dramatic results by recovering from two goals down to beat Sierra Leone 3-2.
Sierra Leone appeared to be in control after goals from Alie Conteh and Sallieu Tarawallie gave them a 2-0 lead.
Zimbabwe then turned the match around in the final stages. Marshall Munetsi reduced the deficit in the 72nd minute, Tawanda Chirewa equalised four minutes later, and Munetsi scored again in the 88th minute to complete the comeback.
The victory gave Zimbabwe three points from their opening Group E match, while Sierra Leone were left to reflect on a match in which they surrendered a two-goal advantage.
4. Egypt held to a goalless draw by Angola
Egypt were unable to turn home advantage into victory after being held 0-0 by Angola in Cairo.
The seven-time African champions appeared to have taken the lead when Mostafa Zico found the net in the first half, but the effort was ruled out for offside.
Angola subsequently held on for a point, leaving Egypt with only one point from their opening Group B match.
Malawi’s 2-1 victory over South Sudan means the Flames currently sit above Egypt and Angola after the first round.
Egypt will next travel to face South Sudan on September 29, while Angola are scheduled to host Malawi on October 6.
5. Senegal’s new era under Patrick Vieira begins with a draw
Patrick Vieira’s first competitive match as Senegal coach ended with a 1-1 draw against Mozambique.
Senegal took the lead through Nicolas Jackson in the 32nd minute, but Mozambique responded through Geny Catamo in first-half stoppage time.
Neither side managed to find another goal after the interval.
The result leaves Senegal with one point from their opening Group J fixture, while Sudan moved to the top of the group after defeating Ethiopia 1-0.
Vieira’s Senegal will next face Ethiopia on September 29 as the Teranga Lions look to collect their first qualifying victory.
6. Côte d’Ivoire start strongly under Hervé Renard
Côte d’Ivoire marked Hervé Renard’s return as head coach with a 2-0 victory over Ghana in Bouaké.
Malick Yalcouyé opened the scoring shortly before half-time before Franck Kessié converted a penalty in the second half.
The result gave the Elephants three points in Group C and placed them level with The Gambia, who also won their opening match against Somalia.
For Ghana, the defeat means there is immediate pressure to collect points when the Black Stars host The Gambia in their next Group C fixture on September 29.
7. Morocco and Algeria make winning starts
Morocco and Algeria both opened their campaigns with victories.
Morocco defeated Gabon 2-0 in Rabat, with Noussair Mazraoui and Soufiane Rahimi scoring the goals.
The result placed Morocco alongside Niger at the top of Group A after the opening round. Niger defeated Lesotho 2-1 in the other Group A match.
Algeria, meanwhile, defeated Zambia 3-1 in Group I.
Jaouen Hadjam put Algeria ahead early before Fashion Sakala levelled for Zambia. Ibrahim Maza restored Algeria’s advantage before substitute Anis Hadj Moussa added a third goal.
The victory also gave new Algeria coach Brahim Hamdani a winning start.
8. Cameroon and Namibia begin Group G with victories
Cameroon recorded a 3-1 victory over Comoros in Group G.
David Ningo opened the scoring before Bryan Mbeumo doubled the advantage. Comoros pulled one back through Warmed Omari, but Danny Namaso restored Cameroon’s two-goal lead in the 81st minute.
Namibia also started with three points after beating Congo 1-0.
Bethuel Muzeu scored the only goal of the match shortly after half-time, giving Namibia an early share of the lead in Group G.
9. Rwanda and Mali score three goals each
Rwanda and Mali both recorded 3-1 victories to open their Group K campaigns.
Rwanda defeated Liberia after building an early advantage and ultimately secured a two-goal margin.
Mali also beat Cape Verde 3-1, with Nene Dorgeles scoring twice after Martial Tia had opened the scoring for Mali.
The two victories put Rwanda and Mali on three points apiece, setting up an early contest for control of Group K.
10. South Africa take early Group D lead as Kenya draw
South Africa began their Group D campaign with a 2-1 victory over Guinea in Pitso Mosimane’s first match back in charge.
Ime Okon gave Bafana Bafana the lead before Seydouba Cisse equalised for Guinea. Samukele Kabini then scored in the 77th minute to restore South Africa’s advantage and secure the win.
In Nairobi, co-hosts Kenya were held to a 1-1 draw by Eritrea. Nahom Girmai Netabay put Eritrea ahead before Ryan Ogam equalised for Kenya in the 87th minute.
Kenya are already guaranteed a place at AFCON 2027 as one of the three hosts. Consequently, only the highest-ranked team among the other nations in Group D will join Kenya at the tournament.
South Africa therefore have an early three-point advantage in the battle for the group’s additional qualifying place.
Why Matchday One matters
The opening results provide the first indication of how the 2027 AFCON qualifying groups could develop, although only one round of six-match group campaigns has been completed.
Several established teams made winning starts, while Egypt and Senegal dropped points at home or away respectively. Nigeria also demonstrated their ability to recover from an early setback, while Guinea-Bissau immediately established themselves as serious contenders in Group L.
The situation is particularly significant because AFCON 2027 will be hosted jointly by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, marking the first time the tournament will be staged by three countries. CAF has scheduled the finals for June 19 to July 17, 2027.
The qualification competition features 48 teams divided into 12 groups. In groups without a co-host, the top two teams qualify for the finals. In the groups containing Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, the highest-ranked non-host team will qualify alongside the automatically qualified host.
That format gives the opening results additional importance for teams such as Nigeria, South Africa and Guinea-Bissau, which cannot afford to lose significant ground in their respective groups.
What happens next
The second matchday begins on September 28 and continues into October 6.
Nigeria will travel to face Guinea-Bissau on September 29 in a crucial Group L encounter, while Egypt will visit South Sudan on the same day. Senegal will travel to Ethiopia, Morocco will face Lesotho and Algeria will meet Burundi.
Kenya’s next Group D match is against Guinea on October 1, while South Africa will face Eritrea on September 30.
The opening two matchdays will be followed by another international window in November before the final two rounds of qualifying are played in March 2027.
For the teams that won their opening matches, the immediate objective will be to maintain momentum. For those that dropped points, Matchday Two provides an early opportunity to respond.
The road to AFCON 2027 in East Africa has begun, and the opening weekend has already produced comebacks, new coaching eras, unexpected draws and an early indication of how competitive the qualification race could become.
Weng Global – Stories beyond borders
Sources
- Confederation of African Football (CAF) — official AFCON PAMOJA 2027 Matchday One results and group-by-group analysis.
- Confederation of African Football (CAF) — AFCON 2027 qualifiers schedule and qualification format.
- Confederation of African Football (CAF) — Nigeria, Gambia, Rwanda and Guinea-Bissau Matchday One report.
- Punch Newspapers — Matchday One talking points and results.
- Reuters — overview of the AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign and tournament arrangements.
