Gabon’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang made headlines on Friday as he scored four goals and received a red card during African qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.
Meanwhile, both Senegal and Ivory Coast made significant strides towards securing their places at the upcoming tournament.
African champions Ivory Coast achieved a resounding 7-0 away victory in Seychelles, bolstering their qualification hopes after an initial 9-0 win over the same opponents two years ago in Abidjan. Seven different players contributed to the scoreline, with Nottingham Forest’s Ibrahim Sangare opening the scoring just seven minutes in and substitute Franck Kessie rounding off the tally in the dying moments of the match. Seychelles, ranked 159th in the world, have now conceded 46 goals in their nine qualifying matches and remain without a win.
In Nairobi, Gabon secured a thrilling 4-3 win against The Gambia, maintaining their pursuit in Group F just one point behind Ivory Coast. The Gabonese team led twice during the match but found themselves trailing at one point before Aubameyang made his significant impact with two late goals. Unfortunately for the Gabonese star, he received two yellow cards in quick succession in the closing stages, resulting in his dismissal in the 86th minute.
Ahead of their final qualifiers next week, Ivory Coast sit at 23 points, while Gabon trails closely with 22. Both sides will have home advantage in their next fixtures, with Ivory Coast set to face Kenya and Gabon taking on Burundi.
In Group B, Senegal is in a strong position, maintaining a two-point lead over the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) after contrasting away victories. Senegal, vying for their third consecutive World Cup appearance, dispatched South Sudan 5-0 in Juba, with Crystal Palace’s Ismaila Sarr scoring twice. Veteran forward Sadio Mane also got on the scoresheet as Senegal comfortably transformed a 1-0 halftime lead into a comprehensive win. On the other hand, DR Congo managed a narrow 1-0 victory over Togo, thanks to a solitary goal from Cedric Bakambu.
Senegal now holds 21 points, with DR Congo on 19, as they approach their decisive final matches. Senegal will host Mauritania, while DR Congo welcomes Sudan.
In a separate encounter, Sudan’s chances for World Cup qualification were dashed after they played out a 0-0 draw with Mauritania in Dar es Salaam.
As the battle intensifies in Group C, leaders Benin face challenges from South Africa, Nigeria, Rwanda, and Lesotho, all vying for first place and a chance to qualify.
The nine group winners will automatically secure spots at the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Additionally, the four best-ranked runners-up will enter playoffs that could enable Africa to send a 10th representative to the expanded 48-team tournament.
