The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially confirmed the schedule for the third and fourth matchdays of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. These crucial fixtures will be played between March 25 and March 31, 2020, and several nations could secure qualification for the tournament in Cameroon as early as next month.
Initially planned for August, the matches have been brought forward to March. As a result of this adjustment, the start of the 2022 FIFA World Cup African qualifiers has been postponed until October.
The action begins on Wednesday, March 25, with several Group matches across the continent. Benin host Lesotho in Porto Novo, Cape Verde face Rwanda in Praia, and Mauritania welcome Burundi to Nouakchott. Kenya take on Comoros in Nairobi, while Libya meet Equatorial Guinea later in the evening.
On Thursday, March 26, Congo play eSwatini in Brazzaville, Zambia face Botswana in Lusaka, and Cameroon host Mozambique in Douala. Egypt entertain Togo in Cairo, Burkina Faso meet Malawi in Ouagadougou, and Gabon face Gambia in Franceville. One of the standout fixtures sees Algeria host Zimbabwe in Blida.
Friday, March 27, features Guinea against Chad in Conakry, South Africa versus São Tomé and Príncipe in Johannesburg, and Nigeria hosting Sierra Leone in Asaba. Ghana welcome Sudan to Cape Coast, Morocco face the Central African Republic in Casablanca, Tunisia play Tanzania in Tunis, and Ivory Coast take on Madagascar in Abidjan. Mali also meet Namibia in Bamako.
Saturday, March 28, continues with Uganda against South Sudan in Kampala and Niger hosting Ethiopia in Niamey. DR Congo face Angola in Kinshasa, while Senegal play Guinea-Bissau in Dakar in what promises to be a key encounter.
The return legs begin on Sunday, March 29. Burundi host Mauritania in Bujumbura, Rwanda play Cape Verde in Kigali, and Togo face Egypt in Lomé. Comoros meet Kenya in Moroni, Zimbabwe host Algeria at a venue yet to be confirmed, and Botswana take on Zambia in Gaborone. Equatorial Guinea face Libya in Bata, while Lesotho play Benin.
On Monday, March 30, Malawi welcome Burkina Faso in Blantyre, Sudan host Ghana in Omdurman, and Gambia meet Gabon in Bakau. Mozambique face Cameroon in Maputo, eSwatini take on Congo in Manzini, and Tanzania host Tunisia in Dar es Salaam.
The final round of this window takes place on Tuesday, March 31. Namibia face Mali in Windhoek, Chad play Guinea in N’Djamena, and South Sudan meet Uganda in Omdurman. São Tomé and Príncipe host South Africa, Angola take on Cape Verde in Luanda, and the Central African Republic face Morocco in Bangui. Guinea-Bissau welcome Senegal in Bissau, Madagascar host Ivory Coast in Antananarivo, Ethiopia meet Niger in Bahir Dar, and Sierra Leone face Nigeria in Freetown.
These fixtures could significantly shape the race for qualification, with several teams hoping to book their place at AFCON 2021 before the next international window.
