African teams secure leads in CAF U-23 AFCON qualifiers

In the opening round of the TotalEnergies CAF Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifiers, several teams secured significant first-leg advantages.

Zimbabwe’s Young Warriors defeated Mauritius 2-0 at the National Sports Stadium in Harare. David Chigwada opened the scoring in the 35th minute, followed by a second goal from Nisbert Muzenda in the 60th minute. Zimbabwe holds a two-goal cushion heading into the return leg in Mauritius.

Rwanda and South Sudan also achieved decisive victories. Rwanda defeated Sudan 3-0 in Kigali with goals from Abdul Niyigena, Honore Shingiro, and Jesus Paul Sindi. South Sudan secured a 3-0 win against Djibouti, scoring all three goals in the second half to take control of their tie.

Other first-leg matches resulted in draws, including a 1-1 scoreline between Angola and Namibia in Luanda, and a 1-1 draw between Togo and Libya in Lomé.