The match between Madagascar and Gambia ended in a 1-1 draw. Despite an extraordinary contribution from Gambia’s left-winger Alieu Fadara, it wasn’t enough for Gambia to secure the win, and they narrowly avoided defeat. Madagascar took the lead with Clement Couturier’s goal in the 45+2 minute, but was crushed by Yankuba Minteh’s last-minute equalizer. This result wasn’t beneficial for either team, as both remain at the bottom of the group with 2 points.
Uganda, on the other hand, gave South Sudan a defensive nightmare. With a strong defensive performance, Uganda’s center-back Bevis Mugabi scored the only goal of the match, sealing a 1-0 victory. This win was crucial for Uganda’s chances to climb into the top two spots in the group.
In the other match of the same group, South Africa rained goals on the Democratic Republic of Congo. The scoring opened in the 12th minute with a goal from star midfielder Teboho Makoena, assisted by Oswin Appollis. The duo combined again for the second goal in the 27th minute, extending the lead to two. South Africa didn’t stop there. Appollis provided his third assist of the match in the 37th minute, setting up Bathusi Aubaas to make it 3-0. Despite a brief interruption in the first half, the second half resumed without issues, and South Africa’s thirst for goals remained intact. Striker Lyle Foster netted a goal in the 52nd minute, and Iqraam Rayners added the final touch in the 78th minute, making the score 5-0.
Another high-scoring match in AFCON saw Cameroon dominate Kenya 4-1. Vincent Aboubakar opened the scoring in the 8th minute, and Granada’s Martin Hongla doubled the lead in the 39th minute. Kenya responded two minutes later with a goal from Michael Olunga, but it wasn’t enough for a comeback. In the 43rd minute, Bryan Mbeumo scored to dash Kenya’s hopes. Christian Bassogog sealed the 4-1 result. With this victory, Cameroon took the lead in the group, while Kenya still remains in the race.
Benin also strengthened their position in the group by defeating Rwanda 3-0. Benin’s goals came from Steve Mounie in the 7th minute, Andreas Houtondji in the 67th minute, and Hassane Imourane in the 70th minute. In another match from the same group, Nigeria narrowly defeated their opponent with a goal from Fiyaso Dele-Bashiru.
One of the tournament favorites, Egypt, secured a victory over Mauritania with goals from Mahmoud Trezeguet in the 69th minute and Mohamed Salah, the tournament’s most valuable player, in the 79th minute. Egypt now leads the group by 6 points after just three matches.
In the L group, Malawi suffered a tragedy when their goalkeeper Brighton Munthali was sent off with a red card in the 16th minute. Senegal capitalized on this and opened the scoring in the 35th minute with Pape Gueye. Goals from Sadio Mané, Boulaye Dia, and Nicolas Jackson followed, securing a 4-0 win. Senegal sent a strong message to Burkina Faso with this victory.
Ivory Coast, one of the in-form teams, continued their winning streak by defeating Sierra Leone. After an early goal in the 3rd minute, Ivory Coast missed a chance to extend their lead when Frank Kessie’s penalty hit the post in the 37th minute. This allowed Alhassan Koroma to equalize for Sierra Leone in the 43rd minute. However, Frank Kessie made up for it in the second half with two goals, one from a penalty. Oumar Diakite added another penalty goal in the 87th minute, sealing a 4-1 win. Ivory Coast, who took three penalties, converted two of them, securing their strong position at the top of the group.
Mali defeated Guinea-Bissau with a goal from El Bilal Toure, taking the lead in their group. The Comoros pulled off a surprise victory against Tunisia with a goal from Rafiki Said, showing they’re a tough competitor in the group. Gabon and Lesotho played to a 0-0 draw, giving Morocco some breathing room before their match tomorrow.
Angola, one of the tournament’s surprise teams, maintained their high form and defeated Niger 2-0, with goals from Mabululu from the penalty spot in the 75th minute and Milson in the 85th minute. Angola has become one of the standout teams of the tournament so far, leading the group with 9 points and continuing their impressive run.
