Ivory Coast Shines in Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers; Cameroon, Nigeria Struggle

Defending champions Ivory Coast, Egypt, and Algeria secured wins in the second round of Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. Cameroon and Nigeria faced challenges, with a total of 15 matches concluding the second round. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the 2025 finals in Morocco.

Defending champions Ivory Coast, as well as Egypt and Algeria, clinched victories in the second Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on Tuesday, advancing their quest to reach the 2025 finals. However, it was a challenging day for Cameroon and Nigeria, both of whom faltered in their matches.

Tuesday saw a total of 15 games played, concluding the second round of qualifiers for the upcoming finals in Morocco. The competition will resume with third and fourth rounds next month, followed by the final two rounds in November, ultimately determining the 24 teams that will compete in the tournament. The top two teams from each group will advance to the 2025 finals.

The Ivory Coast looks set to defend their title, defeating Chad 2-0 away and maintaining a three-point lead at the top of Group G. Egypt dominated Botswana 4-0, with early goals from Mahmoud Trezeguet and Mohamed Salah, leading Group C. Algeria topped Group E after a 3-0 win against Liberia. In contrast, Cameroon, marred by internal power struggles, were held to a 0-0 draw by Zimbabwe. Nigeria too faced a 0-0 stalemate against Rwanda.

(With inputs from agencies.)