The second round of qualifiers for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, played between Sunday 8 September and Tuesday 10 September, saw mixed results for some of the continent’s footballing powerhouses.
Egypt made a strong statement in Group C, thrashing Botswana 4-0 away from home. Liverpool star Mohamed Salah was among the scorers, with Mahmoud Trezeguet netting twice and Mostafa Fathy adding a late goal.
Algeria also impressed, securing a comfortable 3-0 victory over Liberia in Group E. Goals from Amine Gouiri, Ramiz Zerrouki, and Baghdad Bounedjah ensured the Desert Foxes maintained their perfect start to the qualifying campaign.
However, Nigeria’s Super Eagles struggled to break down a resilient Rwanda side, settling for a goalless draw in Group D. The result leaves Nigeria with work to do in their upcoming matches.
Elsewhere, Morocco needed a last-gasp goal from Brahim Diaz to overcome Lesotho 1-0 in Group B, while defending champions Senegal edged past Burundi 1-0 thanks to a penalty from Ismaila Sarr.
Ghana’s Black Stars were held to a 1-1 draw by Niger in Group F, with Alidu Seidu’s first-half goal cancelled out by Victorien Adebayor’s late equaliser.
In Group J, Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions played out a goalless draw with Zimbabwe, while Kenya surprised Namibia with a 2-1 away victory.
The qualifiers continue to provide excitement and surprises, with several groups remaining tightly contested as teams vie for a place in the finals to be held in Morocco.
Full Results:
Sunday 8 September
Group A: Gambia 1-2 Tunisia
Monday 9 September
Group A: Madagascar 1-1 Comoros
Group B: Lesotho 0-1 Morocco
Group E: Equatorial Guinea 2-2 Togo
Group F: Niger 1-1 Ghana, Angola 2-1 Sudan
Group H: Ethiopia 0-2 DR Congo
Group K: Uganda 2-0 Congo
Group L: Burundi 0-1 Senegal
Tuesday 10 September
Group B: Gabon 2-0 Central African Republic
Group C: Botswana 0-4 Egypt, Cape Verde 2-0 Mauritania
Group D: Rwanda 0-0 Nigeria, Benin 2-1 Libya
Group E: Liberia 0-3 Algeria
Group G: Chad 0-2 Côte d’Ivoire, Zambia 3-2 Sierra Leone
Group H: Guinea 1-2 Tanzania
Group I: Eswatini 0-1 Mali, Mozambique 2-1 Guinea-Bissau
Group J: Namibia 1-2 Kenya, Zimbabwe 0-0 Cameroon
Group K: South Sudan 2-3 South Africa
Group L: Burkina Faso 3-1 Malawi
13:00 Mozambique 2-1 Guinea-Bissau
13:00 Eswatini 0-1 Mali
16:00 Zimbabwe 0-0 Cameroon
19:00 Cabo Verde 2 – 0 Mauritania
19:00 Benin 2- 1 Libya
19:00 Zambia 3- 1 Sierra Leone
