Eagles fly again as Black Stars struggle

The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers kicked off last week, with the games highlighting the narrowing gap between African teams. The top two teams from 11 groups will join Morocco, the hosts, who have already qualified but are still participating in the qualifiers.

Heavyweights like Ghana have stumbled in the opening matches, while the North African teams have dominated, showing they are well on track for a full contingent in Morocco in 2025.

Group A: Tunisia’s Carthage Eagles have a firm grip on the group, with six points from their first two matches. A win in their next game against Comoros could secure their qualification. The second qualification spot will be contested between Comoros, The Gambia, and Madagascar.

Group B: Morocco, as hosts, are cruising with six points. Gabon and the Central African Republic are vying for the second spot, while Lesotho, with two losses, needs a miracle to get back in contention.

Group C: Seven-time champions Egypt have scored seven goals without conceding any, putting them in a strong position for qualification. Six different players have scored, with Mohamed Salah contributing one. Cape Verde kept their hopes alive with a 2-0 win over Mauritania, while Botswana sits bottom with no points and no goals.

Group D: Nigeria, 2023 AFCON finalists, have picked up momentum with four points from their first two matches, including a win over Benin and a draw in Kigali. Benin, under former Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr, secured a crucial comeback win over Libya and sit second with three points. Libya and Rwanda remain in contention, with key games coming up in October.

Group E: Algeria have taken control with two wins, while Togo, Equatorial Guinea, and Liberia are fighting for the second spot. Togo rescued a point with a 95th-minute equalizer against Equatorial Guinea.

Group F: Ghana’s Black Stars have struggled, sitting third in the group after two disappointing results. A late loss to Mozambique at home and a draw away to Sudan have left them with just one point, and one goal scored. They need a quick turnaround to get back on track.

Group G: Cote d’Ivoire, the 2023 champions, followed their opening 2-0 win over Zambia with another 2-0 victory over Chad. Zambia revived their hopes with a 3-2 win, thanks to an 85th-minute goal from Kings Kangwa.

Group H: Congo DR is leading the group with six points, having secured a 1-0 win over Guinea and a 2-0 victory away to Ethiopia. Tanzania, in second place, earned a surprising 2-1 win over Guinea, with goals from Feisal Salum and Mudathir Yahya.

Group I: Mozambique, Mali, and Guinea-Bissau are in a tight race for the top two spots. Mozambique currently lead after a 1-1 draw with Mali and a hard-fought 2-1 win over Guinea-Bissau. Eswatini, though without points, has lost both games by narrow margins and could still pose a challenge.

Group J: Kenya leads, tied on points with Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions. Zimbabwe has underperformed with two draws and no goals, putting pressure on their upcoming matches against Namibia in October to revive their qualification hopes.

Group K: South Africa and Uganda are level on four points. Bafana Bafana needed late goals to secure results against Uganda and South Sudan, while Uganda followed up their 2-2 draw with South Africa with a 2-0 win over Congo.

Group L: Senegal and Burkina Faso are neck and neck with four points each and look set to claim the two qualifying spots. Burundi and Malawi face tough battles against these heavyweights for any hope of qualification.

The next round of qualifiers begins on October 10, with Ghana hosting Sudan in a must-win game to keep their AFCON hopes alive.