Senegal under pressure as Ethiopia clash headlines CAN 2027 qualifying round

The CAN 2027 qualifiers resume with the second round of matches being played on Monday, 28 September and Tuesday, 29 September 2026, with Senegal looking to respond after a disappointing opening result.

Patrick Vieira’s first match in charge ended with Senegal being held to a 1-1 draw by Mozambique. The Lions of the Teranga now face Ethiopia and will be expected to claim victory to reassure their supporters.

Another of the round’s major fixtures will see Guinea-Bissau take on Nigeria in Group L. The match is among the most anticipated encounters of the latest set of qualifying games.

Algeria will also be in action away to Burundi, while Morocco are scheduled to meet Lesotho. Both fixtures form part of a busy programme across the second round of the qualifiers.

Cote d’Ivoire travel to face Somalia after making an impressive start to their campaign. The Elephants defeated Ghana 2-0 in their opening match and will now attempt to maintain that momentum on the road.

The round concludes on Tuesday, 29 September with Zambia hosting Togo at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola.

Togo began their qualifying campaign with a victory over Burundi in Lome. Zambia, by contrast, suffered a 3-1 defeat by Algeria in their opening fixture and will be seeking a response in front of their home supporters.

The second round of matches is therefore spread over two days, with the fixtures involving Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Algeria, Morocco and Cote d’Ivoire among those attracting particular attention.

The opening results have already created contrasting situations for the teams involved. Senegal were unable to turn their first match under Vieira into a victory, while Cote d’Ivoire established an early platform with their win against Ghana. Zambia must recover from their loss to Algeria, whereas Togo will attempt to build on their successful start.

Monday, 28 September 2026

The second round of the CAN 2027 qualifiers begins, with Senegal’s meeting with Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau’s fixture against Nigeria, Algeria’s trip to Burundi, Morocco’s match against Lesotho and Cote d’Ivoire’s visit to Somalia among the key games in the programme.

Tuesday, 29 September 2026

Zambia face Togo at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola as the second round continues. The Chipolopolo will be aiming to recover from their 3-1 defeat by Algeria, while the Eperviers arrive after beating Burundi in Lome.