AFCON 2027 (Q): Mixed starts for the new coaches
The first matchday of the 2027 AFCON qualifiers provided its share of lessons, notably marked by the debuts of several newly appointed coaches at the helm of their national teams, with varying degrees of success.
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Senegal held, Guinea punished in South Africa
In Group J, Patrick Vieira's Senegal, forced to play the match in Maputo after the relocation of the fixture originally scheduled for Dakar, were held to a 1-1 draw by Mozambique. A mixed result for the reigning African champions, who thus begin their qualifying campaign with a draw.
In Group D, Paolo Duarte's Guinea lost in South Africa 1-2, where Pitso Mosimane also returned to the Bafana Bafana bench for his big comeback. A defeat that immediately complicates the Guineans' task in this group.
Mali launches its campaign perfectly, Algeria and Côte d’Ivoire flawless
Anthony Da Silva's Mali, also making his debut on the bench, for his part got off to a strong start by beating Cape Verde, a team that had not lost against African nations for two years. Final score: 3-1 for the Eagles. A performance that confirms Mali's ambitions in Group K.
In Group I, Brahim Hemdani's Algeria won 3-1 against Zambia, a success that gives a perfect start to the Fennecs' campaign.
Finally, in the clash in Group C between two former African champions, Hervé Renard's Côte d’Ivoire, also for her first outing, dominated Carlos Queiroz's Ghana, who was also making his debut since his return, by a score of 2-0.
This first matchday thus illustrates the contrasts awaiting these new coaching tandems, between confirmations and more challenging starts, as a qualifying campaign stretches ahead into March 2027.