It’s the first international break of the new season, with Africa’s national sides set to renew hostilities as the road to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America heats up.
While some of the continent’s top teams could secure their places in the USA, Canada and Mexico for next year’s showpiece, other heavyweights are in danger of missing out completely… yes, we’re talking about you, Nigeria.
Here are the big talking points and the African storylines to follow during the course of the international break.
Africa’s champions set for Gabon showdown
Gabon’s 4-0 victory over the Seychelles on Wednesday — the first fixture of the round — provisionally put them atop Group F, although reigning African champions Ivory Coast would retake pole position if they defeat Burundi in Abidjan on Friday.
This would set things up nicely for the September 9 showdown between Gabon and the Elephants in Franceville, in a match that could send one of these two to the brink of the World Cup.
As continental champions, Ivory Coast would be worthy representatives, although Gabon, for whom Denis Bouanga scored an eye-catching hat-trick against Seychelles, will recognise that they may rarely have a better opportunity to secure a first ever berth at the tournament.
The Panthers face a wait to see whether talisman Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will be fit for the clash with the Ivorians, having missed the Seychelles game with an injury, while Panathinaikos goalkeeper Alban Lafont has been handed a maiden call-up by Emerse Fae.
Born in Burkina Faso, and previously named in a senior France squad by Didier Deschamps, the 26-year-old goalkeeper represents a significant coup for the Elephants.
Steve Nicol and Frank Leboeuf disagree on how Hugo Ekitike might fit in the Premier League.
Doue, Ekitike keep Africa waiting… and waiting
While Lafont appears primed to make his debut for the Cote d’Ivoire this week, there will be no international switch for Paris Saint-Germain wonderkid Désiré Doué, who had been courted by Fae in recent months.
“We’ve been talking to Doue’s entourage for about two years, and with Desire himself too,” Fae told journalists earlier this year.
“We’ve talked a lot together, and he’s obviously a player we would have liked to have back and who has thought about it for a long, long time.
“His heart has been beating for a long, long time between coming to play for Cote d’Ivoire and playing for France.”
Ultimately, Les Bleus have won out, with the West Africans left to wonder what might have been had they succeeded in tempting the Champions League winner to their ranks.
It’s a similar story for Cameroon, amidst rumours of a move to bring Hugo Ekitike into the fold, although besieged Indomitable Lions head coach Marc Brys was defiant recently when questioned about the Africans’ prospects of recruiting the Liverpool new boy.
“I haven’t contacted him,” Brys said in a press conference ahead of the international break. “He put all his money into trying to play for France and he didn’t succeed, and now we, Cameroon, are his second choice?
“I don’t need to be a second choice.”
Currently second in Group D, behind Cape Verde, Cameroon should beat Eswatini in Yaounde on Thursday, before a showdown with the group leaders in Praia next week.
DRC-Senegal: The clash of the window?
It’s a three-way tussle for qualification in Group B, where only one point separates group-leaders Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal and Sudan.
Arguably the match of the international window in Africa takes place in Kinshasa on September 9, where 2021 African champions Senegal will recognise that defeat would risk condemning them to – at best – the inter-continental playoffs.
Pape Thiaw will be without Crystal Palace wideman Ismaïla Sarr after he picked up an injury during Sunday’s Premier League defeat by Aston Villa, although the Teranga Lions still have ample firepower with the likes of Sadio Mané, Nicolas Jackson, Iliman Ndiaye and Boulaye Dia all vying for starting positions up top.
The Leopards, aiming for a first World Cup appearance since 1974, can take confidence from their 1-1 draw in Senegal in June last year – when Fiston Mayele scored a late equaliser – and appear (finally) set to give a debut to West Ham United fullback Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
The ex-Manchester United defender represented both England and the DRC at youth level, and has finally decided to commit to the Leopards.
Before facing the Congolese, Senegal must navigate the visit of Sudan, who will also be harbouring realistic hopes of progression after going unbeaten in their first six matches.
Ghana taking major steps to redemption
In November last year, Ghana were in the doldrums, having failed to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations — set to be held in Morocco later this year — after taking three points from their six qualifiers to finish at the foot of Group F.
It was a bitter humiliation for the four-time African champions, but they’ve responded in style during the World Cup qualifying campaign, and lead Group I with 15 points from their six matches to date.
They aren’t home and dry, with Chad away and Mali at home to come during this international break, but head coach Otto Addo — who kept his post despite increasing supporter unrest — has vowed to keep feet on the ground until qualification is secure.
“We are in a good situation and I hope that we can do everything to qualify,” he told journalists in N’Djamena. “We have to take it step by step, we can’t make a mistake. “A lot of people are talking about the World Cup already, but it’s still a long way.”
Despite their decline in an AFCON context, Ghana have maintained a decent record in the World Cup qualifiers, reaching four of the last five editions of the tournament.
Can Morocco stay perfect?
Across Europe, South America, Asia and Africa, only one team still enjoys a 100-percent record in the qualifying campaign so far, with Morocco having won all five of their fixtures to date.
It’s been an imperious start to the qualifying campaign for the Atlas Lions so far, and they’ll be keen to extend their record — and reach the tournament in some style — by dispatching Niger and Zambia during this international break.
Beyond the World Cup — and Morocco currently six points ahead of Tanzania in second — expect the Lions to use these fixtures as an opportunity to sharpen their approach ahead of the Nations Cup on home soil later this year.
Walid Regragui has included several new faces — including AS Roma midfielder Neil El Aynaoui, son of Moroccan tennis great Younes — but the head coach insists that he’s still considering a broad pool of players ahead of the Nations Cup.
“There are cards still to be distributed, and the door is open to all players,” he told journalists. “They key players from the last World Cup are there. There’s competition, of course, but the current form, style of play and experience of the players are decisive in the choices made.”
Nigeria staring elimination in the face…
There’s no African heavyweight in greater peril, with only four matches still to play, than Nigeria, who are six points off group leaders South Africa heading into the international break.
The Super Eagles need maximum points from their outstanding matches – including against Bafana Bafana in Bloemfontein on September 9 – to stand a chance of progression, although the CAF playoffs and the inter-continental playoffs might represent a more realistic route to the competition.
Before the Bafana game, Nigeria host Rwanda on Saturday, with the Amavubi — currently on eight points — representing a veritable banana skin.
The West African giants will be harbouring hope that South Africa will be punished by FIFA for playing the ineligible Teboho Mokoena in their March victory over Lesotho. If that result is overturned and Bafana punished, then Nigeria may start fancying their chances of an unlikely escape act.
Under-pressure Eric Chelle can call upon Victor Osimhen, Alex Iwobi, Ademola Lookman and many others as he looks to improve dramatically on Nigeria’s recent performances.