Ivory Coast demonstrated dominance in Abidjan on Friday, setting a new record for the largest winning margin in an African World Cup qualifier by defeating Seychelles 9-0.
Sebastien Haller of Borussia Dortmund initiated the scoring spree in the 20th minute, while Karim Konate from Salzburg sealed the victory with a goal five minutes into added time.
Konate and Hamed Traore each scored twice, while Haller, Ibrahim Sangare, Simon Adingra, Seko Fofana, and Jean-Philippe Krasso contributed one goal each in the Group F mismatch on matchday one. Seychelles, ranked 195th in FIFA rankings, a staggering 121 places below Ivory Coast, faced a formidable challenge.
The first round of 2026 World Cup qualifying in Africa paired the top nine teams against the bottom nine, leading to inevitable one-sided matches.
Egypt set the tone on Thursday by scoring six goals against Djibouti in Group A, with Mohamed Salah securing four goals.
Before the record-setting win in Abidjan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Libya, and Algeria jointly held the record for eight-goal winning margins.
While Ivory Coast celebrated a goal-filled victory, Ghana had a tougher time, waiting until the 96th minute for Inaki Williams to secure a 1-0 win against Madagascar in Group I. Williams’ header, his first for Ghana, potentially eased the pressure on coach Chris Hughton, who had faced criticism after recent friendly losses.
In other matches, Cameroon, with eight World Cup appearances, struggled against Mauritius in a Group D home game before securing a 3-0 win. Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo broke the deadlock, and late goals from Georges N’Koudou and Frank Magri sealed the victory.
Tunisia secured a 4-0 win over Sao Tome e Principe in Group H, while Zambia, under former Chelsea manager Avram Grant, claimed a 4-2 victory over Congo Brazzaville in Group E.
Burkina Faso, aiming to challenge Egypt for automatic qualification in Group A, faced a setback with a 1-1 draw against Guinea-Bissau.
Reigning African champions Senegal and South Africa are scheduled for action on Saturday, concluding the first round of 26 fixtures. Matchday two is set to begin on Sunday.
