Guinea-Bissau achieved an impressive 2-0 away victory over co-hosts Tanzania in the opening matches of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifiers.
Mozambique surprised Senegal by holding them to a 1-1 draw in Patrick Vieira’s first match as coach, despite Senegal’s Nicolas Jackson scoring first. Sudan secured a narrow 1-0 win against Ethiopia with a late goal.
These results marked an exciting start to the qualifiers for the 2027 tournament in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Since Tanzania is guaranteed a spot as co-hosts, Guinea-Bissau’s win is crucial in Group L, where they are competing against Nigeria and Madagascar for one qualifying place.
In the match between Mozambique and Senegal, Senegal took the lead in the 32nd minute with a goal from Nicolas Jackson. However, Mozambique equalised just before halftime thanks to Geny Catamo.
The second half saw no more goals, leaving Senegal with a draw in Vieira’s first qualifier. This is Senegal’s first draw under Vieira, who is without star player Sadio Mané due to injury. Despite this, Senegal has strong players like Jackson, Ismaila Sarr, Iliman Ndiaye, and Assane Diao. For Mozambique, this draw against a strong team is a good start in Group J.
Guinea-Bissau’s match against Tanzania saw them take the lead in the 33rd minute with a goal from Franculino Djú. Mama Baldé then made it 2-0 in the 58th minute.
Tanzania tried to respond with substitutions but could not score. This result is significant because Tanzania is a co-host of the AFCON 2027 and has already secured a place in the finals. Only the highest-placed team not including Tanzania, will qualify from Group L, making Guinea-Bissau’s win valuable in their competition with Nigeria and Madagascar.
Sudan began their Group J campaign with a tough 1-0 victory over Ethiopia.
After a goalless first half, Sudan finally scored in the 86th minute thanks to Mohamed Eisa. This win gives Sudan a strong position in the group, especially since Senegal dropped points earlier.
Ethiopia will be disappointed after holding on until the end. Sudan has a reputation for being difficult to beat, and this performance earns them a winning start. Their upcoming matches will show if they can keep this up in the quest for qualification.
