AFCON 2023 (Q): 5 things to take from Matchday 5

Cameroon in danger

Drawn in Group C, Cameroon are in serious trouble. The Indomitable Lions had no game on Matchday 5 because their group has only three teams, with Burundi and Namibia. Those two met, and the Burundians won 3-2. The result draws them level with Cameroon (4 points), while Namibia lead with 5 points. On the 6th and final matchday in September, Cameroon and Burundi will face off in what will be a decider for a ticket to AFCON 2023. But beware of a wild scenario: if they draw, all three teams in the group will finish level. Suspense guaranteed.

Group I, everything still to play for

Group I in the AFCON 2023 qualifiers has been turned upside down after Matchday 5. With Mauritania's 3-0 win over Sudan and DR Congo's 2-0 win over Gabon, the cards have been reshuffled. Mauritania top the table with 8 points, followed by the DRC on 7 points. Gabon are 3rd on 7 points, while Sudan bring up the rear on 6. So on the 6th and final matchday, the Mauritania-Gabon and DRC-Sudan clashes will be huge, because from top to bottom of this group, everyone can still qualify or be eliminated. The two places for Côte d'Ivoire will be worth their weight in gold in this group.

The heavyweights go through… Ghana will have to wait

Apart from Cameroon, all the other big names on the continent have booked their place at AFCON 2023. While Senegal, Algeria and Morocco had already secured the essentials last March, Egypt, Nigeria, Mali, Zambia and also Guinea and Guinea-Bissau have joined the party.

Ghana, however, have not secured their place at AFCON 2023. The Black Stars drew with Madagascar (0-0). The result was far from pleasing coach Chris Hughton, who voiced his anger. The Ghanaians, who lead Group E on 9 points, are being chased by Angola (2nd, 8 pts) and the Central African Republic (3rd, 7 pts). The CAR will be Ghana's opponents on the 6th and final matchday. A defeat for Ghana could mean elimination. It would be a real stain on their record.

Côte d'Ivoire: a hammering and some doubts

Hosts of AFCON 2023, Côte d'Ivoire were thrashed 3-0 in Zambia in Group H. The defeat, six months before the Africa Cup of Nations, inevitably raises plenty of questions. The first is whether Jean-Louis Gasset can lead the Elephants to the top of Africa. That is far from certain.

Read also: AFCON 2023: Côte d'Ivoire, the reasons for the debacle in Zambia

Ball boys sent off, Osimhen takes the lead in the scoring charts

Neck and neck with Sadio Mané in the scoring charts before Matchday 5, Victor Osimhen has moved ahead. After scoring twice against Sierra Leone (3-2 win), the Napoli man now has 7 goals in this AFCON 2023 qualifying campaign. He is ahead of Sadio Mané (5 goals), who failed to score against Benin.

One incident also caught the eye during the match between Tanzania and Niger. Egyptian referee Al Sayd showed red cards… to ball boys. The reason was that these youngsters were amusing themselves by throwing on an extra ball every time Niger were on the attack. This was to help their team, who were leading 1-0, run down the clock. Unlikely they will be making the trip to AFCON 2023.

Qualif #CAN2023 : Chaotic end to the match between Tanzania 🇹🇿 and Niger 🇳🇪! The ball boys are sent off by the referee! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/k57NNG3I6t

— CANAL+ SPORT Afrique (@cplussportafr) June 18, 2023