Zimbabwe delivered the most dramatic result of Thursday night's TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifying round, overturning a two-goal deficit to beat Sierra Leone 3-2. Cameroon and Cote d'Ivoire also opened with victories, while Uganda earned a creditable 1-1 draw away to Tunisia in Radès.

Cote d'Ivoire 2-0 Ghana

Cote d'Ivoire launched their qualifying campaign with a commanding 2-0 win over Ghana at the Stade de la Paix in Bouaké — an ideal beginning for returning coach Hervé Renard in his second spell with the Elephants.

Malick Yalcouyé, one of eight debutants selected by Renard, broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time after a supply from Franck Kessié. Kessié then doubled the lead from the penalty spot in the 58th minute to seal the points.

Ghana arrived severely weakened, with Mohammed Kudus, Thomas Partey, Antoine Semenyo, and Jordan Ayew all unavailable. Coach Carlos Queiroz named Abdul Fatawu Issahaku, Ernest Nuamah, and Brandon Thomas-Asante in attack, with Alexander Djiku captaining the side. Cote d'Ivoire, by contrast, fielded an experienced core featuring Kessié, Ibrahim Sangaré, Ousmane Diomandé, Evan Ndicka, and Nicolas Pépé.

Sierra Leone 2-3 Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe's fightback was the story of the night. Sierra Leone appeared to have the match wrapped up after Alie Conteh struck in the 7th minute and Sallieu Tarawallie made it 2-0 in the 27th. The Warriors went into the break staring at defeat.

Marshall Munetsi sparked the revival in the 72nd minute, and Tawanda Chirewa levelled four minutes later. With the momentum firmly in Zimbabwe's favour, Munetsi completed a stunning turnaround with his second goal just two minutes from the end of normal time to hand his side all three points.

For Sierra Leone, surrendering a two-goal lead at home in an opening qualifier will be a painful memory. For Zimbabwe, the result is an immediate morale boost as the race for 2027 qualification gathers pace.

Cameroon 3-1 Comoros

Cameroon produced a composed home performance at Garoua, beating Comoros 3-1. David Ningo opened the scoring in the 39th minute before Manchester United forward Bryan Mbeumo extended the lead shortly after the restart.

Comoros pulled one back through Warmed Omari in the 51st minute to briefly threaten a contest, but Danny Namaso restored Cameroon's two-goal advantage in the 81st minute to put the result beyond doubt. Mbeumo once again underlined his importance to the Indomitable Lions, who entered the match as favourites and delivered accordingly.

Tunisia 1-1 Uganda

Uganda held Tunisia to a 1-1 draw in Radès in what was new coach Mouine Chaâbani's first competitive match in charge of the Eagles of Carthage. Adem Arous gave Tunisia the lead in the 12th minute, but Rogers Mato pulled Uganda level in the 68th to secure a valuable away point for Paul Put's side.

As co-hosts of the 2027 finals alongside Kenya and Tanzania, Uganda have already qualified for the tournament, but these qualifiers offer competitive preparation. Tunisia, meanwhile, had significantly reshuffled their squad after the FIFA World Cup 2026, retaining only 14 players from that group — making Uganda's draw all the more noteworthy.

The 48-team qualifying competition spans 12 groups, with the top sides eventually joining co-hosts Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda at the 2027 finals.