AFCON 2027 (Q): Burundi and Ethiopia take an option on qualification
The final matches of the first leg of the preliminary round of the AFCON 2027 qualifications were played on Friday, with convincing victories for Burundi and Ethiopia which are well on their way to qualifying for the group phase of the qualifiers.
Philemon MBALE · Author profile ·
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Burundi corrects Chad
In N'Djamena, Chad received Burundi with the advantage of playing at home, but this did not at all argue in favor of the Fauves who literally sank against the Swallows. Burundi wandered around in this one-sided encounter, opening the score from the 6th minute thanks to Jordi Liongola. Knakimana (32nd), Mpawenimana (63rd) and Mossi Nduwumwe (74th) have finished off the Burundi show which will start the return leg on Tuesday 31st March with great serenity.
Ethiopia easily dominates Sao Tome and Principe
In Sao Tome, Ethiopia also respected its rank. Yohannes Sahle’s men won 3-0 without difficulty, with goals from Kenean Markneh (23'), Abel Yalew (32' and 78'), who scored a brace to help his team win in the first half. The return round will also take place on 31 March in Dire Dawa.
However, everything remains to be played between Somalia and Mauritius who neutralized each other in a pale draw.
The results of the preliminary round
Chad 0-4 Burundi
Somalia 0-0 Mauritius
Sao Tome and Principe 0-3 Ethiopia
Djibouti 0-4 South Sudan
Seychelles 0-0 Lesotho
Program of return matches (GMT hours)
Sunday 29 March 2026
1 PM: South Sudan - Djibouti
15h: Lesotho - Seychelles
Tuesday, March 31, 2026
1 PM: Burundi - Chad
1 p.m.: Ethiopia - Sao Tome and Principe
1 p.m.: Eswatini - Eritrea
15h: Mauritius - Somalia