Morocco, South Africa, Tunisia, Senegal, Algeria and Ivory Coast all opened their Africa Cup of Nations campaigns with victories as the first round of group matches set the early tone across the six pools.
In Group A, hosts Morocco made a confident start with a 2-0 win over Comoros to take the outright lead. Mali and Zambia shared the points after a 1-1 draw, leaving Comoros at the bottom with no points.
Group B is finely balanced at the top, with South Africa and Egypt both collecting three points. Bafana Bafana edged Angola 2-1, while the Pharaohs overcame Zimbabwe. Angola and Zimbabwe remain pointless after the opening fixtures.
Tunisia and Nigeria head Group C after identical starts. The Carthage Eagles dominated Uganda 3-1, while the Super Eagles defeated Tanzania 2-1, leaving the two heavyweights tied on three points at the summit.
In Group D, Senegal made a strong statement with a 3-0 victory over Botswana. DR Congo followed closely after beating Benin 1-0, while Benin and Botswana sit at the foot of the table.
Group E belongs to Algeria after a convincing 3-0 victory over Sudan. Burkina Faso are second following their 2-1 win against Equatorial Guinea, leaving both beaten sides still searching for their first points.
The final pool, Group F, is led by Ivory Coast after a narrow win over Mozambique. Cameroon are level on points after edging Gabon 1-0, setting up a tightly contested battle between the two traditional powers.
Standings after matchday one
Group A
- Morocco – 3 pts
- Mali – 1 pt
- Zambia – 1 pt
- Comoros – 0 pts
Group B
- South Africa – 3 pts
- Egypt – 3 pts
- Zimbabwe – 0 pts
- Angola – 0 pts
Group C
- Tunisia – 3 pts
- Nigeria – 3 pts
- Tanzania – 0 pts
- Uganda – 0 pts
Group D
- Senegal – 3 pts
- DR Congo – 3 pts
- Benin – 0 pts
- Botswana – 0 pts
Group E
- Algeria – 3 pts
- Burkina Faso – 3 pts
- Equatorial Guinea – 0 pts
- Sudan – 0 pts
Group F
- Ivory Coast – 3 pts
- Cameroon – 3 pts
- Gabon – 0 pts
- Mozambique – 0 pts
At the top of the scoring charts after the opening round are Riyad Mahrez of Algeria, Elias Achouri of Tunisia and Nicolas Jackson of Senegal, all with two goals apiece, underlining the attacking intent that has marked the start of the tournament.
