CAN 2023 qualifiers: two days, double confrontations, the stakes of a pivotal week

Cape Verde and Burkina Faso, here at CAN 2022, will meet again for the 3rd and 4th days of the CAN 2023 qualifiers. REUTERS - MOHAMED ABD EL GHANY

Text by: Ndiasse Sambe Follow

2 min

After two days played in 2022, no team is qualified or eliminated for the CAN 2023. But after these 3rd and fourth days which take place from 22 to 28 March, some formations could already set foot in Côte d'Ivoire. Or move away from it permanently.

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Two days in one week and verdicts that could fall at the end of acts 3 and 4 of the CAN 2023 qualifiers. Qualifications already in pocket or eliminations at the end of the fourth day? In any case, no less than five teams, victorious in the first two days, can hope to get closer to Abidjan in case of a full card.

Nigeria, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Mali and Algeria are indeed well on their way to qualifying, but serious double confrontations await them. Senegal will travel to Mozambique, 2nd in Pool L with four points, while Mali will have a lot to do with Gambia in Group G. Nigeria will have everything to fear from Guinea-Bissau (Group A), as will Algeria of Niger, author of two draws in two days (Pool F). Burkina Faso will be eagerly awaited by Togo, which has only one point on the clock.

DR Congo in great danger

But all eyes will be on DR Congo, which is already under high pressure in Group I. The Congolese lost their first two matches of the qualifiers against Gabon (0-1) and Sudan (1-2). They will now meet Mauritania (leader of the group with four points) in a double confrontation that promises to be decisive. Already absent from the last Cameroonian AFCON, the Congolese have almost toasted their jokers and must at least take four points in both matches. Frenchman Sébastien Desabre, who took the lead of the Leopards last August, will have to quickly aim for the feat.

Mohamed Salah's Egypt will also have to remobilize. The finalist team of the last CAN is last in its pool after a victory and a loss. But nothing alarming for the moment for the Pharaohs since all their opponents have the same record in this group D. The double confrontations Malawi-Egypt and Guinea-Ethiopia will certainly shuffle the cards. Or freeze positions...

► See also

CAN 2023 qualifiers: all dates and times of the 3rd and 4th rounds

CAN 2023 Qualifying: Calendar, results, rankings

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