Overview
- DR Congo beat Sierra Leone 3-1 on Thursday, November 12, with early goals from Yoane Wissa and Samuel Moutoussamy plus a second-half strike by Kayembe that gave the Léopards nine points and top place in Group E.
- Côte d’Ivoire and the Gambia are due to meet in a Group C showdown on the same matchday that could put the winner within range of one of the two automatic qualifying berths.
- Ghana recovered from two earlier qualifying defeats by beating Somalia 2-0, a result that stabilises the Black Stars’ campaign despite a missed penalty by Jordan Ayew.
- Other results on the November 12 matchday included Guinea 2-1 Eritrea, Madagascar 1-1 Guinea-Bissau, and Equatorial Guinea 0-0 Zimbabwe, leaving several groups still contested for the top two places.
- Broadcasting and scheduling shaped fan access to the window with matches shown on BeIN Sports 1 and the compressed qualifying calendar increasing the importance of each fixture as teams aim to secure places for the June 19, 2027 tournament hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.