Zimbabwe produce stunning comeback as Cameroon and Cote d'Ivoire open with wins

Zimbabwe produced the most dramatic result of Thursday night's TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifiers, recovering from two goals down to beat Sierra Leone 3-2.

Cameroon also made an impressive start with a 3-1 home victory over Comoros, while Cote d'Ivoire justified their status as favourites by defeating a depleted Ghana side 2-0 in Bouaké.

Uganda completed an eventful set of four matches kicking off at 19:00 GMT by earning a 1-1 draw away to Tunisia in Radès.

The results gave Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire and Zimbabwe maximum points from their opening fixtures, while Uganda showed resilience against one of North Africa's traditionally strongest national teams.

The qualifiers, involving 48 teams across 12 groups, will determine the sides joining co-hosts Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda at the 2027 finals.

Thursday's games also marked the start of new cycles for several teams, including Cote d'Ivoire under returning coach Hervé Renard and Tunisia under Mouine Chaâbani.

Cote d'Ivoire 2-0 Ghana

Cote d'Ivoire began their qualifying campaign with a deserved 2-0 victory over Ghana at the Stade de la Paix in Bouaké.

Malick Yalcouyé, one of eight newcomers named by returning coach Hervé Renard, opened the scoring in the 44th minute after being supplied by Franck Kessié, before Kessié doubled the advantage from the penalty spot in the 58th minute. 

The result was not entirely unexpected given the Black Stars arrived without several of their most influential players.

Mohammed Kudus, Thomas Partey, Antoine Semenyo and Jordan Ayew were all unavailable, leaving coach Carlos Queiroz with a significantly weakened side for one of the most demanding away fixtures in African football.

Ghana's starting attack featured Abdul Fatawu Issahaku, Ernest Nuamah and Brandon Thomas-Asante, while Alexander Djiku captained the side. 

Cote d'Ivoire, meanwhile, fielded an experienced spine including Kessié, Ibrahim Sangaré, Ousmane Diomandé, Evan Ndicka and Nicolas Pépé.

The win gave Renard an ideal start to his second spell in charge of the Elephants.

Sierra Leone 2-3 Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe produced the comeback of the night by overturning a 2-0 half-time deficit to beat Sierra Leone 3-2.

Sierra Leone appeared in complete control after Alie Conteh put them ahead after seven minutes before Sallieu Tarawallie doubled the advantage in the 27th minute.

Zimbabwe's response after the interval was emphatic.

Marshall Munetsi pulled one back in the 72nd minute before Tawanda Chirewa levelled four minutes later, transforming a match that had looked beyond the Warriors at half-time.

Munetsi then completed an extraordinary turnaround with his second goal two minutes from the end of normal time to give Zimbabwe all three points.

It was a remarkable demonstration of resilience from the Warriors, who refused to collapse after Sierra Leone's dominant opening half.

For Sierra Leone, the defeat will be particularly painful after surrendering both a two-goal advantage and what appeared to be a strong position in their opening qualifier.

Zimbabwe's late surge gives them an immediate boost as the qualification race gathers pace.

Cameroon 3-1 Comoros

Cameroon made a strong start to their campaign with a convincing 3-1 victory over Comoros in Garoua.

David Ningo gave the Indomitable Lions the lead in the 39th minute before Manchester United forward Bryan Mbeumo doubled the advantage shortly after the restart.

Comoros responded almost immediately through Warmed Omari in the 51st minute to briefly threaten a comeback.

But Cameroon remained in control and Danny Namaso restored their two-goal cushion in the 81st minute to secure the points. 

The result represented an encouraging opening for a Cameroon side seeking to reassert itself among Africa's leading national teams after reaching the quarter-finals of the most recent AFCON.

Mbeumo again underlined his importance to the Indomitable Lions, adding another international goal after establishing himself as one of their main attacking threats.

Cameroon entered the match as favourites and delivered the type of composed home performance required at the start of a demanding qualifying campaign.

Tunisia 1-1 Uganda

Uganda produced one of the evening's notable results by holding Tunisia to a 1-1 draw in Radès.

Tunisia appeared set for a winning start when Adem Arous put the hosts ahead in the 12th minute, giving new coach Mouine Chaâbani an early advantage in his first competitive match in charge.

But Uganda stayed in the contest and were rewarded in the 68th minute when Rogers Mato scored the equaliser. 

The result will provide encouragement for Paul Put's side as they continue preparations for an AFCON tournament they will co-host next year alongside Kenya and Tanzania.

Uganda had already secured their place at the 2027 finals as co-hosts, but the qualifiers provide competitive matches to test and develop the squad ahead of the tournament. 

Tunisia had reshaped their squad following the FIFA World Cup 2026, retaining only 14 members of that group for the opening qualifiers.

For Uganda, leaving Tunis with a draw against the Eagles of Carthage represents a valuable measure of their progress.