Ghana, Nigeria and Cape Verde suffer AFCON qualifying setbacks

Ghana, Nigeria and Cape Verde all suffered damaging results in the latest round of Africa Cup of Nations qualifying, while Egypt, Morocco and Senegal recorded victories.

The Gambia produced the night’s biggest turnaround in Accra, recovering from two goals down to defeat Ghana 4-2. Ernest Nuamah and Felix Afena-Gyan had given the hosts a 2-0 advantage before the visitors responded to claim all three points.

The result has added pressure on Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz. Ghana had already opened its Group C campaign with a defeat away to Ivory Coast, according to the reported results.

Nigeria beaten in Guinea-Bissau

Nigeria were defeated 3-0 away by Guinea-Bissau despite naming seven Premier League players in the starting lineup. The report described Nigeria as comprehensively outplayed, with the final margin potentially having been larger.

Nigeria were semifinalists at the previous Africa Cup of Nations finals in January, making the result a setback in their bid to qualify for the 2027 tournament.

Algeria also endured a difficult start before recovering against Burundi in Bujumbura. Algeria fell 2-0 behind within the opening 12 minutes before fighting back to earn a draw. The final score was not specified in the reported results.

In Praia, Rwanda came from behind to beat Cape Verde 2-1. The defeat left Cape Verde without a win in its opening two Group K matches.

Wins for Egypt, Morocco and Senegal

Egypt secured a 5-0 victory over South Sudan, with Omar Marmoush scoring twice. Mohamed Salah was left at home because of concerns about a possible injury on the artificial surface in Juba.

Morocco defeated Lesotho 2-0 in Bloemfontein, South Africa, and moved to the top of Group A. The match was played there because Lesotho did not have a stadium meeting international standards.

Senegal edged Ethiopia 1-0, with Ibrahim Mbaye scoring after 11 minutes. The result gave Patrick Vieira his first win as Senegal coach.

Ivory Coast beat Somalia 2-0, with Yann Gboho scoring on his debut, while Mali claimed a 1-0 away victory over Liberia.

Other qualifying results

Mozambique moved top of Group J on goal difference after defeating Sudan 4-1 in Maputo. Cameroon drew 1-1 with Congo in Brazzaville, and Comoros beat Namibia 1-0 in Moroni.

Zambia defeated Togo 2-0 in Ndola in a match interrupted by a 20-minute power failure. Benin beat Mauritania 2-1, while Uganda recorded a 1-0 home win over Libya.

The reported programme included 17 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches. The 2027 finals are scheduled to be cohosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.