Ivory Coast extended their winning streak in World Cup qualifying with a 2-0 victory over Gambia, one of five teams securing away wins in Monday's group matches.
Christian Kouame and Seko Fofana's goals secured the triumph for Ivory Coast in Dar-es-Salaam, where Gambia hosted due to their own stadiums being deemed unfit for international matches.
Equatorial Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, and Madagascar also secured victories away from home, while Mali faced a surprise home draw as Africa's 2026 World Cup preliminaries unfolded. Ivory Coast now leads Group F, tied on six points with second-placed Gabon. Kenya moved into third place with three points after a dominant 5-0 win over Seychelles, played in Abidjan due to the Seychelles' stadium ban.
Kenya's Michael Olunga scored twice in the opening six minutes, with Masoud Juma adding a third before the break. Rooney Onyango and substitute Benson Omala contributed two more goals in the second half.
Equatorial Guinea's captain, Emilio Nsue, secured a 1-0 victory away to 10-man Liberia, putting them at the top of Group H. Guinea Bissau won against Djibouti in Group A, with the decisive goal from Swiss-based striker Mauro Rodrigues. In Group I, Madagascar defeated Chad 3-0, with Njiva Rakotoharimalala scoring twice and Loic Lapoussin adding a stoppage-time goal.
In the same group, Mali's Kamory Doumbia put them ahead at home against the Central African Republic, but Geoffrey Kondogbia equalized just two minutes later. Only group winners will advance to the 2026 finals in Canada, Mexico, and the USA, with the four best-placed runners-up having a chance to qualify through two playoff tournaments.
On Tuesday, 15 more qualifiers will take place, including a match for Morocco, who were semi-finalists in the last World Cup in Qatar. They will face Tanzania in Dar-es-Salaam in Group E.
