Senegal claimed a valuable 1-0 away win against Tunisia in the first leg of the second round of African qualifying for the women’s football tournament at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
The Lionnes de la Teranga secured victory at Rades in one of the round’s most closely watched ties, with Ndeye Awa Casset scoring the only goal in the 63rd minute after a goalless first half.
The return leg will be played at Diamniadio on Tuesday, 13 October. Tunisia must overturn the deficit in Senegal to keep their Olympic qualification hopes alive.
Mali endured a far more difficult evening, losing 3-1 away to Benin. The hosts took control before half-time as Romaine Gandonou scored twice, while Milhad Sadikou added a third goal two minutes after the restart in the 47th minute.
Mali pulled one goal back seven minutes later, giving the Aiglonnes a narrow glimmer of hope before the second leg in Bamako.
Burkina Faso also took a significant step towards the next round by beating Equatorial Guinea 3-1 in Ouagadougou. The Etalons dames will nevertheless need to protect that advantage in the return fixture to progress to the third round.
Ghana produced one of the strongest away performances of the day, winning 3-0 in Mauritius. Abigail Kim, Alice Kusi and Benedicta Simon all scored in the first half, leaving the Black Queens in a commanding position before the return match on home soil.
Uganda recorded the day’s other notable result by overcoming Zambia 2-1 in Kampala. The Copper Queens, who have regularly featured at major international tournaments, now need to respond in the second leg to avoid an early exit.
Kenya recorded the biggest victory of the round, thrashing Seychelles 11-0. The result gives them an almost unassailable advantage ahead of the return fixture.
The second round is being played over two legs, with the decisive matches scheduled for 12 and 13 October. The winners will advance to the third round.
Morocco are the only side already through to the next stage, having qualified without playing in this round.
African teams must negotiate five rounds of qualifying, with only two national teams ultimately earning places at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.