In a thrilling start to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers, Angola shocked the continent with a dramatic last-minute victory over Ghana on Thursday, stealing a 1-0 win away in Kumasi. This upset was just one of several action-packed matches across Africa, as teams fight for their spot in the finals, set to take place in Morocco next year.
Angola’s late hero, substitute Milson, capitalized on a costly defensive error by Ghana, scoring a crucial goal three minutes into stoppage time. Despite the best efforts of Ghanaian star Mohammed Kudus, who spearheaded the home side’s attack, the Black Stars couldn’t break through Angola’s resilient defense.
Elsewhere, former AFCON champions Algeria and Tunisia secured comfortable home wins, while Burundi, the Central African Republic, Congo, and Guinea Bissau also celebrated victories as the group stage of the qualifiers kicked off.
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In Group L, Burundi pulled off a rare away win against Malawi, clinching a 3-2 victory thanks to Mokono Eldinho’s 87th-minute strike. The dramatic game saw multiple lead changes, but Eldinho’s late goal sealed the win for the East African side.
Algeria, led by the returning Riyad Mahrez, took on Equatorial Guinea in Oran. Despite missing a first-half penalty, Mahrez made up for it by setting up the rebound for Houssem-Eddine Aouar’s header to open the scoring in the Group E clash. Amine Gouiri sealed the 2-0 victory with a late goal, solidifying Algeria’s dominance.
Tunisia also impressed on home soil, asserting their place as strong contenders in the race for AFCON 2025.
With so many surprises and standout performances, this year’s AFCON qualifiers are already shaping up to be unforgettable.
