South Africa’s Bafana Bafana drew 2-2 with Kenya in a thrilling match during the third matchday of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) PAMOJA 2027 Qualifiers on Friday. The result saw South Africa give up a lead, while Nigeria, Gabon, and Libya achieved significant victories.
In the match in Soweto, South Africa initially took the lead with an own goal from Kenya’s Amos Wandala. However, Kenya equalized when Michael Olunga converted a penalty. South Africa regained the advantage through Relebohile Mofokeng’s well-placed volley, but Kenya leveled the score again with a late goal from Ryan Ogam in the 90th minute.
Nigeria secured a 3-1 victory against Tanzania, moving up to second place in Group L. Alhassan Yusuf gave the Super Eagles an early lead, but Tanzania’s Alphonce Msangsa equalized shortly after. Tolu Arokodare restored Nigeria’s lead in the second half, scoring two goals within eight minutes to ensure the win and solidify Nigeria’s position in the group.
In Group A, Gabon grabbed a crucial 2-0 victory over Lesotho, with Denis Bouanga netting both goals. This win puts Gabon level on points with group leaders Morocco, helping to strengthen their chances in the qualifiers.
Libya achieved an impressive 2-0 away win against Tunisia, moving to the top of Group H. Ali Yousef Al Musrati opened the scoring in the fourth minute, followed by Hamdou El Houni, who secured the win with a second goal in the 62nd minute.
Burkina Faso defeated Mauritania 1-0 with a stoppage-time winner from Elohim Kaboré, allowing them to level points with Group F leaders Benin. Kaboré’s late goal ensured that Burkina Faso took all three points in a tightly contested match.
Finally, Cape Verde marked their first victory of the qualifying campaign with a 4-2 win over Liberia. The match saw Ayoni Santos score first for Cape Verde, followed by a comeback from Liberia through Franklin Nyenetue. However, Cape Verde responded again with goals from Dje Tavares and Dailon Livramento, before Derensili Fernandes capped the scoring in the 90th minute, securing their first three points in the qualifiers.
