Egypt tightened their grip on Group A with a 2-0 win over Ethiopia, as Mohamed Salah and Zizo found the net to push them five points clear at the top. Burkina Faso, meanwhile, climbed into second after a 4-1 thrashing of Djibouti.
In Group I, Ghana delivered a statement performance, demolishing Chad 5-0 in Accra. Antoine Semenyo, Inaki Williams, Jordan Ayew, Mohammed Salisu, and Ernest Nuamah all got on the scoresheet as the Black Stars surged two points ahead of Madagascar.
Ivory Coast also secured a crucial win, edging Burundi 1-0 in Group F. Evann Guessand netted his first international goal to send the AFCON champions to the top of the table.
Elsewhere, Morocco had to dig deep to defeat Niger 2-1 despite playing in familiar surroundings in Oujda. Ismael Saibari leveled the score before Bilal El Khannouss snatched a stoppage-time winner, keeping them six points clear in Group E.
South Africa battled to a 2-0 victory over Lesotho, with Relebohile Mofokeng and Jayden Adams scoring their first international goals. They now face Benin in Abidjan on Tuesday, aiming to strengthen their lead in Group C.
In Group G, Mohamed Amoura’s brace and an Amine Gouiri strike powered Algeria to a 3-1 win over Botswana, taking them to the top on goal difference. However, Guinea stumbled, being held to a 0-0 draw by Somalia.
Meanwhile, Theo Bongonda’s first-half goal helped DR Congo edge South Sudan 1-0, moving them into second place behind leaders Sudan, who play Senegal on Saturday.
Finally, Emilio Nsue marked his return from a six-month FIFA ban by scoring in Equatorial Guinea’s 2-0 victory over Sao Tome and Principe.
