AFCON 2027 Qualifiers: Ghana Lose to Ivory Coast as Cameroon, DR Congo Claim Victories

The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying series got underway on Thursday, with Ghana suffering a 2-0 defeat to Ivory Coast, while Cameroon and DR Congo opened their campaigns with victories.

Ghana endured a difficult start against the Elephants, with Brighton midfielder Malick Yalcouyé breaking the deadlock just before half-time.

Ivory Coast doubled their advantage in the second half through Franck Kessié, who calmly converted a penalty to seal a 2-0 victory over the Black Stars.

Cameroon also made a winning start, defeating Comoros 3-1 in an entertaining encounter.

David Roy Nyengue opened the scoring for the Indomitable Lions in the 39th minute with a header before Manchester United forward Bryan Mbeumo extended their lead shortly after the restart, making it 2-0 in the 48th minute.

Comoros responded three minutes later with a free-kick goal to reduce the deficit, but Cameroon restored their two-goal cushion in the 81st minute when Namaso found the back of the net.

Elsewhere, Tunisia were held to a 1-1 draw by Uganda, while DR Congo secured a 2-0 victory over Equatorial Guinea to begin their qualifying campaign on a positive note.