Author: Alie Bittar @bittar32

by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Equatorial Guinea Coach Annese Says Sierra Leone Win Is Key to Campaign

Equatorial Guinea’s coach, Vincenzo Alberto Annese, said the team’s 1-0 win over Sierra Leone was an important response after losing to DR Congo in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

In an interview via WhatsApp, Annese, who started his continental coaching career in Ghana with Bechem United for the 2017 season, expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance at the Stade Omnisport Ahmadou Ahidjo in Yaoundé on Monday.

“I knew taking this job would be a good challenge for me since Nzalang Nacional is in Group E with DR Congo, Sierra Leone, and Zimbabwe,” he explained. “We were more organised defensively than Sierra Leone.”

“We made changes in the second half to control the game. We created many chances but didn’t take advantage of them. Still, the goal was to win, and now we need to focus on our next important games against Zimbabwe.”

“Just like Sierra Leone is going to DR Congo, we will host Zimbabwe in the next round of matches. This is a very competitive group, and every team still has a long way to go. The win is crucial because it gives us confidence.”

Early Coaching Career

Annese started his coaching career with the youth team at Fidelis Andria in 2010. In 2012, he joined Foggia as a coach for the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons. From 2015 to 2016, he coached abroad in Latvia with JFK Saldus and worked with the Armenia U-19 and U-17 national teams.

by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Mali secure victory as Côte d’Ivoire also claim three points

In the late matches of Tuesday’s CAF Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers, Benin, Mali, and Côte d’Ivoire each claimed victory in their respective games, while the clash between Congo and Cameroon finished in a stalemate.

Benin defeated Mauritania 2-1, with a late comeback attempt by Mauritania. Benin led 1-0 at halftime. Rodolfo Aloko made it 2-0 soon after the break with a close-range goal. Mauritania got a penalty in the 79th minute when Djeidi Gassama was fouled.

Although Benin’s goalkeeper Marcel Dandjinou saved Gassama’s first penalty, Aboubakary Koïta scored on the second attempt. Mauritania looked for an equaliser, but Benin held on to win.

In the match between Congo and Cameroon, the score ended 1-1. Geltany Bantsiele scored for Congo in the 24th minute. However, after halftime, an own goal by Congo’s goalkeeper Melvin Zinga tied the game for Cameroon. Both teams pushed for a winner but could not score again.

Mali narrowly beat Liberia 1-0. The game was scoreless for over an hour until Ange Martial Tia scored in the 79th minute after a pass from Kamory Doumbia. Liberia tried to respond but could not break through Mali’s defence.

Côte d’Ivoire won 2-0 against Somalia after a long wait. Somalia’s goalkeeper Ibrahim Hussein made several good saves. Côte d’Ivoire finally scored in the 89th minute when Yann Gboho found the net after a corner. Bazoumana Touré added a second goal in stoppage time, sealing the win.

by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Guinea-Bissau and The Gambia Deliver Stunning Matchday Two Results

Nigeria and Ghana faced heavy defeats in Tuesday’s TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, while Guinea-Bissau and The Gambia delivered standout performances on Matchday Two.

Guinea-Bissau shocked the Super Eagles with a 3-0 victory, marking their second straight win in Group L, while Ghana let a two-goal lead slip away, losing 4-2 to The Gambia, and remains without a point in Group C.

In other matches, Rwanda retained their perfect record with a 2-1 win over Cape Verde, co-hosts Uganda narrowly defeated Libya 1-0, and Zambia bounced back from their opening defeat by overcoming Togo with the same scoreline.

The tournament features 48 teams divided into 12 groups of four, with only the top-placed non-host nation advancing from groups that include co-hosts Kenya, Tanzania, or Uganda.

In Group L, Guinea-Bissau made headlines with a stunning victory against Nigeria, taking control of the qualifying race. Franculino opened the scoring in the 15th minute, and Mama Baldé doubled the lead midway through the second half.

Álvaro Djaló sealed a memorable night for Guinea-Bissau with a stoppage-time goal, leading them to a 2-0 victory over Tanzania. They now have six points, while Nigeria, after a 2-1 win against Madagascar, faced a setback at home. Only one of Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria, or Madagascar will qualify, as Tanzania is confirmed as co-hosts.

In Group C, The Gambia staged an incredible comeback against Ghana, winning 4-2. Ghana led 2-0 with an Ernest Nuamah penalty and a goal from Felix Afena-Gyan.

However, The Gambia rallied with a penalty from Muhammed Badamosi and goals from Omar and Ebrima Colley. Now, The Gambia has six points, while Ghana suffers its second consecutive defeat after a 2-0 loss.

Egypt Hit Five as Morocco, Senegal Win; Algeria Fight Back
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Egypt Hit Five as Morocco, Senegal Win; Algeria Fight Back

Egypt secured a 5-0 victory over South Sudan in Group B, responding strongly after an earlier draw against Angola. Omar Marmoush scored twice.

Morocco maintained a perfect record with a 2-0 win over Lesotho, scoring both goals in the first half and remaining unbeaten in their qualifiers.

Senegal earned their first win under coach Patrick Vieira, defeating Ethiopia 1-0 thanks to an early goal from Ibrahim Mbaye.

Algeria managed a 2-2 draw against Burundi, coming back from a two-goal deficit but still dropping their first points of the campaign after winning their opener.

Mozambique had a strong performance, defeating Sudan 4-1 and showing resilience after taking the lead in the first half.

These results shape the qualification race for the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2027.

by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Comoros Beat Namibia in Group G Contest

Comoros won their first match in the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifiers by beating Namibia 1-0 in Group G on Tuesday.

Benjaloud Youssouf scored the winning goal in the 54th minute after a scoreless first half. This victory gave Comoros three important points after they lost 3-1 to Cameroon in their opening match.

Namibia had started their campaign with a 1-0 win over Congo but could not score an equaliser against Comoros, even after making several changes in the second half.

Now, Comoros, Namibia, and Cameroon all have three points, although Cameroon has played one fewer match. Cameroon will play against Congo in the next game, with Congo currently at the bottom of the group, seeking their first win.