AFCON 2027 qualifiers: top stories from Matchday 2 with AfroPari

The AFCON 2027 qualifiers are entering the second matchday of the group stage. The 12 groups consist of four teams each, with the participants playing in a round-robin format. Matchday 2 fixtures will be played through October 6.

Matchday 1 took place on September 24-26 during the same FIFA international window. A special rule applies to the groups featuring the host nations of the final tournament: Kenya in Group D, Uganda in Group H, and Tanzania in Group L have already qualified for AFCON 2027 as the tournament’s future hosts. Therefore, the remaining three teams in each of these groups are competing for just one spot. In this context, every result takes on added significance.

Ethiopia vs Senegal. September 29

The Group J sides will face each other in Bahir Dar after both made disappointing starts to their qualifying campaigns. Ethiopia suffered a 1-0 defeat to Sudan, while Senegal were held to a 1-1 draw by Mozambique in Patrick Vieira’s first official match in charge. With Sadio Mané absent from the squad, attention in attack will be on the star Premier League trio of Nicolas Jackson, Ismaïla Sarr and Iliman Ndiaye.

The saga surrounding Senegal continues off the pitch: On October 8, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) will hold a hearing on the federation’s appeal regarding the AFCON 2025 title, which was awarded to Morocco through a closed-door decision.

AfroPari odds: Ethiopia – 7.65, draw – 4.8, Senegal – 1.35.

Guinea-Bissau vs Nigeria. September 29

Both national teams won their opening matches: Guinea-Bissau defeated Tanzania 2-0, and Nigeria beat Madagascar 2-1. Now they face off in a head-to-head matchup for a spot in Group L, where only one ticket is available due to the participation of Tanzania, the tournament host.

Nigeria will feature without Victor Osimhen, so Éric Chelle is counting on Ademola Lookman and Samuel Chukwueze.

AfroPari odds: Guinea-Bissau – 6.86, draw – 3.74, Nigeria – 1.5.

Ghana vs Gambia. September 29

For the Scorpions, it’s a continuation of the team’s story, that reach the quarterfinals of the AFCON 2021 in their debut appearance at the tournament.

AfroPari odds: Ghana – 1.38, draw – 4.3, Gambia – 8.2.

Zambia vs Togo. September 29

Zambia is the AFCON 2012 champion, and Togo competed in the 2006 World Cup. Right now, the two teams are at very different stages in their football development: Zambia lost to Algeria 3-1, while Togo kicked off the group stage with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Burundi.

Kennedy Boateng will miss the match for Togo due to injury. Matchday 2 will show how the teams build on their opening results.

AfroPari odds: Zambia – 1.95, draw – 3.15, Togo – 4.00.

Cape Verde vs Rwanda. September 29

The sensational Cape Verde made its World Cup debut in 2026 and advanced to the Round of 32, where it faced the eventual finalist, Argentina. After the tournament, Humberto Bettencourt took over as head coach, replacing Bubista. Their start in the AFCON 2027 qualifiers was disappointing, a 3-1 loss to Mali.

Rwanda, meanwhile, began its campaign with a 3-1 victory over Liberia and now heads to Praia with three points.

AfroPari odds: Cape Verde – 1.41, draw – 4.05, Rwanda – 8.1.

Other Matchday fixtures

Madagascar vs Tanzania (L, Sep 29)

Benin vs Mauritania (F, Sep 29)

Congo vs Cameroon (G, Sep 29)

South Sudan vs Egypt (B, Sep 29)

Lesotho vs Morocco (A, Sep 29)

Somalia vs Côte d’Ivoire (C, Sep 29)

Guinea vs Kenya (D, Oct 1)

Angola vs Malawi (B, Oct 6)

You can always follow AFCON PAMOJA 2027, choose matches, and stay up to date on the biggest football events with AfroPari. And for those who love top football, there’s the Grand Football Quest: from September 2026 through May 2027, there will be three stages, where the number of successful bets placed on the best football tournaments determines the reward level. The more qualifying bets you place, the better the prize, up to 50 $.

Follow top football and complete the stages of the Grand Football Quest with AfroPari.

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