3 weeks ago
7
Gabon’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang made headlines connected Friday arsenic helium scored 4 goals and received a reddish paper during African qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.
Meanwhile, some Senegal and Ivory Coast made important strides towards securing their places astatine the upcoming tournament.
African champions Ivory Coast achieved a resounding 7-0 distant triumph successful Seychelles, bolstering their qualification hopes aft an archetypal 9-0 triumph implicit the aforesaid opponents 2 years agone successful Abidjan. Seven antithetic players contributed to the scoreline, with Nottingham Forest’s Ibrahim Sangare opening the scoring conscionable 7 minutes successful and substitute Franck Kessie rounding disconnected the tally successful the dying moments of the match. Seychelles, ranked 159th successful the world, person present conceded 46 goals successful their 9 qualifying matches and stay without a win.
In Nairobi, Gabon secured a thrilling 4-3 triumph against The Gambia, maintaining their pursuit successful Group F conscionable 1 constituent down Ivory Coast. The Gabonese squad led doubly during the lucifer but recovered themselves trailing astatine 1 constituent earlier Aubameyang made his important interaction with 2 precocious goals. Unfortunately for the Gabonese star, helium received 2 yellowish cards successful speedy succession successful the closing stages, resulting successful his dismissal successful the 86th minute.
Ahead of their last qualifiers adjacent week, Ivory Coast beryllium astatine 23 points, portion Gabon trails intimately with 22. Both sides volition person location vantage successful their adjacent fixtures, with Ivory Coast acceptable to look Kenya and Gabon taking connected Burundi.
In Group B, Senegal is successful a beardown position, maintaining a two-point pb implicit the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) aft contrasting distant victories. Senegal, vying for their 3rd consecutive World Cup appearance, dispatched South Sudan 5-0 successful Juba, with Crystal Palace’s Ismaila Sarr scoring twice. Veteran guardant Sadio Mane besides got connected the scoresheet arsenic Senegal comfortably transformed a 1-0 halftime pb into a broad win. On the different hand, DR Congo managed a constrictive 1-0 triumph implicit Togo, acknowledgment to a solitary extremity from Cedric Bakambu.
Senegal present holds 21 points, with DR Congo connected 19, arsenic they attack their decisive last matches. Senegal volition big Mauritania, portion DR Congo welcomes Sudan.
In a abstracted encounter, Sudan’s chances for World Cup qualification were dashed aft they played retired a 0-0 gully with Mauritania successful Dar es Salaam.
As the conflict intensifies successful Group C, leaders Benin look challenges from South Africa, Nigeria, Rwanda, and Lesotho, each vying for archetypal spot and a accidental to qualify.
The 9 radical winners volition automatically unafraid spots astatine the 2026 World Cup, which volition beryllium co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Additionally, the 4 best-ranked runners-up volition participate playoffs that could alteration Africa to nonstop a 10th typical to the expanded 48-team tournament.
English (US) ·