The opening day of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers saw a thrilling series of matches, as Ivory Coast, Egypt, and Morocco secured victories, while Senegal faced a surprising draw.
In Group G, reigning Afcon champions Ivory Coast started their qualifying campaign with a 2-0 victory over Zambia, thanks to a brace from Jean-Philippe Krasso in the second half. This result marks a strong start for the Elephants in their quest to defend their title.
In Group C, Egypt exhibited a dominant performance against Cape Verde with a 3-0 win in Cairo. Rami Rabia, Omar Marmoush, and Ibrahim Adel were on the scoresheet for the Pharaohs, securing an impressive victory in their opening match.
Morocco, set to host the Afcon in 2025, showcased their prowess by defeating Gabon with a convincing 4-1 win in Agadir. The match was filled with drama, as four penalties were awarded in the first half, with Hakim Ziyech converting two of them for Morocco while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored one and missed another for Gabon. In the end, goals from Brahim Diaz and Ayoub El Kaabi sealed the victory for Morocco.
Meanwhile, Senegal had to settle for a 1-1 draw at home against Burkina Faso in Group L. Sadio Mane gave the Teranga Lions an early lead, but a late equalizer from Ousseni Bouda denied them the victory.
In other matches, Mali and Mozambique played to a 1-1 draw in Bamako, while South Africa drew 2-2 with Uganda in Soweto, with debutant Thalente Mbatha scoring a late equalizer for the hosts. Sierra Leone and Chad ended in a goalless draw, and Liberia drew 1-1 with Togo, with William Gibson scoring an injury-time goal to salvage a point for his team.
The lone afternoon match ended in a scoreless draw between Kenya and Zimbabwe in Kampala.
The qualifiers will continue on Saturday with three matches, featuring Mauritania against Botswana, Nigeria against Benin, and Cameroon facing Namibia.
Source: Timesng.com, a professional news organization committed to providing unbiased and up-to-date coverage of global events
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