AFCON 2025
Africa’s World Cup qualifying campaign resumed today with a packed round of fixtures that produced drama, goals and crucial results across the continent.
Ghana were held to a frustrating 1–1 draw by Chad in N’Djamena, as Jordan Ayew’s first-half strike was cancelled out late on by Célestin Ecua, denying the Black Stars a chance to pull clear at the top of Group I. Madagascar took advantage with a 2–0 home win over the Central African Republic, closing the gap on Ghana to just three points.
In Group D, Cape Verde strengthened their push for a place at the finals with a professional 2–0 victory over Mauritius. Jovane Cabral opened the scoring midway through the first half before Ryan Mendes sealed the points after the break.
Equatorial Guinea also showed fighting spirit after falling two goals behind against São Tomé and Príncipe. Ronaldo Afonso converted two penalties to put the hosts in control, but a stunning free-kick from Ganet sparked a comeback, with Salvador and Nabil completing a dramatic 3–2 turnaround.
Elsewhere, Libya kept their qualification hopes alive with a 1–0 away win against Angola, secured by Ezzeddin El Maremi’s header early in the second half.
Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone cancelled each other out in a 1–1 draw that did little to boost either side’s ambitions.
The day’s other fixtures saw some of the continent’s heavyweights underline their credentials. Algeria eased to a 3–1 win over Botswana, while Cameroon proved too strong for Eswatini in a 3–0 victory in Yaoundé.
Mali matched that scoreline with a commanding performance against Comoros, and Tunisia also recorded a comfortable 3–0 win over Liberia in Tunis.
Here are today’s CAF World Cup qualifying scorelines (4 September 2025):
Chad 1–1 Ghana
Guinea-Bissau 1–1 Sierra Leone
Mauritius 0–2 Cape Verde
São Tomé and Príncipe 2–3 Equatorial Guinea
Madagascar 2–0 Central African Republic
Angola 0–1 Libya
Algeria 3–1 Botswana
Cameroon 3–0 Eswatini
Mali 3–0 Comoros
Tunisia 3–0 Liberia
