The U23 Amavubi of Rwanda (photo CAF)

The first round of the U23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers has concluded. The teams advancing to the second round are now known. Tunisia eliminated Benin while Libya triumphed over Togo. The U23 Leopards of the DRC managed to bounce back against the Mourabitounes.

Fourteen teams secured their places in the second round. Among them, four did not have to play matches due to the withdrawal of their opponents. Madagascar, Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, and Ethiopia benefited from the forfeits of Comoros, Sierra Leone, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Uganda.

On the field, fiercely contested matches revealed their champions. Angola, with perfect control, eliminated Namibia. After a draw in the first leg, the Palancas Negras crushed the Brave Warriors 5-0. A similar situation occurred between Libya and Togo. The Knights of the Nile showed realism at home, winning 3-1 after a draw in Lomé.

The DRC showed its best face. After losing the first leg in Nouakchott (0-1), the Leopards bounced back by overturning the Mourabitounes in Lumumbashi, 2-0. Djibouti triumphed over South Sudan, but the 3-0 victory in the first leg allowed the Bright Stars to continue their journey.

The nations qualified for the second round of the U23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers:

  • Burkina Faso

  • Equatorial Guinea

  • Ethiopia

  • Madagascar

  • Djibouti

  • Angola

  • Tunisia

  • Eswatini

  • Rwanda

  • Zimbabwe

  • Botswana

  • DR Congo

  • Kenya

  • Libya