Uganda Cranes and Sudan have registered important wins to brighten their chances of qualifying for the TotalEnergies CAF Africa cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025.

Coach Paul Put guided Uganda Cranes to a 2-1 win away to South Sudan in a Group K match of the qualifiers played at the Juba National Stadium on Tuesday.

Denis Omedi gave Uganda the lead with a 15^th minute strike, but Yohanna Juma leveled matters six minutes later.

After recess substitute Travis Mutyaba’s free kick was diverted by Alfred Leku for an own goal to restore Uganda’s lead after 66 minutes. The South Sudan team tried to push forward in search of more goals, but failed to beat Uganda’s defending line.

The win sent Uganda further top of Group K with 10 points, while South Africa who later drew 1-1 away to Congo Brazzaville moved to 8 points.

In a Group F match played at the Martyrs Stadium in Libya, hosts Sudan scored two second half goals to defeat former African champions Ghana 2-0.

Amed Hamed Mahamed and Mohamed Abdelrahman netted the goals to send Sudan to 7 points with two matches to spare. Angola who will face Niger later lead the Group with 9 points.

At the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam, hosts Tanzania suffered a 2-0 defeat to DR Congo in a Group H match of the qualifier. Meshak Elia netted two late goals to ensure DR Congo qualified for the AFCON 2025 with two more matches yet to be played.

Tanzania remain in second place with 4 points, while Guinea who are placed third with 3 points were yet to play bottom placed Ethiopia later.

Two other teams from the CECAFA Zone Burundi and Kenya also suffered defeats in matches played on Sunday and Monday respectively. Burkina Faso stopped Burundi 2-0, while Kenya lost 1-0 to Cameroon in a match played at the Nelson Mandela Stadium, Namboole in Kampala, Uganda.

Collected results

Burundi 0 Burkina Faso 2

Kenya 0 Cameroon 1

Sudan 2 Ghana 0

Tanzania 0 DR Congo 2

South Sudan 1 Uganda 2

Uganda Cranes have kept their TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 qualification hopes alive after a hard fought 1-0 win against South Sudan in a match played on Friday night at the Nelson Mandela Stadium, Namboole.

Cyprus based defender Bevis Mugabi scored the lone goal two minutes after the interval when he finished off a rebound after the South Sudan defenders failed to clear their lines off a corner.

While the Uganda coach Paul Joseph Put made some changes and the hosts pushed forward in the second half, the South Sudan team defended for longer spells.

The win takes Uganda to seven points in Group K after their earlier matches that saw them draw 2-2 away to South Africa and a 2-0 home win against Congo Brazzaville.

In the other matches played by CECAFA teams on Friday night, Kenya suffered a 4-1 defeat away to Cameroon, while Rwanda also lost 3-0 away to Benin.

Vincent Aboubakar netted from the spot, while Martin Hongla, Bryan Mbeumo and Christian Mouyang Bassong netted for the home side in the Group J match at the Japoma Stadium. Skipper Micheal Olunga scored the lone goal for Kenya.

Against Benin in a Group D match, the home side scored through Steve Mounie, Andreas Hountondji and Hassane Imourane.

Collected results

Ghana 0 Sudan 0

DR Congo 1 Tanzania 0

Burkina Faso 4 Burundi 1

Benin 3 Rwanda 0

Uganda 1 South Sudan 0

Cameroon 4 Kenya 1

Sudan have battled to a goalless draw against hosts Ghana in a Group F match of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 qualifiers.

The hosts dominated the match played at the Accra Sports Stadium on Thursday, but the Sudan team known as the Falcons of Jediane defended well.

Sudan’s outstanding goalkeeper Mohammed Mustafa blocked attempts by Antoine Semenyo and Alexander Djiku. The Sudan team also had scoring opportunities by Aboubaker Eisa and Mohamed Eisa that they failed to utilize.

The draw for coach Kwasi Appiah’s Sudan team leaves them in second place with 4 points after three matches played, while Angola who were yet to face Niger are top of the log with six points.

In another match played by a team from the CECAFA Zone, Tanzania suffered a 1-0 defeat to DR Congo in a Group H match played at the Martyrs Stadium.

After a goalless first half, the Taifa Stars conceded an own goal after a deflection by Clement Nzize after 53 minutes off a well taken corner kick.

The defeat leaves Tanzania in second place with 4 points, while DR Congo kept their 100% winning run to take their points to nine. Ethiopia who have collected only one point from two matches will battle bottom placed Guinea in the second Group H match.

Burundi also suffered a 4-1 defeat away to Burkina Faso in a Group L match.

Action continues on Friday with Uganda hosting South Sudan in a Group K match in Kampala, while Rwanda play away to Benin in a Group D match. Harambee Stars of Kenya will also play away to Cameroon in a Group J match at the Japoma Stadium.

The Amavubi of Rwanda and the Nigeria settled for a goalless draw in a Group D match of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 qualifier played in Kigali on Tuesday.

Graced by the President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, the match was watched by a big crowd at the newly renovated Amahoro Stadium.

Against a star studded Super Eagles side, the Rwanda defenders led by Ange Mutsinzi, Fitina Omborenga and Claude Niyomugabo were up to the task and kept them at bay.

Earlier after 21 minutes Lookman Olajide Ademola thought he had given Nigeria the lead off a header, but the referee called for a free-kick after an infringement in the box.

Later the Nigerian bench made changes bringing on star players Moses Simon in for Samuel Chukwueze, and Victor Osimhen in for Victor Boniface. But the Super Eagles were still locked out by the determined Amavubi side.

In the 87^th minute Rwanda had a chance when Bonheur Mugisha’s shot was parried back into play by Nigeria’s goalkeeper Stanley Bobo Nwabali.

In Juba, hosts South Sudan suffered a 3-2 defeat to South Africa in a Group K match. Tito Okello gave the Bright Star the lead from the spot after 15 minutes after being brought down by Siyabonga Ngezana. But Oswin Appollis netted two goals to take South Africa 2-1 at the interval.

Later Valentino Yuel leveled matters for South Sudan 13 minutes after the break. With just a few minutes of added time Thalente Mbatha scored for Bafana Bafana to enable them pick three valuable points.

Uganda Cranes who beat Congo Brazzaville 2-0 in another Group K match played in Kampala on Monday remain top of the Group with a better goal advantage than South Africa who also have the same number of points

On Monday other teams in the CECAFA Zone Burundi suffered a 1-0 Group L defeat to Senegal, while Sudan lost 2-1 away to Angola in a Group F match played in Luanda. Ethiopia suffered a 2-0 defeat to DR Congo in a Group H match they hosted at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.