AFCON 2027 qualifiers: Nine matches on Thursday’s schedule!

The race to reach AFCON 2027 resumes on Thursday with nine qualifiers, including an early Group C showdown between Ivory Coast and Gambia.

The road to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations continues on Thursday, November 12, with nine fixtures across the continent. Several established African sides are looking to build on their opening results, while others need a response before the return matches later this month.

Ivory Coast - Gambia headlines Thursday’s action

Ivory Coast and Gambia meet in a compelling Group C contest after winning their opening two qualifiers. Their head-to-head meeting could shape the battle for top spot. In the same section, Ghana will be hoping to get back on track against Somalia after a difficult start. Read more about the build-up to the Ivory Coast - Gambia clash.

Elsewhere, DR Congo aim to maintain their momentum against Sierra Leone in Group E. Cameroon host Namibia in Group G, while Senegal face a Sudan side capable of testing the Lions of Teranga. The preview of Senegal - Sudan offers further context on one of the evening’s standout games.

Thursday, November 12: Full match schedule

Kick-off times are listed first in GMT, followed by local time in the designated home team’s country:

15:00 GMT

• Ghana - Somalia (Group C) - 15:00 in Ghana.

16:00 GMT

• DR Congo - Sierra Leone (Group E) - 17:00 in DR Congo, Kinshasa time.
• Equatorial Guinea - Zimbabwe (Group E) - 17:00 in Equatorial Guinea.
• Madagascar - Guinea-Bissau (Group L) - 19:00 in Madagascar.
• Guinea - Eritrea (Group D) - 16:00 in Guinea.

19:00 GMT

• Ivory Coast - Gambia (Group C) - 19:00 in Ivory Coast.
• Benin - Central African Republic (Group F) - 20:00 in Benin.
• Cameroon - Namibia (Group G) - 20:00 in Cameroon.
• Senegal - Sudan (Group J) - 19:00 in Senegal.

Big points at stake before the reverse fixtures

Thursday’s fixtures are part of a quick turnaround, with the fourth round of group matches scheduled for November 16 and 17. For the leading sides, three points now would provide a valuable cushion before travelling for the return leg. Those chasing the early leaders can ill afford another setback.

Read also : Foot-Africa Exclusive - Khaled Lemmouchia after USMA's triumph over Mamelodi Sundowns: "We could have won by a bigger margin"

Mahdi Zakaria LAZRI |

Editor

Football web writer creating digital sports content with a focus on news, analysis and stories that reflect passion, accuracy and objectivity.