AFCON
SENEGAL CONTINUES PERFECT RUN IN AFCON QUALIFIERS
Senegal’s Teranga Lions completed their perfect start for the Cameroon 2021 Africa Cup of Nations Group I campaign, winning their third game in as many matches by a 2-0 victory over Guinea Bissau at the Lat Dior stadium in Thies on Wednesday.
Liverpool striker Sadio Mane scored from the spot just before the break, and Opa Nguette added a second half goal as Senegal gathered their ninth point to consolidate their grip on the group’s summit.
Aliou Cisse troops started the game on a high note and had their first sight at goal through Ismaila Sarr after 14 minutes.
Guinea Bissau who are eyeing a third consecutive AFCON appearance had their first chance via Piqueti Silva after 25 minutes but found the safe hands of Senegal’s Edouard Mendy.
D Silva could have opened the score for the visitors after 34 minutes, but his shot missed the target by a small margin.
And at the brink of halftime Senegal had a penalty for a foul on Sarr inside the area. Mane made no mistake from the spot as the Teranga Lions went to halftime leading 1-0.
After the break it was a similar story, and 16 minutes from full time Ngueet doubled Senegal’s lead scoring from a close ramge being assisted by 2019 African Player of the Year Mane.
With nine points from nine, Senegal seems to already have one foot in Cameroon.
Mauritania 1 – 1 Burundi
A superb free kick from Saidi Ntibazonkiza in the 80th minute gave Burundi their first point of Group E, after snatching a precious draw from Mauritania in Nouakchott.
The Mourabitounes took the lead in a similar pattern, when Bakary N’diaye scored at the half hour mark from a freekick. Mauritania had the lion share of possession and chances in the first half but could only manage a lone goal lead.
This advantage lasted till the 80th minute, before The Swallows of Burundi managed the equalizer as Ntibazonkiza’s freekick was too much for Mauritania’s goalkeeper Namori Diaw.
It was a disappointment for Corentin Martins’ men who thought they had won the game. Both sides lock horns in Bujumbura after four days.
-Cafonline
The journey to the Africa Cup of Nations 2027 begins this week as 12 nations battle for six available spots in the preliminary round of qualifiers.
The opening phase of the race for AFCON PAMOJA 2027, set to be jointly hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, will see the continent’s lowest-ranked teams, based on FIFA rankings at the time of the draw, compete over two legs for a place in the group stage qualifiers.
Race for Six Places
Following the success of the 2025 tournament in Morocco, a new qualification cycle gets underway with fixtures spread across Southern, Eastern and Central Africa.
The preliminary round promises closely contested encounters, with teams aiming to gain an early advantage before decisive return legs.
Among the standout fixtures:
- Eritrea face Eswatini in Meknes before the return leg in Lobamba
- Lesotho and Seychelles meet twice in Bloemfontein
- Djibouti and South Sudan clash in back-to-back matches in Juba
- Somalia take on Mauritius across two legs in Mozambique and Saint Pierre
- Chad battle Burundi between N’Djamena and Bujumbura
- São Tomé and Príncipe face Ethiopia, with matches in El Jadida and Dire Dawa
The six winners from these ties will advance to join 42 other teams in the group stage qualifiers.
Some ties present unusual dynamics, notably Djibouti versus South Sudan, where both legs will be played in Juba, giving South Sudan a potential home advantage in both fixtures.
Similarly, Lesotho and Seychelles will contest both legs in Bloemfontein, adding another interesting twist to the qualification format.
Qualification Format and Timeline
The next phase will feature a group stage involving 13 groups of three or four teams. The 13 group winners qualify automatically. They will be joined by three best runners-up. The remaining 10 runners-up compete in a playoff round for the final qualifying spots
Key qualification windows are scheduled for:
- September 21–30, 2026: Match Day 1 and 2
- October 1–6, 2026: Match Day 3 and 4
- November 9–17, 2026: Match Day 5 and 6.
The finals, scheduled from June 19 to July 18, 2027, will mark a historic moment as the first Africa Cup of Nations to be hosted by three countries. It will also be the last to hold under the two-year cycle.
As the preliminary round kicks off, smaller footballing nations have a rare opportunity to build momentum and dream of reaching the continent’s biggest stage.
For the 12 teams involved, the message is clear: the road to AFCON 2027 starts now—and only half will take the next step.
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By Kunle Solaja.
The CAS Director General Matthieu Reeb has stated that the tribunal is prepared to handle the Senegal case against CAF and Morocco efficiently.
“CAS is perfectly equipped to resolve this type of dispute, with the assistance of expert and independent arbitrators,” he said.
“We understand that teams and fans are eager to know the final decision, and we will ensure that arbitration proceedings are conducted as swiftly as possible, while respecting the right of all parties to a fair hearing.”
CAS noted that proceedings will remain confidential while ongoing, with further updates to be provided only when key milestones, such as a hearing date, are confirmed.
The case now sets the stage for a potentially landmark legal battle over the outcome of one of Africa’s biggest football competitions, with the final status of the AFCON 2025 title hanging in the balance.
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Decision By CAF
By Kunle Solaja.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport has confirmed receipt of an appeal from the Senegalese Football Federation challenging the outcome of the Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 final.
In a statement issued in Lausanne on 25 March 2026, CAS said the appeal is directed against both the Confederation of African Football and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation.
The dispute stems from a CAF ruling on 17 March 2026, which declared that Senegal forfeited the AFCON final, awarding the match to Morocco with a 3-0 scoreline.
In its appeal, Senegal is asking CAS to set aside the CAF decision and declare Senegal the rightful winners of the tournament.
The federation has also requested a suspension of the deadline for submitting its full appeal brief, arguing that the CAF decision has so far been issued without detailed grounds.
CAS confirmed that the appeal was officially registered on 25 March and that an arbitral panel will be constituted to hear the case.
Legal Process Underway
Under CAS procedures, the appellant has 20 days to submit a detailed appeal brief, while the respondents, CAF and Morocco, will then have another 20 days to respond
However, due to Senegal’s request to suspend deadlines pending full documentation of the CAF ruling, no clear procedural timeline has yet been established.
As a result, it remains uncertain when hearings will take place or when a final verdict may be delivered.
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