AFCON 2023 (Q): Mauritania and Sudan under pressure, Burundi fighting for survival
In the last games of matchday 5 in the 2023 AFCON qualifiers, Mauritania and Sudan are playing for top spot.
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Sudan – Mauritania (18:00 GMT)
On matchday 5 of the 2023 AFCON qualifiers, the calculators are already out. Every team in Group I is still in the running to qualify for the AFCON. After the victory of DR Congo (1st, 7 points) over Gabon (2nd, 7 points), Mauritania (4th, 5 points) and Sudan (3rd, 6 points) are under pressure. With top spot in these 2023 AFCON qualifiers in their sights, the Mourabitounes will need to win to move closer to a 3rd AFCON appearance.
They can take heart from the fact that Sudan will host this game in Morocco, as they are unbeatable at home, with 2 wins in Khartoum since the start of these qualifiers. "It certainly changes things. We know they are unbeatable at home, playing well and picking up a huge number of points. Playing in Agadir is something else. They will have fewer reference points. I wouldn't go as far as to say it's an advantage, but we'll take it. It spares us from playing at their place. Now it's up to us to go and get a good result. Of course it's a final for them and for us. It's tight and we will do everything to be competitive and get a good result," said Mauritania head coach Amir Abdou at the pre-match press conference. A win would put the Mourabitounes.
Burundi – Namibia (13:00 GMT)
There is no option other than victory for Burundi. The Hirondelles must pull off a surprise and win their first game in Group C of these 2023 AFCON qualifiers to believe in qualification on the final matchday. Facing current leaders Namibia (1st, 5 points), who are ahead of Cameroon (2nd, 4 points), Burundi (3rd, 1 point) could be officially eliminated if they fail.
Read more on the same subject: AFCON 2023: results and full schedule for matchday 5
Ethiopia – Malawi (14:00 GMT)
A draw would suit neither Ethiopia (3rd, 3 points) nor Malawi (4th, 3 points). At the end of this 2023 AFCON qualifier, the loser will be eliminated and the winner will keep their chances alive on the final matchday of Group D. With Egypt's Pharaohs (1st, 12 points) already qualified, it is the Guinean players (2nd, 9 points) who will be glued to their screens, hoping not to see a winner in this game and so avoid facing a decider on the last matchday.