Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifying: Cote d’Ivoire and Cameroon start with wins

The opening round of Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifying began on Thursday, with Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroon, DR Congo and Namibia among the teams to record victories.

Tunisia were unable to turn their advantage into a win, drawing 1-1 with Uganda, while several other matches produced closely contested results across the continent.

In Group G, Namibia secured a 1-0 victory over Congo. The Brave Warriors were held scoreless in the first half but eventually found a way through to claim all three points at home.

DR Congo also began their campaign successfully, beating Equatorial Guinea 2-0.

Mauritania recorded the biggest winning margin of the day, defeating Central African Republic 3-1. Libya and Botswana were involved in a more open contest, with the sides sharing four goals in a 2-2 draw.

Cote d’Ivoire made an impressive start in a highly anticipated West African meeting, beating Ghana 2-0.

Zimbabwe claimed an away victory against Sierra Leone, winning 3-2 after an entertaining match. Cameroon also opened their qualifying campaign with three points, overcoming Comoros 3-1.

Tunisia and Uganda completed the day’s fixtures with a 1-1 draw.

Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifying results

Namibia 1-0 Congo

DR Congo 2-0 Equatorial Guinea

Mauritania 3-1 Central African Republic

Libya 2-2 Botswana

Cote d’Ivoire 2-0 Ghana

Sierra Leone 2-3 Zimbabwe

Cameroon 3-1 Comoros

Tunisia 1-1 Uganda