The Ivory Coast, defending champions of the Africa Cup of Nations, made a winning start to their title defense, defeating Zambia 2-0 in their opening qualifier for the 2025 tournament. The match, played in Bouake, saw the Ivorians struggle to break down their opponents until substitute striker Jean-Philippe Krasso came on and scored twice in the final 16 minutes to secure victory.
Meanwhile, Morocco, the host nation for the 2025 finals, also began their qualifying campaign with a convincing 4-1 win over Gabon in Agadir. The game saw a flurry of penalty kicks in the first half, with Hakim Ziyech scoring two for Morocco, while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang converted one for Gabon. Real Madrid’s Brahim Diaz added another goal for Morocco in the second half, and a late strike from Ayoub El Kaabi sealed a comfortable victory.
Other former continental champions, Egypt and the Democratic Republic of Congo, also got off to winning starts. Egypt cruised past the Cape Verde Islands 3-0 in Cairo, thanks to goals from Rami Rabia, Omar Marmoush, and Ibrahim Adel. The Congolese, meanwhile, edged past Guinea 1-0 in Kinshasa with a first-half goal from Watford striker Edo Kayembe.
Senegal, under the leadership of Sadio Mane, found themselves on the receiving end of a late equaliser from Burkina Faso, drawing their Group L clash 1-1. Mane had given Senegal the lead in the 16th minute with a well-taken goal, but a late lapse in concentration allowed Burkina Faso to snatch a point.
In Johannesburg, South Africa maintained their 26-year unbeaten home record in Cup of Nations qualifiers, but only after a dramatic late equaliser from substitute Thalente Mbatha secured a 2-1 draw against Uganda. Uganda had taken the lead in the second half after a goalkeeping error from South Africa, but Mbatha’s goal deep into stoppage time ensured a share of the spoils.
The first round of qualifying matches will continue over the weekend, with three more games scheduled for Saturday. The 48 countries involved in the battle for places in the 2025 finals will all have played their first group game by the end of the weekend.
