- Ivory Coast is in the same group with Kenya
- Kenya plays Seychelles next on Monday
- Uganda conceded a 95th minute goal against Guinea
Les Elephants of Ivory Coast made a triumphant start to their qualification journey for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with an emphatic 9-0 thrashing of Seychelles at home.
Karim Konate and Hamed Junior Traore scored a brace each in the massive victory that sails the Ivorians top of Group F ahead of Burundi and Gabon who also both won their opening matches.
Ivory Coast is in the same group as Kenya, but the two do not meet until next year when they travel to Nairobi. However, Kenya’s Harambee Stars, who were beaten by Gabon on Thursday will play the islanders on Monday, also in Ivory Coast, and will look to follow in the footsteps of the Ivorians.
They led 4-0 at halftime, with two penalties scored by Sebastian Haller and Karim Konate and two more from Ibrahim Sangare and Brighton youngster Simon Adingra.
Haller scored the opener after 20 minutes from the penalty spot after Konate was brought down by the keeper. Four minutes later the RB Salzburg man was involved in another goal when he laid off an assist for Sangare with a flick for a corner, which the latter tapped home at the backpost.
Adingra then made it 3-0 in the 36th minute with a brilliant curling left footer, before Konate added the fourth with a penalty five minutes to the break.
They continued their dominance in the second half, Seko Fofana scoring the fifth off another Konate assist before Traore added the sixth in the 77th minute. Jean Philippe Krasso made it 7-0 in the 84th minute then Traore doubled his tally and made it 8-0 for Les Elephants in the 94th minute. Konate added the ninth to complete the rout a minute later.
Late Cisse goal downs Uganda in Conakry
Action between Uganda and Guinea. PHOTO/FUFA
Meanwhile in Conakry, Seydouba Cisse scored in the 94th minute as Guinea edged out Uganda 2-1 in a closely contested tie. Fahad Bayo had cancelled out Aguibou Camara’s 10th minute goal, but Uganda’s hopes of at least a point away from home in coach Paul Put’s first game in charge was thwarted at the death.
“It is painful to lose in the last minutes of the game because of some lapse in concentration but we learn from our mistakes and hope for improvement in the next match,” Put said after the game.
The home side had a fast paced start to the match and went into the lead after just nine minutes when Camara struck a low shot past the keeper inside the box after a lay off from Mohamed Bayo.
But the Uganda Cranes worked their socks off to get back on level terms on the half hour mark when Fahad finished off from inside the box picking up a rebound after the keeper had saved an initial header from a freekick.
Uganda put in a fight in the second half, keeping their tactical shape and attacking on the counter. However, when they thought they had secured a point, Cisse clinched all the three points for the West Africans at the death.
Four-midable Zambia crush Congo
Patson Daka celebrates one of his two goals. PHOTO/FAZ
In Ndola, Patson Daka hit a brace with Fashion Sakala and Lameck Banda adding one each as Zambia hit Congo Brazzaville 4-2 in their opening match of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
The massive victory took Tanzania top of the five-team Group E and a brilliant start towards the journey for their first ever World Cup qualification.
Daka opened the scoring just after five minutes when he sliced a header across goal from a cross on the left. It was a brilliant start for the Chipolopolo who were enjoying the support of a full stadium.
But, they were stunned when the Congolese mounted a comeback, scoring two goals within two minutes to move into the lead.
Silvere Genvoula levelled matters in the 13th minute with a brilliant long range effort, taking a first time shot after they had won the ball from 30 yards out. A minute later, just from the restart, Congo won the ball back and Mons Bassouamina took them into the lead with a well taken shot from the right.
Zambia were stunned, and a few minutes of lapse in concentration cost them. They however put up a fight and they managed to equalize two minutes to the break through Banda’s moment of individual brilliance, running to a Kings Kangwa ball on the right before slamming into the net.
They came back better in the second half and Sakala made it 3-2 after 69 minutes, this time Banda being provider. In the second minute of added time, Daka completed his brace with a close range finish.
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