Reigning Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) champions Ivory Coast secured a second win at the start of the qualifiers for the 2025 tournament, as the September block of fixtures wrapped up with 15 matches across the continent on Tuesday.
The Elephants defeated Chad 2-0 at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaounde in a night match, thanks to goals from Jean-Philippe Krasso and Oumar Diakite.
The result means Emerse Fae’s team top Group G with a full haul of six points and are firmly on course to be present in defence of their title in Morocco next year.
6 points out of a possible 6 in #AFCONQ2025 so far. 🇨🇮
— CAF_Online (@CAF_Online) September 10, 2024
The #TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 champions don't look like they're slowing down anytime soon. 😎 pic.twitter.com/aGaOjHgRHK
Also in Group G, Zambia took hold of second spot with a thrilling 3-2 win over Sierra Leone in Ndola.
Chipolopolo twice claimed the lead only to be pegged back by the West Africans, before Kings Kangwa’s late strike eventually proved the difference between the teams.
In the other night games, Cape Verde took hold of second spot in Group C with a 2-0 win over Mauritania in Praia thanks to a brace of goals from Ryan Mendes; Burkina Faso leapfrogged Senegal to the top of Group L with a 3-1 defeat of Malawi (featuring a brace from Lassina Traore) in Bamako; and Benin closed to within one point of Group D leaders Nigeria on the back of a come-from-behind 2-1 triumph over Libya in Abidjan – courtesy of second-half strikes from Steve Mounie and Junior Olaitan.
The early-evening kick-offs were headlined by comfortable away wins for Algeria and Egypt over Liberia (3-0) and Botswana (4-0) respectively.
Amine Gouiri, Adem Zorgane and Baghdad Bounedjah netted for the Fennec Foxes for their second win Group E, while Egypt top Group C with six points after goals from Trezeguet (two), Mohamed Salah and Mostafa Fathi in Francistown.
🏟️ 2 games
— CAF_Online (@CAF_Online) September 10, 2024
⚽️ 7 goals
✅ 6 points
⛔️ 2 cleansheets
The perfect #AFCONQ2025 start for The Pharaohs. 🇪🇬 pic.twitter.com/Odsl2XjIIl
Gabon claimed a first win in Group B by beating Central Africa Republic 2-0 at home (with goals from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Shavy Babicka); Tanzania came from a goal down to defeat Group H rivals Guinea 2-1 away thanks to a late winner from Mudathir Yahya; and in Group J, Kenya edged Namibia 2-1 in Soweto (with goals from John Avire and Duke Abuya) to go top of the log after Cameroon were held 0-0 by Zimbabwe in Kampala.
In the afternoon matches, South Africa claimed a dramatic 3-2 away win over South Sudan in Juba – thanks to a second successive injury-time strike from Thalente Mbatha – to go joint top of Group K with Uganda.
Mbatha with the Thalente for last minute goals. 🇿🇦😉#AFCONQ2025 pic.twitter.com/kj5N5KGG9x
— CAF_Online (@CAF_Online) September 10, 2024
Nigeria were held 0-0 away to Group D rivals Rwanda in Kigali; Mali secured a 1-0 away win over Eswatini in Group I thanks to an early strike from Yves Bissouma; and they were joined at the top of the log in their group by Mozambique, who defeated Guinea-Bissau 2-1 in Maputo courtesy of goals from Guima and Elias Macamo.
Aaand it's a wrap. Just the 1️⃣5️⃣ entertaining games today to wrap up #AFCONQ2025 for this international break. pic.twitter.com/wQHIz0ftrv
— CAF_Online (@CAF_Online) September 10, 2024
The Afcon qualifiers will resume in October with Matchday 3 and 4 fixtures.
TUESDAY RESULTS
Rwanda 0-0 Nigeria
Mozambique 2-1 Guinea-Bissau
Eswatini 0-1 Mali
South Sudan 2-3 South Africa
Botswana 0-4 Egypt
Gabon 2-0 Central African Republic
Liberia 0-3 Algeria
Guinea 1-2 Tanzania
Namibia 1-2 Kenya
Zimbabwe 0-0 Cameroon
Cape Verde 2-0 Mauritania
Benin 2-1 Libya
Zambia 3-2 Sierra Leone
Chad 0-2 Ivory Coast
Burkina Faso 3-1 Malawi
