Mali's World Cup hopes revive with Comoros victory

Mali has revived its hopes of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after beating Comoros 3-0. The match took place in neutral Morocco. Kamory Doumbia scored two goals in the win. Mali had struggled earlier in the tournament, losing three of their first four matches, which led to the sacking of coach Eric Chelle. New coach Tom Saintfiet aims to lead the team to the World Cup for the first time. In other matches, Benin, Cape Verde, Gabon, and Mozambique climbed to the top of their respective qualifying groups. Benin drew with Zimbabwe after giving up a 2-0 lead, while Cape Verde won 1-0 against Mauritius. Gabon secured a 3-0 victory over Seychelles, thanks to two goals from Denis Bouanga. Mozambique beat Uganda 3-1, placing them ahead of Algeria in Group G. In a key game, Namibia won against Malawi, narrowing the gap to Tunisia in Group H. Uganda missed a chance to catch up after their loss to Mozambique. The game featured a notable error by Uganda's goalkeeper, which contributed to their defeat. The day's most exciting match saw Kenya and The Gambia end in a 3-3 draw. Both teams fought hard, but neither could improve their chances of qualifying. Gambia's penalty was saved, but they managed to score twice, only for Kenya to equalize late in the game. Libya's new coach, Aliou Cisse, faced disappointment when Angola equalized in the final moments of their match. Libya had been leading 1-0 but had to settle for a draw, leaving them third in their group.