Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers: Ivory Coast, Egypt, and Morocco Claim Victories

In an action-packed opening day of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers, Ivory Coast, Egypt, and Morocco all secured victories, while Senegal faced a surprising draw.

The reigning Afcon champions, Ivory Coast, edged past Zambia with a 2-0 victory in Bouake, thanks to a second-half brace from Jean-Philippe Krasso. This result marks a strong start for the Elephants in Group G.

Egypt exhibited a dominant performance against Cape Verde, triumphing 3-0 at the Cairo International Stadium. Goals from Rami Rabia, Omar Marmoush, and Ibrahim Adel ensured the Pharaohs made a significant statement in Group C.

Morocco, set to host the 2025 Afcon, showcased their prowess by overpowering Gabon with a 4-1 win in Agadir. The match included four penalties in the first half, with Hakim Ziyech converting two, while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored one and missed another, leaving Morocco leading 2-1 at halftime. Brahim Diaz and Ayoub El Kaabi added to the scoreline in the second half.

Meanwhile, Senegal had to settle for a 1-1 draw at home against Burkina Faso in Group L. Sadio Mane gave the Teranga Lions an early advantage with a goal, but a late equalizer from Ousseni Bouda changed the course of the match dramatically.

In other fixtures, Mali and Mozambique played to a 1-1 draw in Bamako, with Geny Catamo opening the scoring for Mozambique before Yves Bissouma equalized for Mali.

In early evening matches, South Africa drew 2-2 with Uganda in Soweto, with debutant Thalente Mbatha scoring a late equalizer to save the hosts from defeat. Sierra Leone and Chad ended in a goalless draw, and Liberia drew 1-1 with Togo, thanks to an injury-time goal from William Gibson.

The lone afternoon match ended in a scoreless draw between Kenya and Zimbabwe in Kampala. The qualifiers will continue on Saturday with three matches featuring Mauritania against Botswana, Nigeria facing Benin, and Cameroon going up against Namibia.