Two teams from the CECAFA Zone Rwanda and Sudan have collected wins in the group stage of the 2027 TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

The Amavubi saw off Liberia 3-1 in a Group K match played at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali on Friday evening.

Playing in-front of the Football loving President Paul Kagame, Abeddy Biramahire gave the hosts the lead after onlyt two minutes to send the fans cheering.

Joy-Lance Michels netted his first goal in national colours with a second goal after 33 minutes. But the visitors pulled one back through Sylvanus Nimely five minutes later.

Rwanda were awarded a penalty before the interval, and the FK Shabah striker Joy-Lance Micheals made no mistake from the spot. The were no goals in the second half.

In another match played on Friday, in a battle of CECAFA teams  Sudan edged Ethiopia in a Group J match played at the Juba National Stadium in South Sudan. Mohamed Mamoun Eisa netted the lone goal late in the second half.

South Sudan, Somalia and Burundi suffered away defeats in ohter matches played on Friday. South Sudan lost 2-1 to Malawi in Group B tie, while Somalia also lost 2-1 away to The Gambia. Burundi fell 1-0 to Togo in a match played at the Regue Stadium in Lome.

On Thursday Uganda Cranes picked a point away to Tunisia after a 1-1 draw in the Group H match, while Tanzania suffered a 2-0 defeat to Guinea Bissau in a Group L match played at the New Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar.

Kenya will host Eritrea in a Group D match in Nairobi on Saturday.

The national team of Sudan has intensified preparations in Taif, Saudi Arabia ahead of their 2027 TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier matches.

Sudan will host Ethiopia in Juba on September 25^th and face Mozambique four days later in Maputo in Group J matches.

James Kwesi Appiah, the Sudan head coach has made it clear that they are looking forward to making a good start in the qualifiers because their target is to qualify for the AFCON 2027.

“We have had players joining the team in groups because many have been busy with their teams in CAF competitions,” added Appiah.

Nine other teams in the CECAFA Zone are also preparing ahead of Day 1 of the AFCON qualifiers.

South Sudan under a new coach Christian N’Sengi-Biembe are also preparing to play away to Malawi in a Group B match, while Rwanda will host Liberia in a Group K tie on the September 25^th.

Eritrea who qualified from the preliminary stage will play away to Kenya, while Somalia travel to face The Gambia in Group D and C matches respectively. Uganda and Burundi will travel to face Tunisia and Togo respectively.

The AFCON 2027 will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

Day 1 matches for CECAFA teams

Group B: Malawi vs South Sudan

Group C: Gambia vs Somalia

Group D: Kenya vs Eritrea

Group H: Tunisia vs Uganda

Group I: Togo vs Burundi

Group J: Sudan vs Ethiopia

Group K: Rwanda vs Liberia

Group L: Tanzania vs Guinea

CECAFA teams Sudan and Ethiopia have been placed in Group J 2027 TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) PAMOJA qualifiers.

In the draw conducted at the Egyptian Football Association headquarters in Cairo, Egypt on Tuesday, the two CECAFA teams were placed alongside Senegal and Mozambique.

The draw was conducted by former African football stars Max-Alain Gradel (Cote d’Ivoire), William Troost-Ekong (Nigeria), Essam El Hadary (Egypt) and Trésor Mputu (DR Congo).

Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania will co-host the tournament from June 19 June to July 17, 2027. Co-hosts will take part in qualifiers but have secured their places as co-hosts, so one team from their pool will join them.

The first matches of the group qualifiers will kick-off in September, 2026.

Group D also has two CECAFA teams Kenya and Eritrea together with South Africa and Guinea. Somalia who are making a return to the group stage of the qualifiers after several years are placed alongside Ivory Coast, Ghana and The Gambia.

The 48 teams that will play in the qualifiers have been placed into 12 groups, with the top two in each pool advancing to the continental finals.

The Ocean Stars of Somalia have qualified for the group stage of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2027 qualifiers.

After a goalless draw over two legs against Mauritius, the Ocean Stars qualified for the first time after edging the hosts 4-2 in penalty shootouts in a match played on Tuesday.

The Somalia team has now joined other teams from the CECAFA Zone South Sudan, Eritrea, Burundi and Ethiopia.

In Eswatini, Ibrahim Sulieman Ibrahim netted a brace for Eritrea to win 2-1. The Red Sea Camels who had most players on the squad plying outside the African continent qualified on a 4-1 goal aggregate.

“Scoring four goals and conceding one means that the team played well and we are happy to qualify for the next stage,” said Eritrea’s coach Hasham Yakan.

Ethiopia also scored a lone goal through Ghernet Gugsa to beat Sao Tome & Principe 1-0 in the return leg played at the Dire Dawa Stadium. The Ethiopians qualified on a 4-0 goal aggregate.

Burundi thrashed Chad 4-0 in Bujumbura to record a huge 8-0 goal aggregate. The five teams from the CECAFA Zone that qualified from the preliminary stage of the qualifiers include; South Sudan, Eritrea, Somalia, Burundi and Ethiopia.

The AFCON 2027 will be hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.