* The Lions of Teranga sealed their place after beating Malawi Flames 1-0 yesterday, coming from their 4-0 win at their home
* Burkina Faso also booked their place at the continental showpiece following their back-to-back victories over Burundi
* Both Burundi and Burkina Faso beat Malawi in their Group L qualifiers leaving the Flames without a point from 4 matches
Maravi Express
With two games to spare Senegal and Burkina Faso have punched their ticket to the African Cup of Nations (AfCON) Morocco 2025, joining Uganda, DR Congo, Angola, Egypt, Cameroon, Algeria and hosts Morocco
The Lions of Teranga sealed their place after beating Malawi Flames 1-0 yesterday, coming from their 4-0 win at their home while Burkina Faso also booked their place at the continental showpiece following their back-to-back victories over Burundi.
Both Burundi and Burkina Faso beat Malawi in their Group L qualifiers leaving the Flames without a point from four matches having lost all — starting at 2-3 against Burundi at home, followed by 1-3 away in Bamako and the 0-4 away in Dakar last Friday.
With yesterday’s 0-1 loss, they are out ahead of their remaining two games — away to Burundi and at home against leaders on goal difference, Burkina Faso.
Both opponents will certainly make sure they keep their clean sheet against the Flames, who will try as much as possible to salvage some pride in the remaining assignments.
Coach Patrick Mabedi is quoted by Fam.mw as saying: “I am proud of the boys — we were disciplined and we played with a good team. We created chances but we lacked composure. It was sad that we lost the match.”
Fam.mw reports that the Flames went into the match at Bingu National Stadium hoping to salvage some pride on home soil but it ended in disappointment on Mothers Day holiday.
The Lions of Teranga were made to sweat for their victory as they scored in the 96th minute through Sadio Mané free kick after Flames’ substitute Robert Saizi was adjudged to have fouled the former Liverpool forward outside the 18-yard-box.
Mané showed great composure as he beat the Malawi human face before beating goalkeeper William Thole, who was outstanding during the match.
The same Mané was the player that goalkeeper Brighton Munthali fouled in Dakar that earned him a red card in the 16th minutes, for the Flames to play with 10 mean for over 75 minutes.
The tough Sadio Mane
Before the goal, both teams created chances but failed to utilise them with winger Wisdom Mpinganjira having two opportunities in the first half but his final touch let him down.
Captain John Banda also had an opportunity to put the Flames in front but his effort went wide. On the hand, Senegal also had chances in the first half but Thole denied them on several occasions.
Goalkeeper William Thole
Coach Mabedi’s First XI had William Thole in goals, Timothy Silwimba, Dennis Chembezi, Nickson Mwase, McDonald Lameck, Lanjesi Nkhoma (replaced by Aaron Lloyd 67’), John Banda (C), Patrick Mwaungulu (Robert Saizi 84’), Wisdom Mpinganjira, Chawanangwa Kaonga (Chifundo Mphasi 67’) and Lloyd Njaliwa.
Other substitutes on call were goalkeeper George Chikooka, Maxwell Paipi, Lawrence Chaziya , Isaac Kaliati, Yamikani Chester, and Zeliati Nkhoma.
Usual favourites for qualification have made it to the Morocco finals — Egypt, Cameroon, Algeria, Angola, DR Congo as well as Uganda.
Mauritania 0-1 Egypt
Record title holders, Egypt maintained their winning streak with a narrow 1-0 win over Mauritania thanks to a solitary strike in the dying minutes by Ibrahim Adel.
The win not only stretches Egypt’s lead, but seals qualification to the 2025 showpiece for the North African giants who have now won four out of four of the qualifiers.
Cameroon 1-0 Kenya
The victory kept the Indomitable Lions at the top of Group J with 10 points, leaving Harambee Stars with an uphill battle in the remaining qualifiers.
The decisive moment came in the 63rd minute when Boris Enow struck a low free-kick from the edge of the box, beating the Kenyan defence and slotting the ball into the bottom right corner.
Cameroon v Kenya
Algeria 1-0 Togo
The Desert Foxes’ victory puts them on 12 points with two games to spare and confirming their qualification as only Equatorial Guinea can mathematically challenge Algeria’s top spot in the group, which means the Desert Foxes will be guaranteed one of the two slots.
This will be Algeria’s seventh straight CAF AfCON appearance and their 21st overall, as they aim to lift their third continental title.
Despite Kenya’s best efforts to equalize, including a missed header from Alphonce Omija deep into stoppage time, they couldn’t find the back of the net.
With this victory, Cameroon strengthens its grip on Group J, leading with 10 points, while Kenya remains third with four points.
Zimbabwe, who are second in the group, moved to eight points after defeating Namibia in the other Group J fixture.
Algeria
Tanzania 0-2 DR Congo
The Leopards sealed their place with an impressive 2-0 win over Tanzania away from home.
With the tie headed for a goalless stalemate, it was Meschak Elia’s two late strikes in the 87th and 93rdminute that secured a ticket for the Leopards to next year’s continental showpiece.
Niger 0-1 Angola
A strike in the opening minute by Zini was enough to secure Council for Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) representatives, Angola a place AfCON Morocco 2025.
Angola, who have now made it four straight wins comfortably lead Group F and are on their way to Morocco following Sudan’s win over Ghana earlier in the afternoon which sees them five points behind Angola with just two matches to go.
Angola
Other COSAFA sides that are in contention are Zambia, who beat Chad 1-0 away from home in Group G, with Kennedy Musonda scoring the lone goal in the 70th minute.
Zambia now sit second in the group with seven points, while Chad remain winless and at the bottom of the table with two points in the group led by reigning African champions, Côte d’Ivoire, who were stunned 0-1 by Sierra Leone.
The result sees Sierra Leone move from the bottom of Group G to third and has kept Group G open ahead of Match Day 05 and 06 of the qualifiers.
Despite both sides enjoying a fair amount of ball possession, it was the hosts who capitalised on a late chance thanks to a strike by Amadou Bakayoko in the 85th minute to secure the vital win.
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Lesotho 0-2 Gabon
Gabon moved up to second in Group B after a 2-0 win over Lesotho. Shavy Babicka opened the scoring in the 55th minute before Rody Effaghe sealed the victory in the 84th minute with a close-range finish.
The win moves the Panthers to 7 points, while Lesotho remain at the bottom of the group with just one point from four games.
Botswana 1-0 Cape Verde
Botswana saw their chances spring to life when they edged Cape Verde 1-0 in Gaborone. Thabang Sesyinyi’s 52nd minute strike sees the southern African nations move up to second place behind the already qualified Egypt with just two matches to go.
Cape Verde were disappointed in the result which sees them third in the group ahead of their final two fixtures.
Congo 1-1 South Africa
Congo came from behind to salvage a point against South Africa in a highly entertaining 1-1 draw.
Elias Mokwana’s 33rd minute goal could have sealed qualification for the South Africans who finished third in the last edition.
However, a goal in the dying minutes of the first half by Mons Bassouamina levelled matters for the two sides to share the spoils.
The Mambas
eSwatini 0-3 Mozambique
An all-COSAFA encounter saw the Mambas taking the top spot in Group I — amatch played on neutral venue, Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit, South Africa that saw Mozambique dominate their hosts with a clinical performance.
The goals for Mozambique came from Domingues, Stanley Ratifo, and Geny Catamo, securing three vital points as they move closer to qualification.
In the same Group I Guinea-Bissau drew 0-0 with Mali, a result that sees Mali maintaining their second place and sees Mozambique remain top of the group with a better goal difference over the west Africans.
Zimbabwe 3-1 Namibia
Another all-COSAFA action, as Zimbabwe dealt a major blow to Namibia’s AfCON hopes as the defeat leaves Namibia at the bottom of Group J, while Zimbabwe climbed to second place behind leaders Cameroon, keeping their qualification chances alive.
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Rwanda 2-1 Benin
Rwanda kept their qualification hopes alive with a vital 2-1 win over Benin in Kigali thanks to second half strikes by Innocent Nshuti in the 70thminute which was followed by a 75th minute penalty conversion by Djihad Bizimana to seal an important three points for the nation.
The victory significantly improves Rwanda’s fighting chance of a qualification with just a point separating them from Benin, who are behind Group D leaders, Nigeria.
Ethiopia 0-3 Guinea
Played at the Ebimpe Stadium in Abidjan, Serhou Guirassy continued his scintillating form, scoring a brace in the first half, netting in the 16th minute and then converting a penalty in the 23rd minute.
Abdoulaye Touré added the third goal in the 19th minute, sealing the win for Guinea.
Guirassy, who scored a hat-trick against Ethiopia in the previous match, now has five goals in two games against the same opposition.
Guinea moves to second place in the group with 6 points, while Ethiopia remain at the bottom with just one point.
Comoros 1-1 Tunisia
Tunisia came away with a hard-fought draw against Comoros at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium in Abidjan as Faiz Selemani put Comoros ahead in the 49th minute, but Tunisia’s Yassine Meriah equalized in the 68th minute.
The draw allowed Tunisia to maintain their top spot in Group A with 7 points, while Comoros are right behind them with 6 points.
Tunisia remain in control of the group as they continue their pursuit of AfCON qualification.
Central African Republic 0-4 Morocco
Morocco’s unstoppable run in AfCON qualifiers continued by thrashing the Central African Republic at the Stade Honoré, Oujda, with Elias Ben Seghir scoring twice in quick succession in the 34th and 37th minutes, followed by a penalty conversion from Youssef En-Nesyri in the 50th minute.
Abdessamad Ezzalzouli completed the rout with a goal in the 65th minute for Morocco, who are already qualified for the tournament as hosts.
The Atlas Lions extended their perfect record in the group with 12 points from four matches, while the Central African Republic remain third with 3 points.—Content by Fam.mw & CAFonline; edited by Maravi Express
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