AFCON 2027 qualifiers: Morocco perfect, Egypt hit five, giants stumble
The first two rounds of qualifying for the first three-nation Africa Cup of Nations brought wins for Morocco, Algeria and DR Congo and pain for Nigeria and Ghana.
By SitesNG Sports Desk · · 2 min read
Qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, the first to be hosted by three countries (Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, from 19 June to 17 July 2027), got under way between 24 and 29 September 2026. Forty-eight teams in 12 groups are chasing 21 places; in the three groups containing a host nation, only one other team goes through.
The winners
Morocco made a perfect start, beating Gabon 2-0 in Rabat through Noussair Mazraoui and Sofiane Rahimi and then winning 2-0 against Lesotho with goals from Brahim Diaz and Azzedine Ounahi. Egypt were held 0-0 by Angola but hit South Sudan for five in Juba, with Omar Marmoush scoring twice, even without Mohamed Salah, who left the camp before the game.
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DR Congo won both games with Yoane Wissa scoring each time, and Ivory Coast beat Ghana 2-0 and Somalia 2-0. South Africa began Pitso Mosimane's second spell with a 2-1 win over Guinea in Soweto, and Algeria beat Zambia 3-1 before being held 2-2 in Burundi. Senegal drew in Mozambique and won 1-0 in Ethiopia; Mali beat Cape Verde and Liberia.
The shocks
Nigeria lost 3-0 in Guinea-Bissau and Ghana lost at home to Gambia, as our separate reports explain. Tunisia were held twice, and Cape Verde lost 2-1 at home to Rwanda.
How the co-hosts fared
Uganda top Group H after a draw in Tunisia and a 1-0 win over Libya, thanks to a debut header from Arnold Vula. Kenya, coached by Benni McCarthy, needed a late Ryan Ogam goal to draw 1-1 with Eritrea, and Tanzania lost at home to Guinea-Bissau before drawing in Madagascar.
| Team | Matchday 1 | Matchday 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Morocco | 2-0 v Gabon | 2-0 in Lesotho |
| Egypt | 0-0 v Angola | 5-0 in South Sudan |
| Algeria | 3-1 v Zambia | 2-2 in Burundi |
| Ivory Coast | 2-0 v Ghana | 2-0 in Somalia |
| DR Congo | 2-0 v Equatorial Guinea | 2-1 in Zimbabwe |
| Nigeria | 2-1 v Madagascar | 0-3 in Guinea-Bissau |
| Ghana | 0-2 in Ivory Coast | 2-4 v Gambia |
The host groups
Each co-host plays in a qualifying group but is already through. Kenya are in Group D with South Africa, Guinea and Eritrea; Uganda in Group H with Tunisia, Libya and Botswana; and Tanzania in Group L with Nigeria, Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau. In those three groups only one other team will qualify, which raises the stakes for South Africa, Tunisia and Nigeria.
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In Group B, Egypt lead with 4 points ahead of Malawi (3), Angola (1) and South Sudan (0). The final two matchdays are from 22 to 30 March 2027.
Matchdays 3 and 4 are in November 2026. Follow Nigeria on our Super Eagles page.
Reporting by the SitesNG Sports Desk, based on reports from CAF, beIN Sports, Al Jazeera, Hespress, SuperSport, Kawowo Sports, Citizen Digital, AfricaSoccer, SABC Sport. Published 30 September 2026 in the African Sports News weekly edition of 30 September 2026.
