In a dramatic turn of events across African Cup of Nations qualifying on Tuesday, continental heavyweights Egypt, Morocco, and Senegal all secured commanding away victories, but it was Algeria's remarkable comeback that captured headlines. The North Africans found themselves staring at potential embarrassment when they fell 2-0 behind to Burundi after just 12 minutes in Bujumbura. However, Mohamed Belloumi and Adil Boulbina scored crucial equalizing goals to salvage a draw for Algeria in their Group I encounter, though the performance under new coach Brahim Hemdani raised questions given Burundi's standing 116 places below them in the FIFA rankings.
Egypt delivered the tournament's most impressive result, routing South Sudan 5-0 in Juba with a clinical display that saw Omar Marmoush record a brace while Mostafa Zico, Ibrahim Adel, and teenage prospect Hamza Abdelkarim added the remaining goals in Group B. Notably, Egypt opted to leave Mohamed Salah at home due to injury concerns surrounding the artificial surface in Juba. Meanwhile, Morocco claimed top spot in Group A following a 2-0 triumph over Lesotho in Bloemfontein, South Africa—the neutral venue required because Lesotho lacks a stadium meeting international standards. Brahim Diaz opened the scoring just before halftime, with Azzedine Ounahi sealing the victory eight minutes from full-time.
Senegal's new coach Patrick Vieira registered his maiden competitive victory following a previous draw against Mozambique, with the Lions of Teranga edging Ethiopia 1-0 away through Ibrahim Mbaye's 11th-minute strike, which came via a perfectly-timed pass from his Aston Villa teammate Nicolas Jackson. In Group J, Mozambique surged to the top on goal difference after dismantling Sudan 4-1 at home in Maputo, with striker Chamito, who plies his trade in Portugal's third tier, notching a crucial double. Adding to the day's winners, Comoros claimed a 1-0 home victory over Namibia in Moroni courtesy of Benjaloud Youssef's early second-half goal.
The 17-match qualifying slate for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations—set to be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda—continues to produce unpredictable outcomes. Ghana, Zambia, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, and Nigeria were also scheduled for matches later on Tuesday, with several playing at home. The results underline how vulnerable even the tournament's traditional powerhouses can be when traveling across the continent, while underlining the competitive depth now present throughout African football's qualifying competition.