CAN 2027: Lesotho and South Sudan qualify, total suspense over the last remaining spots.

The first round of the qualifiers has delivered its verdict. Following the return legs of the preliminary round of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, Lesotho and South Sudan secured their tickets to the next phase. Held to a goalless draw in the first leg, Lesotho managed to turn the tie around against Seychelles (2-1). They fell behind after Brandon Labrosse opened the scoring, but the Basotho turned the game around thanks to Lebohang Lesako, before Motebang Sera sealed qualification late in the match.

Meanwhile, South Sudan trembled but did not buckle. Beaten 1-0 at home by Djibouti in a Juba stadium played behind closed doors, the South Sudanese nonetheless secured their qualification thanks to their emphatic first-leg victory (4-0), for an aggregate score of 4-1. The remainder of the schedule looks decisive with the last return legs due on Tuesday. Eritrea will try to maintain its 2-0 lead over Eswatini, while Mauritius and Somalia head to head after a goalless draw in the first leg.

Burundi, buoyed by its 4-0 win, will go into the tie as the favourite against Chad, while Ethiopia will need to confirm against Sao Tome and Principe after their 3-0 win in the first leg. The winners of these encounters will join the higher-ranked nations for the group stage of the qualifiers. As a reminder, the CAN 2027 final tournament will be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, who qualified automatically as host nations.