The 5 opening matches of the second day of African Zone qualifying for the 2026 World Cup have delivered their results. Two surprises: Nigeria drew again and DR Congo lost away to Sudan. Egypt, Algeria and Gabon, on the other hand, kept their places.
Group A: Egypt get the better of Sierra Leone
Egypt pulled out all the stops against Sierra Leone. The Pharaohs won (2-0) with a goal in each half. Mahmoud Trezeguet scored the 1st goal of the match in the 17th minute. Sierra Leone made things difficult for themselves when Tyrese Fornah was sent off (39th min) after receiving two yellow cards in the space of a minute. This made things easier for the visitors. Trezeguet scored again in the 62nd minute from a Mohamed Salah assist.
Egypt are now top of their group with 6 points. They cannot be overtaken by the other teams, Guinea Bissau and Burkina Faso, who can come back from their second match to within 2 points of each other at the end of Matchday 2. Any result other than a win for the chasing pack would keep them well clear of Egypt.
Group C: Nigeria no longer know how to win
Nigeria, with their XXL attack, at least on paper, recorded a second consecutive draw against a formidable opponent: Zimbabwe.Final score 1-1. After their surprise draw with Lesotho, the Super Eagles didn't get off to the best of starts against Zimbabwe. They conceded the opening goal on home soil in the 26th minute from a superb free-kick from 30m out by Walter Musona. Nigeria equalized in the 67th minute through Kelechi Iheanacho. The score remained level. A new draw that puts Nigeria coach José Peseiro in danger and makes a future participation in the 2026 World Cup more than hypothetical.
The Super Eagles and the Zimbabweans, with 1 match in hand, occupy the provisional 2nd and 3rd places in Group C, with 2 points each. South Africa (1st, 3 pts) could take the lead with a second win. They travel to Rwanda on Tuesday.
Group B: Sudan pull off feat against DRC
Sudan defeated Congo DR and its host of stars at home. A late own goal from Charles Pickel (79th min) made all the difference. The DR Congo were unable to get back into the match. With this victory, Sudan takes the lead in Group B (4 pts). This victory is good news for Senegal, who have the opportunity to take a small lead over their opponents in their next match. On Tuesday November 21, they play Togo on Matchday 2.
Group G: Algeria holds its own
Algeria outclassed Mozambique 2-0. A second victory in a row keeps them at the top of Group G (1st, 6 pts), pending the match against Guinea (2nd, 3 pts). As for the content of the match, the first half was not a great spectacle. Logically, both teams went into the locker room on a scoreless draw. Algeria can make amends for their poor first half by pointing to the changes that disorganized the team. Indeed, the Fennecs made two changes before the 20th minute. Islam Slimani was replaced by Mohamed Amoura in the 17th minute due to injury. For the same reason, Aissa Mandi was replaced by Mohamed Amine Tougai.
However, Algeria settled in the 2nd half and found the net through Farès Chaibi in the 69th minute. Ramiz Zerrouki doubled the lead in the 80th minute, 6 minutes after coming on, to give Algeria a comfortable lead.
Group F: Gabon back on track
Gabon notched up a 2nd win in 2 matches to stay top of Group F. The Panthères won 2-1 on Burundian soil. The Gabonese scored first, in the 35th minute. Jim Allevinah scored from an Anthony Oyono assist. Denis Bouanga consolidated the lead in the 83rd minute. Burundi fought back too late, only managing to reduce the deficit through Abedi Bigirimana in the 87th minute.
