DR Congo and Ivory Coast top Africa Cup of Nations qualifying opening wins
The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Ivory Coast secured opening wins in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. Several matches were played under restricted conditions due to previous fan violence.
Why it matters
AFCON is a major sporting event in Africa, and the qualifiers reflect the current competitive landscape and security challenges in regional football.
DR Congo beat Equatorial Guinea, while Ivory Coast cruise by Ghana and Cameroon beat Comoros as AFCON qualifiers begin.
x whatsapp-stroke copylink google Add Al Jazeera on Google info DR Congo's Yoane Wissa celebrates scoring their first goal [Annegret Hilse/Reuters] By Reuters Published On 24 Sep 2026 24 Sep 2026 The Democratic Republic of the Congo followed up their World Cup exploits with a 2-0 home win over Equatorial Guinea on the opening day of the group qualifiers for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations.
Captain Chancel Mbemba headed home the opening goal in the fourth minute, and Yoane Wissa added a second 18 minutes from time in Kinshasa on Thursday, although the scoreline might have been more emphatic after they twice struck the woodwork and also had two efforts ruled offside.
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