DRC, Ivory Coast and Morocco eye early qualification with perfect starts

The first teams to book a place in next year’s Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals could be confirmed after the latest rounds of qualifiers, which get under way on Thursday.

Democratic Republic of Congo, Ivory Coast and Morocco, who were all at the World Cup, head the list of teams fancied to continue a 100% start to preliminaries for the 2027 finals being co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda from June 19 to July 17.

With two teams to qualify from all but three of the 12 groups, the Congolese, Ivorians and Moroccans will make sure of their places at the 24-team finals with wins in their respective ties over the next seven days.

DR Congo face Sierra Leone, Morocco meet Niger and Ivory Coast take on Gambia, who upset Ghana in Group C in September in one of several shock results at the start of the campaign.

The 10-day international window covers the third and fourth set of group games with the last two rounds scheduled for March.

It is a vital juncture for Ghana, who went to this year’s World Cup but missed out on the last Afcon tournament in Morocco after a calamitous qualifying campaign and are under threat of doing the same for the next edition.

The Black Stars started this campaign with defeat by the Ivorians and then the shock home setback against Gambia, conceding four goals and leading to the departure of veteran Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz.

He has been replaced on a caretaker basis by Kim Lars Bjorkegren, the 44-year-old Swede who manages Ghana’s women’s team, while a successor for Queiroz is being sought.

Ghana, with captain Jordan Ayew and Mohammed Kudus back from injury but Antoine Semenyo still out, take on Somalia in successive qualifiers in Sekondi on Thursday and Monday.

The Somalis have ceded home advantage because they do not have an international standard stadium.

Nigeria are another continental heavyweight in peril after an embarrassing 3-0 loss in Guinea-Bissau in their last Group L encounter and must register a double win over Tanzania when they meet in Uyo on Friday and Dar es Salaam next Tuesday.

Failure to qualify for the World Cup has already cost officials their jobs in Nigeria’s football administration but missing out on the Cup of Nations, where they were semifinalists last time, would be a major blow for the Super Eagles.

Cape Verde’s fairytale run is also under threat.

The small island nation thrilled their fans and neutrals at the World Cup by progressing past the group stage in their debut appearance but lost their opening two Cup of Nations qualifiers after their triumphant return from the US.

They sit at the bottom of Group K as they face Liberia home and away on Friday and Tuesday.