Egypt, South Africa Secure Victories in AFCON Qualifiers
Egypt, led by star forward Mohamed Salah, cruised to a dominant 4-0 victory over Botswana in their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match. Salah opened the scoring for the Pharaohs, who extended their lead to 2-0 at halftime thanks to another goal from Mahmoud Hassan (Trezeguet). Salah added to his tally in the second half, tapping in a cross that evaded the Botswana defense. Mostafa Fathy sealed the rout in added time, giving Egypt a maximum six points from their opening two matches.
Other African powerhouses had mixed fortunes. South Africa snatched a dramatic 3-2 win in South Sudan, with substitute Thalente Mbatha scoring the decisive goal in the 95th minute. Nigeria, however, were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw in Rwanda, despite the efforts of Ademola Lookman.
In Group G, defending champions Ivory Coast defeated Chad 2-0, with Jean-Philippe Krasso opening the scoring. East Africa celebrated victories, with Kenya beating Namibia 2-1 and Tanzania edging Guinea 2-1.
Travel difficulties hampered Botswana’s preparations, as they arrived in Francistown from Mauritania just seven hours before facing Egypt. Despite the challenges, Botswana goalkeeper Goitseone Phoko made several impressive saves, but could not prevent the Pharaohs from securing a comfortable victory.
Rwanda goalkeeper Fiacre Ntwari was the star of the show in Kigali, denying Nigeria’s attacking threats, including Lookman. The Super Eagles remain in contention for qualification, but will need to improve their performance in their upcoming matches.
South Africa’s Mbatha has emerged as a key player for his country, scoring crucial goals in both of their qualifying matches. The Bright Stars of South Sudan showed resilience, but ultimately fell short against a more experienced South African side.
Kenya’s victory over Namibia puts them top of Group J, while Tanzania’s win over Guinea keeps them in contention in Group H. The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign is set to continue in October, with several key matches on the horizon.