AFCON qualifiers: Senegal draw in Vieira's debut, Nigeria edge past scare, Cape Verde fall
In the opening round of Africa Cup of Nations qualifying, Senegal drew with Mozambique in Pape Thiaw... actually Patrice Vieira's debut as coach, Nigeria narrowly beat Madagascar, while Cape Verde lost to Mali.
The opening round of Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying produced mixed results for several national teams across the continent.
Senegal, regarded as one of Africa's strongest sides, played to a draw against Mozambique. The match marked the first game in charge for new head coach Patrice Vieira, who began his tenure without securing a win.
Nigeria managed to get past Madagascar, but not without a scare. The Nigerian side came under pressure during the match before ultimately prevailing over their opponents.
Cape Verde, meanwhile, suffered a setback as they were beaten by Mali, marking a difficult start to their qualifying campaign.
Overall, the opening round showed a varied picture — from a hard-fought draw, to a narrowly secured win, to an outright defeat — suggesting that the qualifying race for tournament spots will be closely contested among the continent's teams.
