The 4th round of AFCON matches has concluded, and this week’s games were thrilling, captivating football fans from around the world.
The match between South Africa and the Republic of Congo ended in a 1-1 draw. South Africa’s goal came from Elias Mokwana in the 33rd minute, while Congo responded with a goal by Mons Bassouamina in the 45+3rd minute. With this draw, South Africa remained in 2nd place in the group behind Uganda, while Congo earned a slim chance at qualification.
In Group I, Mali was unable to get past Guinea-Bissau’s goalkeeper Manuel Balde, resulting in a 0-0 draw. After this result, Mali, along with Mozambique, all but secured their place in the next round. The biggest surprise of the day came when Sierra Leone triumphed over Côte d’Ivoire. Amado Bakayoko scored the winning goal, keeping a clean sheet and boosting the team’s hopes. If they manage to defeat Zambia, they still have a chance to qualify from the group. For Côte d’Ivoire, this match served as a warning.
One of the tournament’s surprise teams, Angola, won their 4th match, bringing their point total to 12, while Ghana has only managed 2 points in the group. The successful team scored early with Zin and kept a clean sheet against Niger, who, as a result, were eliminated from the tournament.
Rwanda completed an incredible comeback against Benin. Benin had taken the lead with Andreas Hountondji, but Rwanda responded with goals from Innocent Nshuti in the 70th minute and Dijhad Bizimana’s penalty in the 75th minute. This result was a morale boost for Rwanda. Group D remains highly competitive.
In Group C, Botswana and Egypt both secured 1-0 wins, with Botswana defeating Cape Verde and Egypt overcoming Mauritania. Botswana’s goal came from Thabang Sesinyi, while Egypt’s was scored by Ibrahim Adel. This result secured Egypt’s position at the top of the group, while Botswana gained a crucial advantage in the fight for qualification.
Comoros gave Tunisia a tough time, scoring in the 49th minute through Faiz Selemani after a well-organized attack, but they were undone by Yassine Meriah’s goal from a corner scramble. The match ended 1-1, leaving the group standings still up in the air.
Meanwhile, Morocco demolished the Central African Republic, with Elissa Ben Seghir putting in a stellar performance, scoring two goals, and Youssef En-Nesyri and Abdessamd Ezzalzouli adding to the tally. With this win, Morocco virtually secured the top spot in the group, while Gabon now has a clearer path to second place.
Guinea’s star striker continued to make waves, with Serhou Guirassy scoring twice, one from a penalty, to cement his position as the tournament’s top scorer. Abdoulaye also found the net, leading Guinea to a 2-0 win over Ethiopia. Despite this victory, Guinea must remain wary of Tanzania, who are close behind. Ethiopia, having earned just one point in four matches, seems highly unlikely to progress to the next stage.
