Congo secured a crucial 1-0 win over South Sudan on Thursday, September 5, to start their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers campaign on a high, and top Group K.
The match, which was played at the Alphonse Massamba-Debat Stadium in Brazzaville, saw Congo’s Chandrelle Massanga scoring the decisive goal in the 12th minute.
Led by captain Bryan Passi, Congo dominated much of the first half but struggled to extend their lead.
South Sudan, determined to equalise, put up a resilient defense and mounted several counter-attacks, but their efforts were in vain as Congo held on for the victory.
The win sees Congo sit at the summit of Group K that also features Uganda and South Africa, with the latter two set to face off later today in Johannesburg at 7 pm EAT.
The Congolese team will now prepare for their upcoming fixture against Uganda on Monday, September 9, at the Mandela National Stadium, Namboole, while South Sudan will host South Africa on Tuesday, September 10, in Juba, aiming to recover from their opening defeat.
In other AFCON qualifier action on the day, Angola delivered a shocking upset by defeating Ghana 1-0 in Kumasi.
A stoppage-time goal from Felicio Milson secured Angola’s victory at the Baba Yara Stadium, leaving Ghana frustrated as they sought redemption following their disappointing exit from the last AFCON tournament.
Elsewhere, the Central African Republic claimed a comfortable 3-1 victory over Lesotho. Louis Mafouta led his team to triumph with two early goals, and Goduine Koyalipou added a third to cement their position as strong contenders in the qualifiers.
Meanwhile, Guinea-Bissau grabbed a narrow 1-0 win against Eswatini, with Bura Nogueira scoring the lone goal.
Burundi edged Malawi 3-2 in an entertaining encounter, and Algeria and Tunisia also registered victories, defeating Equatorial Guinea and Madagascar, respectively.
AFCON Qualifiers Results for Thursday, September 5:
Congo 1-0 South Sudan
Ghana 0-1 Angola
Central African Republic 3-1 Lesotho
Guinea-Bissau 1-0 Eswatini
Malawi 2-3 Burundi
Algeria 2-0 Equatorial Guinea
Tunisia 1-0 Madagascar
