Angola triumphed in Black Stars’ den
* Three just came out in draws — Mali 1-1 Mozambique; Kenya 0-0 Zimbabwe and South Africa 2-2 Uganda
* The rest lost their opening matches — Malawi 2-3 Burundi; Côte d’Ivoire 2-0 Zambia; Cameroon 1-0 Namibia;
* Mauritania 1-0 Botswana; Tunisia 1-0 Madagascar; Central African Republic 3-1 Lesotho; Guinea-Bissau 1-0 eSwatini
Maravi Express
The Council for Southern Africa Football Association (COSAFA) only managed to collect all three points in Matchday 1 of the Africa Cup of Nations (AfCON) Morocco 2025 qualifiers through Angola, who stunned favourites, the Black Stars of Ghana’s 1-0 in front of a packed Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi.
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Three COSAFA sides just came out in draws — Mali 1-1 Mozambique; Kenya 0-0 Zimbabwe and South Africa 2-2 Uganda while the rest lost their opening matches — Malawi 2-3 Burundi; Côte d’Ivoire 2-0 Zambia; Cameroon 1-0 Namibia; Mauritania 1-0 Botswana; Tunisia 1-0 Madagascar; Central African Republic 3-1 Lesotho and Guinea-Bissau 1-0 eSwatini.
The second round of the AFCON Morocco 2025 qualifiers resumes today till Tuesday, the day Malawi Flames will be up against Burkina Faso, who started off their campaign with a surprising 1-1 draw against Senegal.
Flames loosening up after their arrival in Bamako
The Teranga Lions will be desperate to bounce back when they face Burundi, who currently top Group L after their 3-2 away win against Malawi, with coach Aliou Cissé looking to stars like Sadio Mané to lead the charge in what promises to be a crucial encounter for the reigning champions.
“We know the importance of this match,” Cissé is quoted as saying by CAFonline, while acknowledging that Burundi will be no pushovers, having shown resilience in their opening win.
After Tuesday’s match against Burkina Faso, the Flames will face Senegal in back-to-back assignments, starting away and then at home between October 7-15.
After the back-to-back assignments against Senegal, the Flames will be hosted by Burundi in the return match before winding up the campaign at home against Burkina Faso between November 11-19.
The two top teams in the group will qualify for the AFCON Morocco 2025 next year, to be played be played from December 21, 2025 to January 18, 2026 — as opposed to the usual period of January-February.
Thus the road to Morocco 2025 resumes after a thrilling opening round that saw a mix of shocks and expected results with group favorites like Nigeria, Cameroon, and Côte d’Ivoire looking to solidify their dominance, while strong teams like Ghana and Senegal will be eager to recover from stumbles in their opening fixtures.
Nigeria, buoyed by their comfortable 3-0 victory over Benin, travel to Rwanda with confidence face Rwanda in key Group D encounter Nigeria.
The Super Eagles’ attack, spearheaded by Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman, will be keen to maintain their goal-scoring form. However, Rwanda, coming off a hard-fought draw with Libya, will be no easy opponents on home soil.
Morocco, already qualified as hosts but participating in the qualifiers, face Lesotho in what should be a straightforward encounter for the Atlas Lions. However, coach Walid Regragui is taking nothing for granted:
He told CAFonline: “Every match is an opportunity to improve and maintain our competitive edge. We respect Lesotho and will approach the game with utmost seriousness.”
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One of the most intriguing fixtures sees Zimbabwe host Cameroon in a Group F clash that could have significant implications for qualification and Zimbabwe’s new coach, Michael Nees, expressed satisfaction with his team’s goalless draw against Kenya in their opener.
He particularly praised the performance of Khama Billiat, who came out of international retirement for the campaign: “Khama was excellent for us — his experience and quality will be crucial against a strong Cameroon side.”
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The Indomitable Lions, having secured a narrow 1-0 win over Namibia, will be looking to assert their dominance in the group.
In Group C, Botswana face a daunting task against Egypt after losing their opener to Mauritania and the Zebras coach, Didier Gomes da Rosa, remains optimistic despite acknowledging his team’s underdog status.
“We are the little thumb that wants to grow,” he is quoted as saying. “Against Egypt, we must show progress in the final third and maintain our tempo.”
Meanwhile, defending champions Côte d’Ivoire look to build on their opening win against Zambia when they host Chad — determined to top their group and maintain momentum.—Content by CAFonline; edited by Maravi Express
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