Zimbabwe produced the most dramatic result of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifiers, recovering from two goals down to beat Sierra Leone 3-2, while Cameroon and Cote d’Ivoire secured valuable wins.
Sierra Leone appeared in complete control after Alie Conteh put them ahead after seven minutes before Sallieu Tarawallie doubled the advantage in the 27th minute.
Zimbabwe’s response after the interval was emphatic. Marshall Munetsi pulled one back in the 72nd minute before Tawanda Chirewa levelled four minutes later, transforming a match that had looked beyond the Warriors at half-time.
Munetsi then completed an extraordinary turnaround with his second goal two minutes from the end of normal time to give Zimbabwe all three points.
It was a remarkable demonstration of resilience from the Warriors, who refused to collapse after Sierra Leone’s dominant opening half.
For Sierra Leone, the defeat will be particularly painful after surrendering both a two-goal advantage and what appeared to be a strong position in their opening qualifier. Zimbabwe’s late surge gives them an immediate boost as the qualification race gathers pace.
Cote d’Ivoire 2-0 Ghana
Cote d’Ivoire began their qualifying campaign with a deserved 2-0 victory over Ghana at the Stade de la Paix in Bouaké.
Mohammed Kudus, Thomas Partey, Antoine Semenyo and Jordan Ayew were all unavailable, leaving coach Carlos Queiroz with a significantly weakened side for one of the most demanding away fixtures in African football.
Malick Yalcouyé, one of eight newcomers named by returning coach Hervé Renard, opened the scoring in the 44th minute after being supplied by Franck Kessié, before Kessié doubled the advantage from the penalty spot in the 58th minute.
The result was not entirely unexpected given the Black Stars arrived without several of their most influential players. The win gave Hervé Renard an ideal start to his second spell in charge of the Elephants.
Cameroon 3-1 Comoros
Cameroon made a strong start to their campaign with a convincing 3-1 victory over Comoros in Garoua.
David Ningo gave the Indomitable Lions the lead in the 39th minute before Manchester United forward Bryan Mbeumo doubled the advantage shortly after the restart.
Comoros responded almost immediately through Warmed Omari in the 51st minute to briefly threaten a comeback. But Cameroon remained in control and Danny Namaso restored their two-goal cushion in the 81st minute to secure the points.
The result represented an encouraging opening for a Cameroon side seeking to reassert itself among Africa’s leading national teams after reaching the quarter-finals of the most recent AFCON.
The qualifiers, involving 48 teams across 12 groups, will determine the sides joining co-hosts Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda at the 2027 finals.
Thursday’s AFCON 2027 Qualifier results
Namibia 1-0 Congo
Dr Congo 2-0 Equatorial Guinea
Mauritania 3-1 Central African Republic
Libya 2-2 Botswana
Cote d’Ivoire 2-0 Ghana
Sierra Leone 2-3 Zimbabwe
Cameroon 3-1 Comoros
Tunisia 1-1 Uganda.
