Guinea-Bissau launched their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign with a commanding 2-0 away victory against Tanzania on matchday 1 of Group L, played on Friday.

Franculino opened the scoring in the 33rd minute before Mama Balde doubled the advantage in the 58th minute, giving the Djurtus a perfect start to the campaign.

Tanzania, who have already secured automatic qualification for AFCON 2027 as co-hosts alongside Kenya and Uganda, continue to participate in the qualifiers despite their assured place at the tournament.

Friday's fixture was Tanzania's first competitive match since a 6-0 friendly victory over Macau back in March.

What this means for Group L

Because Tanzania's qualification is guaranteed as a host nation, only the group's top-ranked team among the remaining three sides will earn a spot at AFCON 2027. That makes every point in Group L a high-stakes contest for Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria's Super Eagles, and Madagascar.

Guinea-Bissau's next assignment takes place on September 29, when they host the Super Eagles at the Estadio 24 de Setembro in Bissau. On the same matchday, Tanzania travel to face Madagascar away, while Nigeria entertain Madagascar at home.