AFCON 2027 qualifiers: Colley, Munetsi and Wissa among standout performers

Ebrima Colley and Marshall Munetsi lead the scoring charts after the opening two rounds of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, while a number of other players have made an early impression with decisive performances.

From The Gambia and Zimbabwe to Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, DR Congo and South Africa, several individuals have emerged as players to watch as the qualifying campaign develops.

Colley and Munetsi set the pace

Colley has been central to The Gambia’s perfect start. The forward scored in both matches and already has three goals to his name.

He converted a penalty in The Gambia’s 2-1 victory over Somalia before scoring twice in a memorable 4-2 win against Ghana in Accra.

The Scorpions were trailing 2-1 when Colley came on, but he put The Gambia ahead in the 68th minute and completed the victory in added time. Six points from two matches and three goals represent an excellent opening to the campaign for the attacker.

Zimbabwe have also benefited from a prolific midfielder in Munetsi. He scored twice as the Warriors recovered from 2-0 down to defeat Sierra Leone in their opening match.

Munetsi found the net again in the second round against DR Congo, although his stoppage-time goal could not prevent Zimbabwe from losing 2-1. His three goals in two games put him level with Colley at the top of the scoring standings.

Yalcouye makes immediate impact

Malick Yalcouye provided one of the early positive stories for Cote d’Ivoire after making his first appearance for the national team.

Herve Renard selected the Brighton midfielder from the start against Ghana and was rewarded when Yalcouye opened the scoring in the 44th minute with a shot that set the Elephants on course for a 2-0 win.

He also won the penalty that Franck Kessie converted after the interval. According to the Ivorian press, Yalcouye remained influential in the following match against Somalia. Although he was occasionally imprecise, his energy and movement between the lines again attracted attention.

Yoane Wissa has been equally important for DR Congo. After scoring against Equatorial Guinea in the first round, the forward struck again away to Zimbabwe.

Wissa opened the scoring in the 30th minute, with Samuel Moutoussamy later adding DR Congo’s second goal.

Egypt responded strongly after being held to a goalless draw by Angola. The Pharaohs defeated South Sudan 5-0, with Omar Marmoush scoring twice in the 49th and 83rd minutes. Egypt now have one win and one draw from their first two matches.

South Africa also ended the second round with a commanding result. Following a 2-1 victory over Guinea, the Bafana Bafana beat Eritrea 5-0, with Relebohile Mofokeng scoring in the 19th and 45th+1 minutes. The Union Saint-Gilloise forward’s double helped South Africa claim consecutive wins and move clear at the top of their group on six points.

Mali were less impressive in the second round, but Nene Dorgeles had already made a strong impression by scoring twice in a 3-1 victory over Cape Verde.