Equatorial Guinea Eliminated from WAFCON in the First Round
Former tournament champions Equatorial Guinea have been eliminated from WAFCON after losing in the first round of qualifiers. Equatorial Guinea lost their first match 3-1 against Tanzania and could only manage a 1-1 draw in the return leg.
Having won the tournament in 2008 and 2012, Equatorial Guinea has failed to qualify for WAFCON since 2018.
Kenya Stuns Tunisia with Goalkeeper’s Heroics
In another match, Kenya’s goalkeeper Lilian Awuor delivered an outstanding performance, saving two penalties to secure a 1-0 victory over Tunisia. Tereza Engesha scored the only goal of the match, helping Kenya advance to the next round.
South Africa Advances, High-Scoring Matches Occur
South Africa and DR Congo played out a goalless draw, but South Africa progressed to the next round after winning the first leg 2-0.
Several matches ended with significant score differences. Togo defeated Djibouti with a total aggregate score of 10-0, while Mali overwhelmed Gabon with a combined score of 10-1.
Second Round Set for October 2025
The second round of qualification matches will take place in October 2025. The 11 winners from this stage will join host nation Morocco at WAFCON 2026.
Among the highest-ranked teams, South Africa, Nigeria, and Zambia received a bye to the second round due to their high rankings.
WAFCON 2026 First Round Results
- Angola vs. Zimbabwe (3-3 on aggregate) – Angola won 5-4 on penalties
- Malawi advanced by walkover after Congo-Brazzaville withdrew
- DR Congo vs. Botswana (2-0 on aggregate) – DR Congo progressed
- Equatorial Guinea vs. Tanzania (2-4 on aggregate) – Tanzania pulled off a surprise victory
- Ethiopia vs. Uganda (2-2 on aggregate) – Ethiopia won 5-4 on penalties after a dramatic comeback
- Namibia vs. Eswatini (4-0 on aggregate) – Namibia eased through to the next round
- Burkina Faso vs. Burundi (5-1 on aggregate) – Burkina Faso dominated over two legs
- Togo vs. Djibouti (10-0 on aggregate) – A one-sided affair as Togo advanced comfortably
- Algeria vs. South Sudan (8-0 on aggregate) – Algeria cruised to the next round
- Egypt vs. Rwanda (3-2 on aggregate) – Egypt narrowly edged past Rwanda
- Kenya vs. Tunisia (1-0 on aggregate) – A hard-fought win for Kenya
- The Gambia vs. Niger (4-1 on aggregate) – The Gambia moved on with ease
- Benin vs. Sierra Leone (5-2 on aggregate) – Benin proved too strong over two legs
- Cape Verde vs. Guinea (6-3 on aggregate) – Cape Verde secured qualification convincingly
- Mali vs. Gabon (10-1 on aggregate) – A dominant performance from Mali
- Senegal advanced automatically after Chad withdrew
WAFCON 2026 Second Round Fixtures (October 20-28, 2025)
- Luanda, Angola – Angola vs. Malawi
- Kinshasa, DR Congo – DR Congo vs. South Africa
- Dar es Salaam, Tanzania – Tanzania vs. Ethiopia
- Windhoek, Namibia – Namibia vs. Zambia
- Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso – Burkina Faso vs. Togo
- Algiers, Algeria – Algeria vs. Cameroon
- Cairo, Egypt – Egypt vs. Ghana
- Nairobi, Kenya – Kenya vs. The Gambia
- Cotonou, Benin – Benin vs. Nigeria
- Praia, Cape Verde – Cape Verde vs. Mali
- Dakar, Senegal – Senegal vs. Ivory Coast