African Cup of Nations 2015 Qualifiers: Key Matches and Results Ahead of Second Round Draw
The qualifiers for the second preliminary round of the 2015 African Cup of Nations are set to be revealed this Sunday, following a series of intense first-round fixtures that began last Friday.
Zimbabwe faces a challenging task at home as they look to overturn a deficit against Tanzania, while Benin aims to build on their 2-0 home victory over Sao Tome. These matches are pivotal in shaping the lineup for the upcoming round.
On Saturday, five teams secured qualification to the next stage after notable wins: Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau, Rwanda, Uganda, and Mozambique triumphed over Swaziland, Central African Republic, Libya, Madagascar, and South Sudan respectively. Despite suffering a 3-1 defeat away to Chad, Malawi will also advance.
Sunday’s fixtures will see Mauritania battle for qualification in Equatorial Guinea, while Claude Leroy’s Congo awaits a crucial tie against Namibia.
Sunday’s Fixtures:
Benin vs. Sao Tome (Benin leads 2-0 from first leg)
Equatorial Guinea vs. Mauritania (Mauritania leads 1-0)
Congo vs. Namibia (Namibia leads 1-0)
Botswana vs. Burundi (0-0 in first leg)
Zimbabwe vs. Tanzania (Zimbabwe leads 1-0)
Lesotho vs. Liberia (Liberia leads 1-0)
Recent Results and Qualified Teams:
Comoros 1–1 Kenya (Kenya won first leg 1-0)
Uganda 1–0 Madagascar (Madagascar won first leg 2-1)
Rwanda 3–0 Libya (0-0 first leg)
Guinea-Bissau 3–1 Central African Republic (0-0 first leg)
Sierra Leone 1–0 Swaziland (1-1 first leg)
Chad 3–1 Malawi (Malawi won first leg 2-0)
South Sudan 0–0 Mozambique (Mozambique won first leg 5-0)
The tie between Seychelles and Gambia has been suspended following the suspension of Gambia.
With several tightly contested matches still to come, the African football scene is set for an exciting buildup to the next stage of the CAN qualifiers. The draw on Sunday will outline the pathway for teams aspiring to reach the 2015 tournament.
