The qualifying rounds for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations got underway, with several of the continent's leading football nations beginning their campaigns, according to France 24. Cameroon and Cote d'Ivoire both opened with victories, while Zimbabwe produced a comeback that drew wide attention, CAF's official website reports.
The opening fixtures also marked the start of qualifying for two prominent coaches. Patrick Vieira and Herve Renard both began their campaigns, the BBC reports. Vieira's first test in the qualifying competition was among the storylines flagged ahead of the matches.
Coverage from ESPN highlighted additional angles around the round of fixtures, noting that Nigeria cannot afford to stumble and that Ghana entered the qualifiers dealing with absences. ESPN also framed the window as Vieira's first test in charge during this qualifying cycle.
France 24 and The Guardian Nigeria both reported on the same theme: the continent's established powers kicking off their bids for a place at the 2027 tournament. CAF's report focused on the results themselves, including Zimbabwe's comeback and the winning starts made by Cameroon and Cote d'Ivoire.
The reports did not include match scores or details of the goals in the material available. What is clear from the coverage is that the qualifying phase is now under way and that several of African football's biggest names have already taken the field.
With the campaign barely started, the coming matchdays will show whether the early winners can build momentum and whether the sides dealing with absences, including Ghana, can adjust. Vieira's progress will also be closely watched after his first qualifying outing.
