Mali, trained by Portuguese Tony da Silva, today isolated itself in the leadership of the K Group for access to the 2027 African Nations Cup of Football (CAN), winning at reception to Rwanda (3-2), recovering from two disadvantages.
© Politehnica Iasi
13/11/2026
by
Lusa
ANDm Bamako, the alternate Mamadou Camara (84 minutes) made the decisive goal and kept the hosts only with triumphs since the arrival of Tony, already after Kamory Doumbia (43) and Moussa Yeo (63) have responded to the attempts of Jojea Kwizera (29) and Phenuel Kavita (64) in favor of visitors.
In a ‘poule’ in which the first two classifieds settle for the CAN, Mali leads at the end of three out of six journeys and adds nine points, against six in Rwanda, second, three in Cape Verde, third, and none in Liberia, fourth and last.
Earlier, Cape Verde defeated Liberia (4-2) at home and debuted to win the third meeting under the guidance of Humberto Bettencourt, a former deputy to predecessor Pedro Brito, best known as Bubista.
Absent from the last edition of the CAN, the Lusophones broke a series of three defeats and six games without winning, which had been in force for five months, since the unprecedented participation in the World Cup2026, proof in which they were removed in the 16 years of the final, by losing before the two-time South American champion and then champion of the world Argentina (3-2, after extension).
The qualification will define 21 of the 24 participants in the final phase of the ANC, to which the first two ranked from nine of the 12 groups and the winners of the other three ‘poules’ in which the organizing countries are located.
The 36th edition of the main African selection competition was held between June 19 and July 17, 2027, under an unprecedented tripartite organization between Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.