Cameroon and The Gambia routs complete exciting round of CAF World Cup qualifiers
Two separate routs by Cameroon and The Gambia completed an exciting round of CAF World Cup qualifiers. Hopeful African countries have now played three matches in the race to represent the continent at the 2026 FIFA World Cup to be held in Canada, Mexico, and the United States of America.
Cameroon put aside all the infighting to give Cape Verde a proper beatdown. Vincent Aboubakar took his national team tally to 43, equalling the great Patrick Mboma on the Indomitable Lions’ top scorers chart. Micheal Ngadeu-Ngadjui had opened the scoring before Aboubakar’s brace, ending the match as a contest in the first half.
Jamiro Montiero had given Cape Verde a glimmer of hope with a 34th-minute goal but there was not enough bite in the Sharks to trouble the Indomitable Lions. Nouhou Tolo put it beyond doubt early in the second half to make it 4-1.
Samuel Eto’oo stood and clapped for all the goals with the Sports Minister also cheering directly behind him. The war was momentarily forgotten as Marc Brys collected his first victory as head coach of Cameroon.
Cameroon now share the lead of Group D with Libya on seven points. Angola are third with five points while Cape Verde sit in fourth position on four points. Mauritius, with one point, and Eswatini on a duck, will be watching the 2026 FIFA World Cup on television or in the stands.
Syechelles were the victims of the second beatdown of the day as The Gambia ran riot. It was a choke hold from start to finish with first goal at 10 minutes and the fifth one going in with 78 minutes on the clock.
Muhammed Madamosi grabbed himself a brace while Musa Barrow, Yankuba Minteh, and Adama Sidibeh added to the goalfest. Ryan Henriette’s 14th-minute equaliser only served as a consolation goal in the end for the defeated Seychelles.
Matchday Four begins on Sunday for Africa, who are sending a minimum of nine nations to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
