Ivory Coast started their World Cup qualifying campaign with a goal rout, winning 9-0 against Seychelles in Group F, showcasing a bright beginning to their bid for a spot in the 2026 finals.
Teenage striker Karim Konate and substitute Hamed Traore scored twice each, with goalkeeper Carlos Simoen making some fine saves to limit the victory.
Tunisia secured a 4-0 home win against Sao Tome e Principe in Group H, where captain Youssef Msakni was among the scorers. Cameroon, having been to more World Cups than any other African nation, battled to a 3-0 win against Mauritius in Group D. Ghana had a labored home win, breaking the deadlock in stoppage time with Inaki Williams scoring his first goal for the Black Stars against Madagascar in Group I.
In the same group, the Comoros Islands won 4-2 against the Central African Republic at home in Moroni, while Mali beat Chad 3-1 in Bamako, with 30-year-old debutant Youssoufou Niakate among the scorers.
Zambia fought back from a 2-1 deficit after 15 minutes to win 4-2 at home against Congo in Group E, with Patson Daka scoring twice. Guinea secured a 2-1 win over Uganda in Group G, played in Berkane, Morocco, despite moving their home qualifiers to neutral venues. Seydouba Cisse netted a late winner for Guinea.
Eswatini lost to Libya 1-0 in their Group D clash played over the border in Nelspruit, South Africa. In Group H, Malawi won 1-0 in Liberia as Chifundo Mphasi scored as a substitute in Monrovia. In Group A, Guinea Bissau held Burkina Faso to a 1-1 draw.
The first round of matches in the African zone will be completed with three more qualifiers on Saturday. The African preliminaries feature nine groups, where the group winners qualify for the 2026 finals, and the four best runners-up get a chance to qualify through a two-tier playoff system.
