Côte d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso shine, Cape Verde bounce back
The second round of matches of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2025 qualifiers concluded on Tuesday night with notable victories for title holders Cote d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Zambia, Benin and Cape Verde.
Below is the round-up of matches played on Tuesday night.
Chad 0-2 Côte d’Ivoire
Côte d’Ivoire continued their strong start in Group G with a comfortable 2-0 win over Chad.
After defeating Zambia in their opener, the Elephants, playing at Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaoundé, once again displayed their prowess.
A stellar performance from Jean-Philippe Krasso and Oumar Diakité sealed the win, placing Côte d’Ivoire at the top of the group.
Burkina Faso 3-1 Malawi
Following a 1-1 draw against Senegal, Burkina Faso secured a convincing 3-1 victory over Malawi in Bamako, Mali. Despite early pressure from Malawi, Lassina Traoré broke the deadlock with a low header at the 35th minute.
The Shakhtar Donetsk striker doubled the lead just minutes later, dribbling past the goalkeeper to make it 2-0.
Hassane Bandé added a third from the penalty spot before Malawi’s Zeliat Nkhoma pulled one back late on. Burkina Faso now leads Group L, edging ahead of Senegal on goal difference.
Cape Verde 2-0 Mauritania
Cape Verde bounced back from a heavy 3-0 defeat to Egypt by beating Mauritania 2-0 in Group C.
Ryan Mendes converted a penalty after Benchimol was fouled by Houeibib, putting the Blue Sharks ahead.
In the second half, Mendes doubled the lead in the 75th minute to ensure Cape Verde claimed all three points, moving into second place in the group.
Zambia 3-2 Sierra Leone
In a thrilling encounter in Ndola, Zambia overcame Sierra Leone 3-2 in their Group G clash.
This vital win marks Zambia’s first of the qualifying campaign, lifting them to second place after two rounds of matches.
Benin 2-1 Libya
Benin redeemed themselves with a 2-1 win over Libya after a 3-0 loss to Nigeria.
Al Badri put Libya ahead with a penalty in the 9th minute, but Steve Mounié responded for Benin, first scoring from Olaitan’s cross and then converting a decisive penalty.
The victory pushes Benin into second place, trailing Nigeria by just one point.