Match Report
AFCON Qualifiers: Ghana, Nigeria & Cape Verde Among the Big Names Stunned
A night to remember
September 30, 2026
11d agoThe 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers delivered a night to remember and not for the usual reasons.
Several of Africa’s established footballing nations came crashing down on a dramatic night of qualifying action, with Nigeria, Ghana and Cape Verde all suffering defeats, while Algeria were forced to settle for a draw after throwing away a two-goal lead.
For the big names, it was a night of missed opportunities and painful lessons. For the underdogs, it was a chance to make a statement.
🇳🇬 Guinea-Bissau 3–0 Nigeria
Perhaps the biggest shock came in Bissau.
Nigeria travelled to face Guinea-Bissau after opening their campaign with a 2–1 comeback win over Madagascar. Instead of building on that result, the Super Eagles were completely beaten on the night.
Franculino Djú opened the scoring after 15 minutes before Mama Baldé doubled the advantage in the 65th minute.
Nigeria pushed forward but struggled to create a consistent threat, and Álvaro Djaló put the result beyond doubt in stoppage time.
The 3–0 defeat leaves Nigeria on three points, while Guinea-Bissau have now won both of their matches and sit top of Group L with six points. (Premium Times Nigeria)
🇬🇭 Ghana 2–4 Gambia
Ghana’s night was arguably even more painful.
The Black Stars appeared to be in complete control after Ernest Nuamah and Felix Afena-Gyan put them 2–0 ahead inside the opening 33 minutes.
But then everything changed.
Gambia fought their way back into the match through Mohamed Badamosi and Omar Colley, going into the break level.
The comeback continued after half-time, with Ebrima Colley scoring twice to complete a stunning 4–2 victory for the Scorpions.
Ghana have now lost both of their opening Group C matches, leaving their qualification campaign in a difficult position. (Goal)
🇨🇻 Cape Verde 1–2 Rwanda
Cape Verde also experienced a painful turnaround at home.
The Blue Sharks took the lead through Benchimol, but Rwanda refused to panic.
Claude Niyomugabo equalised in first-half stoppage time before Elie Tatou completed the comeback seven minutes after the restart.
Rwanda held on for a 2–1 victory and maintained their perfect start to the group. (Jacaranda FM)
🇩🇿 Algeria 2–2 Burundi
Algeria also dropped points in dramatic fashion.
The two-time AFCON champions found themselves 2–0 down to Burundi before fighting back to rescue a point.
The comeback means Algeria remain unbeaten, but they will know they missed an opportunity to take control of their group. (Jacaranda FM)
🌟 Not Everyone Had a Bad Night
While several big names struggled, some of Africa’s heavyweights got the job done.
Egypt defeated South Sudan 5–0, while Morocco beat Lesotho 2–0 and Senegal edged Ethiopia 1–0 away from home.
Mozambique also impressed with a 4–1 victory over Sudan. (Confédération Africaine de Football)
📊 Some of the Biggest Results
🇬🇭 Ghana 2–4 Gambia
🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau 3–0 Nigeria
🇨🇻 Cape Verde 1–2 Rwanda
🇧🇮 Burundi 2–2 Algeria
🇸🇸 South Sudan 0–5 Egypt
🇱🇸 Lesotho 0–2 Morocco
🇪🇹 Ethiopia 0–1 Senegal
🇲🇿 Mozambique 4–1 Sudan
📋 Group Tables After the Latest Results
Group C
1. 🇬🇲 Gambia — P2 | W2 | D0 | L0 | 6 pts
2. 🇨🇮 Côte d’Ivoire — P2 | W1 | D0 | L1 | 3 pts
3. 🇸🇴 Somalia — P2 | W0 | D0 | L2 | 0 pts
4. 🇬🇭 Ghana — P2 | W0 | D0 | L2 | 0 pts
Group K
1. 🇷🇼 Rwanda — P2 | W2 | D0 | L0 | 6 pts
2. 🇲🇱 Mali — P2 | W2 | D0 | L0 | 6 pts
3. 🇨🇻 Cape Verde — P2 | W0 | D0 | L2 | 0 pts
4. 🇱🇷 Liberia — P2 | W0 | D0 | L2 | 0 pts
Group L
1. 🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau — P2 | W2 | D0 | L0 | 6 pts
2. 🇳🇬 Nigeria — P2 | W1 | D0 | L1 | 3 pts
3. 🇹🇿 Tanzania — P2 | W0 | D1 | L1 | 1 pt
4. 🇲🇬 Madagascar — P2 | W0 | D1 | L1 | 1 pt
Standings are based on the latest reported Matchday 2 results. Tanzania are co-hosts of AFCON 2027 and are already assured of a place at the finals. (LiveScores)
🔥 The Bigger Picture
One thing became clear from this round: there are no easy games in these qualifiers.
Ghana went 2–0 up and still lost 4–2. Nigeria couldn’t recover after conceding early in Bissau. Cape Verde lost at home after taking the lead, while Algeria had to fight back from two goals down.
Meanwhile, teams such as Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and Rwanda have shown that they are ready to challenge the more established names.
There is still a long way to go before AFCON 2027, but after a night like this, several of Africa’s biggest teams will already be looking for answers.
AFCON qualifying has officially become very interesting. 🌍⚽️
Gallery
Video
Tags
#tipngoal#ghana#nigeria#afcon
React to this story
Feature Your Player
GET YOUR PLAYER FEATURED ON TIPNGOAL
Reach sports fans across all our platforms. Send us your player profile and we'll feature it.
Comments
💬
No comments yet — be the first on the app!