Niger, Tunisia, and Libya each secured vital wins in their respective TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers on Thursday, further reshaping the standings as teams inch closer to the coveted tournament spots.
Niger 4-0 Sudan: Comprehensive victory for Niger
Niger delivered an emphatic 4-0 win over Sudan at the Stade de Kégué, marking their first victory in the campaign and handing their opponents a major setback in their quest to qualify
The win allowed the Mena to climb to third place in Group F with four points, putting pressure on second-placed Sudan.
The home side opened the scoring early with Daniel Sosah converting a cross from Kairou Amoustapha just six minutes into the game.
Youssouf Oumarou doubled the lead in the 29th minute with a stunning strike from outside the box.
Sosah added another before halftime, calmly slotting in a penalty after Mohamed Erneq's foul in the area.
Ousseini Badamassi capped the dominant performance in the 51st minute, solidifying Niger's hopes of a resurgence in their qualifying bid.
Despite Sudan's attempts to claw back, they struggled to break down a well-organized Niger defence.
Their loss leaves them in second place with seven points, though the gap to Angola at the top remains sizeable.
Tunisia 3-2 Madagascar: Late drama seals the win
In a thrilling encounter at Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Tunisia overcame Madagascar 3-2, securing three points to top Group A with 10 points.
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The match saw a frantic start as Tunisia took an early lead through Hamza Rafia, but Madagascar hit back with an own goal by Amenallah Memmich, leveling the score.
Tunisia responded through Sayfallah Ltaief's clinical finish before Madagascar's Ibrahim Amada struck back with a powerful shot from outside the box to make it 2-2 by halftime.
The second half was a tense affair with both teams battling for control, but it was Tunisia who found the winner in stoppage time.
Ali Abdi rose high to nod the ball into the net, sealing the 3-2 victory. The result left Madagascar at the bottom of the group with only 2 points, while Tunisia now sits comfortably in the top spot.
Libya 1-0 Rwanda: Late goal edges Libya past Rwanda
Libya snatched a narrow 1-0 victory over Rwanda in Kigali, thanks to a late strike by Fahd Saad Mohamed.
The game was closely contested, with both sides creating chances but struggling to find the back of the net.
Rwanda's Innocent Nshuti came close on several occasions, but Libyan goalkeeper Bader Hassan stood firm.
As the game approached its conclusion, Mohamed found himself unmarked in the box, receiving a pass from Nour aldin Al Qulaib to slot it past Rwanda's Thierry Manzi in the 84th minute.
The win pushed Libya up to four points, although they remain at the bottom of Group D, while Rwanda stays in third with five points.
