Overview
- Ivory Coast began their title defense with a 1-0 win over Mozambique in Marrakesh, as Amad Diallo struck early in the second half to secure Group F points.
- Algeria topped Sudan 3-0 in Rabat with a Riyad Mahrez brace and an Ibrahim Maza goal against 10 men, as Luca Zidane started in goal in front of his father Zinedine.
- Burkina Faso overturned an 85th-minute deficit to beat Equatorial Guinea 2-1 in Casablanca, equalizing in the 95th minute before Edmond Tapsoba headed a 98th-minute winner.
- Cameroon edged Gabon 1-0 in Agadir through an early strike from Karl Etta Eyong to join the early Group F winners.
- Officials acknowledged a VAR malfunction in DR Congo’s 1-0 win over Benin that prevented review of a potential handball by Chancel Mbemba, prompting concerns over the technology’s reliability.