Overview
- Matchday one closed with most contenders winning, Morocco beating Comoros 2-0 on Ayoub El Kaabi’s bicycle kick as Mali stumbled with a late 1-1 draw against Zambia.
- Torrential rain did not disrupt play, with SubAir pitch technology credited for keeping surfaces playable and matches on schedule.
- CAF confirmed the tournament will move to a quadrennial cycle from 2028 with a new annual competition slated for 2029, prompting criticism from coaches and concerns inside CAF over compressed qualifying and back-to-back editions in 2027–2028.
- A 15-minute VAR outage during DR Congo vs Benin led to complaints from Benin’s staff after a potential handball could not be reviewed.
- Club-versus-country tensions flared as Olympique de Marseille criticized Gabon for playing Pierre‑Emerick Aubameyang despite the club having declared him unavailable.