2026 World Cup: Ivory Coast win to stretch lead over Kenya

The African leg of the 2026 World Cup Qualifying competition continued Friday evening with key fixtures played all over the continent.

In Morocco, the Elephants made sure of three points through a 16th minute goal from Evan Guessard to lift the Ivorians closer to World Cup reckoning.

Burundi are playing their matches in Morocco as they don't possess a CAF-quality stadium.

The win lifts the Ivorians to 13 points from five matches played in Group F. It was a must win clash for the Ivorians who last played at the 2014 World Cup and will be looking to make a return.

Gabon though are right behind them on 12 points following a 3-0 win over the Seychelles on Thursday.

Dennis Bouanga scored twice with Jim Allevinah adding the third. Gabon face Kenya in Nairobi on Sunday. The Ivory Coast host the Gambia in Abidjan in their second match this week.

In Kigali, Victor Osimhen scored both goals as Nigeria's Super Eagles took apart their Rwandese counterparts 2-0 in a Group C clash at the Amahoro Stadium.

Osimhen struck twice, on 11 minutes to grant the away side the perfect start. He then added a second in first half stoppage time to silence the home crowd.

The win was a much needed one for the West Africans who now lie on 6 points in Group C, four behind leaders South Africa who beat Lesotho 2-0 in their clash at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane.

Today sees two matches. Togo host Mauritania at the Stade' de Kegue in Lome while in Libya, Sudan welcome Senegal, with unrest at home meaning the Sudanese host their matches in Libya.

Friday results in World Cup Qualifying

Comoros 0-3 Mali

Equatorial Guinea 2-0 Sao Tome and Principe

Botswana 1-3 Algeria

Rwanda 0-2 Nigeria

Burkina Faso 4-1 Djibouti

DR Congo 1-0 South Sudan

South Africa 2-0 Lesotho

Ghana 5-0 Chad

Guinea 0- Somalia

Burundi 0-1 Ivory Coast

Ethiopia 0-2 Egypt

Niger 1-2 Morocco