Mohamed Salah scored to help Egypt maintain their perfect record in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers with a 2-0 victory over Mauritania on Friday. Meanwhile, Tunisia was stunned at home by Comoros in a shocking 1-0 defeat.
Egypt’s win in Cairo saw Salah add to Trezeguet’s opener, breaking down a stubborn Mauritanian defense after 70 minutes. The Pharaohs now sit six points clear at the top of Group C at the midway point of the qualifiers.
Tunisia’s unexpected loss came despite dominating possession and creating 15 goal attempts. Rafiki Said’s strike just after the hour mark handed Comoros a historic victory, marking Tunisia’s first home defeat in Cup of Nations qualifiers since 2010. Tunisia remains top of Group A with six points from three games, with Comoros close behind on five points.
In other notable results, Nigeria secured a late 1-0 win over Libya, with German-born Fisayo Dele-Bashiru scoring four minutes from time. Ivory Coast dominated Sierra Leone 4-1, featuring a brace from Franck Kessie and a goal from Nicolas Pepe. Senegal, led by Sadio Mane and Nicolas Jackson, defeated 10-man Malawi 4-0.
Cameroon cruised to a 4-1 victory over Kenya, with Premier League star Bryan Mbeumo among the scorers. South Africa recorded a historic 5-0 win over Congo, their joint second-largest victory ever.
Uganda, Equatorial Guinea, Benin, Angola, and Mali also secured wins in their respective matches. However, Avram Grant’s Zambia was held to a surprising 0-0 draw at home by Chad.
As the qualifiers reach their midway point, the race for the 24 spots in the 2025 AFCON finals in Morocco intensifies, with the top two teams from each group set to advance.
