The race for a place at the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations PAMOJA 2027 has already produced plenty of drama after the opening two matchdays, with eight nations making perfect starts to their qualifying campaigns.
Morocco, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, South Africa, DR Congo, Rwanda, Mali and Guinea-Bissau have all collected the maximum six points from their opening two matches.
The second round also delivered some major surprises, including Guinea-Bissau’s 3-0 victory over Nigeria and The Gambia’s remarkable 4-2 comeback against Ghana. South Africa and Egypt also recorded five-goal victories, while several groups remain tightly contested.
CAF’s official review confirms that the qualifiers consist of 12 groups of four teams. The competition will resume in November before the final two matchdays are played in March 2027.
Eight teams have six points
The eight nations with perfect records after two completed matchdays are:
- Morocco – 6 points
- Côte d’Ivoire – 6 points
- The Gambia – 6 points
- South Africa – 6 points
- DR Congo – 6 points
- Rwanda – 6 points
- Mali – 6 points
- Guinea-Bissau – 6 points
There is an important correction to the original premise of this feature: CAF currently lists eight teams with two wins from two matches, rather than 10.
Here is the complete picture across all 12 groups.
Group A: Morocco maintain perfect record
Morocco have made an impressive start to their qualifying campaign, winning both of their matches without conceding.
The Atlas Lions defeated Gabon 2-0 in their opening match before recording another 2-0 victory over Lesotho. Brahim Díaz and Azzedine Ounahi scored against Lesotho.
Gabon responded from their opening defeat by beating Niger 2-0.
Points after two matchdays:
- Morocco – 6
- Gabon – 3
- Niger – 3
- Lesotho – 0
Matchday 2 results:
- Lesotho 0-2 Morocco
- Gabon 2-0 Niger
Next fixtures in November:
- Morocco vs Niger
- Gabon vs Lesotho
Morocco have scored four goals and conceded none from their opening two matches.
Group B: Egypt move to the top
Egypt produced one of the biggest wins of Matchday Two, beating South Sudan 5-0 after beginning their campaign with a goalless draw against Angola.
Omar Marmoush scored twice, while Mostafa Zico, Ibrahim Adel and Hamza Abdelkarim also found the net.
The group is not yet completely up to date because Angola and Malawi still have to play their outstanding Matchday Two fixture on 6 October.
Points:
- Egypt – 4
- Malawi – 3
- Angola – 1
- South Sudan – 0
Matchday 2 result:
- South Sudan 0-5 Egypt
Outstanding Matchday 2 fixture:
- Angola vs Malawi, 6 October
Next fixtures in November:
- Angola vs South Sudan
- Egypt vs Malawi
Egypt therefore remain unbeaten after two matches, but do not have a perfect record.
Group C: The Gambia produce one of the shocks of the qualifiers
The Gambia have emerged as one of the early stories of the qualifying campaign.
After beating Somalia 2-1 in their opening match, the Scorpions came from two goals behind to defeat Ghana 4-2.
Ghana appeared to be in control after Ernest Nuamah and Felix Afena-Gyan put them 2-0 ahead. The Gambia then turned the match around through Muhammed Badamosi, Omar Colley and a brace from Ebrima Colley.
Côte d’Ivoire also maintained their perfect start by defeating Somalia 2-0.
Points:
- Côte d’Ivoire – 6
- The Gambia – 6
- Ghana – 0
- Somalia – 0
Matchday 2 results:
- Ghana 2-4 The Gambia
- Somalia 0-2 Côte d’Ivoire
Next fixtures in November:
- Ghana vs Somalia
- Côte d’Ivoire vs The Gambia
The meeting between Côte d’Ivoire and The Gambia will be particularly significant because both sides enter the next round with six points.
Group D: Bafana Bafana lead the way
South Africa are one of the eight teams to win both of their opening matches.
Bafana Bafana began with a 2-1 victory over Guinea before producing an emphatic 5-0 win against Eritrea in Cairo.
Relebohile Mofokeng scored twice against Eritrea, while Sphephelo Sithole, Iqraam Rayners and Luther Singh also got on the scoresheet.
Guinea recovered from their opening defeat by beating co-hosts Kenya 1-0.
Points:
- South Africa – 6
- Guinea – 3
- Kenya – 1
- Eritrea – 1
Matchday 2 results:
- Eritrea 0-5 South Africa
- Guinea 1-0 Kenya
Next fixtures in November:
- Guinea vs Eritrea
- South Africa vs Kenya
Kenya are already guaranteed a place at AFCON 2027 as one of the three co-hosts. Consequently, only the highest-placed non-host nation from Group D will join Kenya at the finals.
Group E: DR Congo continue perfect start
DR Congo have also won both of their opening matches.
After defeating Equatorial Guinea 2-0 in their first qualifier, DR Congo followed that result with a 2-1 away victory over Zimbabwe.
Equatorial Guinea responded by beating Sierra Leone 1-0.
Points:
- DR Congo – 6
- Zimbabwe – 3
- Equatorial Guinea – 3
- Sierra Leone – 0
Matchday 2 results:
- Equatorial Guinea 1-0 Sierra Leone
- Zimbabwe 1-2 DR Congo
Next fixtures in November:
- DR Congo vs Sierra Leone
- Equatorial Guinea vs Zimbabwe
DR Congo have therefore taken maximum points from their opening two matches.
Group F: Benin and Burkina Faso close the gap
Unlike the groups containing the perfect starters, Group F remains closely contested.
Benin defeated Mauritania 2-1, while Burkina Faso secured a 1-0 victory away to Central African Republic.
Both Benin and Burkina Faso now have four points after two matches.
Points:
- Benin – 4
- Burkina Faso – 4
- Mauritania – 3
- Central African Republic – 0
Matchday 2 results:
- Central African Republic 0-1 Burkina Faso
- Benin 2-1 Mauritania
Next fixtures in November:
- Benin vs Central African Republic
- Burkina Faso vs Mauritania
The group is finely balanced, with only one point separating the top three teams.
Group G: Cameroon lead a tight group
Cameroon remain unbeaten but were held to a 1-1 draw by Congo in their second match.
Comoros recorded their first victory by defeating Namibia 1-0.
Points:
- Cameroon – 4
- Comoros – 3
- Namibia – 3
- Congo – 1
Matchday 2 results:
- Comoros 1-0 Namibia
- Congo 1-1 Cameroon
Next fixtures in November:
- Cameroon vs Namibia
- Comoros vs Congo
Cameroon currently lead the group, but the standings remain open with three teams separated by only three points.
Group H: Uganda lead despite being automatic qualifiers
Uganda moved to four points after defeating Libya 1-0.
The Cranes had opened their campaign with a 1-1 draw against Tunisia.
Tunisia were then held to a 2-2 draw by Botswana.
Points:
- Uganda – 4
- Botswana – 2
- Tunisia – 2
- Libya – 1
Matchday 2 results:
- Tunisia 2-2 Botswana
- Uganda 1-0 Libya
Next fixtures in November:
- Tunisia vs Libya
- Uganda vs Botswana
Uganda are already qualified as co-hosts. That means the remaining three nations are effectively competing for the one additional qualification place available from the group.
Group I: Algeria remain unbeaten
Algeria surrendered a two-goal lead before recovering to draw 2-2 with Burundi.
Zambia, meanwhile, bounced back from their opening defeat to beat Togo 2-0.
Points:
- Algeria – 4
- Zambia – 3
- Togo – 3
- Burundi – 1
Matchday 2 results:
- Burundi 2-2 Algeria
- Zambia 2-0 Togo
Next fixtures in November:
- Algeria vs Togo
- Zambia vs Burundi
Algeria remain unbeaten, although their second successive match without a victory means the group remains competitive.
Group J: Senegal and Mozambique share the lead
Senegal secured their first victory by defeating Ethiopia 1-0.
Mozambique produced an even bigger result, beating Sudan 4-1.
Both Senegal and Mozambique now have four points.
Points:
- Mozambique – 4
- Senegal – 4
- Sudan – 3
- Ethiopia – 0
Matchday 2 results:
- Ethiopia 0-1 Senegal
- Mozambique 4-1 Sudan
Next fixtures in November:
- Mozambique vs Ethiopia
- Senegal vs Sudan
Mozambique currently have the stronger goal difference, but both teams remain unbeaten after two rounds.
Group K: Rwanda and Mali both perfect
Group K is another section featuring two teams with maximum points.
Rwanda came from behind to beat Cape Verde 2-1, while Mali defeated Liberia 1-0.
Both nations now have six points.
Points:
- Rwanda – 6
- Mali – 6
- Cape Verde – 0
- Liberia – 0
Matchday 2 results:
- Cape Verde 1-2 Rwanda
- Liberia 0-1 Mali
Next fixtures in November:
- Cape Verde vs Liberia
- Mali vs Rwanda
The meeting between Mali and Rwanda will be an important early clash between the two perfect starters.
Group L: Guinea-Bissau stun Nigeria
Guinea-Bissau produced arguably the biggest surprise of Matchday Two by defeating Nigeria 3-0.
Franculino, Mama Baldé and Álvaro Djaló scored as Guinea-Bissau moved to six points from two matches.
They had previously defeated co-hosts Tanzania 2-0.
In the other Group L match, Madagascar drew 1-1 with Tanzania.
Points:
- Guinea-Bissau – 6
- Nigeria – 3
- Tanzania – 1
- Madagascar – 1
Matchday 2 results:
- Guinea-Bissau 3-0 Nigeria
- Madagascar 1-1 Tanzania
Next fixtures in November:
- Madagascar vs Guinea-Bissau
- Nigeria vs Tanzania
Guinea-Bissau have scored five goals and conceded none in their opening two matches, giving them an excellent early platform in a group where Tanzania are already assured of qualification as co-hosts.
What the opening two matchdays have told us
The early stages of the AFCON PAMOJA 2027 qualifiers have already demonstrated that established names will not necessarily have an easy route to the finals.
Eight nations have won their opening two matches, while teams such as Egypt, Senegal and Algeria remain unbeaten despite dropping points.
At the other end of the spectrum, Ghana and Nigeria have already suffered defeats, while several groups remain separated by only a few points.
The results also underline the importance of the special qualification arrangement involving Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. As co-hosts, all three are already guaranteed places at the tournament, meaning only one additional team will qualify from each of their respective groups.
When do the AFCON 2027 qualifiers resume?
Following the opening two matchdays, the qualifiers will return during the November 2026 FIFA international window.
Matchdays Three and Four will take place in November, while the final two rounds are scheduled for March 2027.
The AFCON PAMOJA 2027 finals will be staged across Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda from 19 June to 17 July 2027.
Eight perfect starts, but a long road remains
The opening two rounds have created an intriguing early picture, but six matchdays in total will determine who reaches the continental showpiece.
Morocco, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, South Africa, DR Congo, Rwanda, Mali and Guinea-Bissau have given themselves strong early platforms with six points each.
However, the November fixtures could significantly change the picture, particularly in groups where teams are separated by only one or two points.
For South Africa, the perfect beginning underlines the importance of their next competitive fixtures against Kenya and Guinea. For Nigeria, Ghana and several other established nations, the next international window offers an opportunity to respond.
With qualification still several months away, the road to East Africa is only beginning.
