Monday Nov 20, 2023. 10:59
Ivory Coast would do well to avoid letting complacency set in against Gambia, while Mali eye their second successive win at the start of 2026 World Cup qualifying.
Ivory Coast will be in confident mood heading into their clash with Gambia on Monday, while Liberia and Kenya look to bounce back from defeats in the opening round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
The action gets underway in the afternoon with Djibouti playing host to Guinea-Bissau at the Cairo International Stadium in the Egyptian capital.
The Shoremen of the Red Sea were on the receiving end of a 6-0 mauling by Egypt on Thursday and the Djurtus shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw with Burkina Faso on Friday.
Gambia will be wary of the threat posed by Ivory coast in their clash at the Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium in Dar-es-Salaam a couple of hours later.
The Elephants trampled Seychelles 9-0 in Abidjan on Friday to take early command of Group F as the Scorpions went down 3-2 to Burundi at the same venue in Tanzania 24 hours earlier.
Liberia will go in search of their first win in 2023 when they welcome Equatorial Guinea to the Samuel Kanyon Doe Stadium in Monrovia.
The Lone Stars were beaten 1-0 by Malawi on home soil last time out which extended their losing streak to five matches. The National Thunder remain unbeaten this year after they edged Namibia 1-0 in Malabo on Wednesday.
Then later on in the evening, Kenya will be looking to get their qualifying campaign up and running when they meet Seychelles at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium.
The Harambee Stars squandered the lead against Gabon on Thursday to lose 2-1 in Franceville, while the Pirates are still smarting from the crushing defeat to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations hosts.
Chad and Madagascar lock horns at the Municipal Stadium in Oujda, with both teams looking to put their first points on the board in Group I.
Les Sao put up a good fight against Mali before succumbing to a 3-1 defeat in Bamako on Friday and the Barea lost 1-0 to Ghana in Kumasi, where Inaki Williams scoring a dramatic winner deep into stoppage time.
Mali will look to put the pressure on Ghana in their group when they entertain Central African Republic at the Stade du 26 Mars in Bamako.
The Eagles (2nd) are ahead of the Black Stars (3rd) on goal difference after beating Chad 3-1, while the Wild Beasts threw away an early lead against Comoros to lose 4-2 in Moroni on Friday.
CAF 2026 World Cup qualifying fixtures, Monday 20 November
15h00: Djibouti v Guinea-Bissau
18h00: Gambia v Ivory Coast
18h00: Liberia v Equatorial Guinea
21h00: Seychelles v Kenya
21h00: Chad v Madagascar
21h00: Mali v Central African Republic
