Congo have stadium ban lifted for Afcon qualifiers
The stadium ban on Brazzaville has been lifted, allowing Congo to play their opening qualifier for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations at home against South Sudan on Thursday, September 5.
Congo, who share the same Group K with South Africa and Uganda, had previously been banned from using the venue after it failed a stadium inspection by the Confederation of African Football.
But upgrades since have seen it now passed fit for use, and the side is in action again in front of their home fans after forfeiting a World Cup qualifier in June and then going away to Morocco when they ceded home advantage and were handed a six-goal thumping.
Libya will use the stadium in the capital Tripoli for the first time in a decade when they host Rwanda on Wednesday, September 4. It has undergone a major upgrade.
But the Comoros Islands have lost their right to stage their home games in Moroni, because of the condition of the stadium in the island capital and are being forced to move their Group A match against the Gambia to El Jadida in Morocco.
The Indian Ocean islanders are one of 18 countries banned from using their home venues because they are not up to the standard requirements.
Kenya are supposed to host the 2027 Cup of Nations finals with both the Nyayo National Stadium and the Moi International Sports Centre in Kasarani closed for renovations.
It means the Harambee Stars play a third consecutive home match away from Kenya. This time they are moving their clash against Zimbabwe to Kampala after hosting their last two home games in the World Cup qualifiers in June in Malawi.
They were hoping to use the Nyayo Stadium for the Group J match o Wednesday, September 4 but CAF’s stadium inspectors did not pass the venue.
Zimbabwe are another country without a suitable home venue and so have decided that as they must travel to Uganda to face Kenya, they will stay on in Kampala for their second game in the international window, at ‘home” against Cameroon on Tuesday, September 10.
These are the fixtures for the first two rounds of the 2025 Cup of Nations qualifiers:
Wed Sept 4
All times GMT
1300:
Kenya v Zimbabwe, Kampala (Uganda)
1500:
Comoros Islands v Gambia, El Jadida (Morocco)
1600:
Libya v Rwanda, Tripoli
Tanzania v Ethiopia, Dar-es-Salaam
1900:
Sudan v Niger, Juba (South Sudan)
Thurs Sept 5
All times GMT
1300:
Malawi v Burundi, Lilongwe
1500:
Central African Republic v Lesotho, El Jadida (Morocco)
1600:
Congo v South Sudan, Brazzaville
Ghana v Angola, Kumasi
Guinea-Bissau v Eswatini, Bissau
1900:
Algeria v Equatorial Guinea, Oran
Tunisia v Madagascar, Tunis
Friday Sept 6
All times GMT
1600:
DR Congo v Guinea, Kinshasa
Sierra Leone v Chad, Monrovia (Liberia)
South Africa v Uganda, Johannesburg
Togo v Liberia, Lome
1800:
Morocco v Gabon, Agadir
1900:
Egypt v Cape Verde Islands, Cairo
Ivory Coast v Zambia, Bouake
Mali v Mozambique, Bamako
Senegal v Burkina Faso, Dakar
Sat Sept 7
All times GMT
1600:
Cameroon v Namibia, Douala
Mauritania v Botswana, Nouakchott
Nigeria v Benin, Uyo
Sun Sept 8
All times GMT
1500:
Gambia v Tunisia, El Jadida (Morocco)
Mon Sept 9
All times GMT
1300:
Burundi v Senegal, Lilongwe (Malawi)
Zambia v Sierra Leone, Ndola
1500:
Equatorial Guinea v Togo, Malabo
Madagascar v Comoros, Tunis (Tunisia)
Niger v Ghana, Berkane (Morocco)
1600
Uganda v Congo, Kampala
1800
Lesotho v Morocco, Agadir (Morocco)
1900
Angola v Sudan, Luanda
Ethiopia v DR Congo, Dar-es-Salaam (Tanzania)
Tues Sept 10
All times GMT
1300:
Botswana v Egypt, Francistown
Eswatini v Mali, Nelspruit (South Africa)
Mozambique v Guinea-Bissau, Maputo
Rwanda v Nigeria, Kigali
South Sudan v South Africa, Juba
1600
Gabon v Central African Republic, Franceville
Guinea v Tanzania, Yamoussoukro (Ivory Coast)
Liberia v Algeria, Monrovia
Namibia v Kenya, Johannesburg (South Africa)
Zimbabwe v Cameroon, Kampala (Uganda)
1900
Cape Verde Islands v Mauritania, Praia
Benin v Libya, Abidjan (Ivory Coast)
Chad v Ivory Coast, Yaounde (Cameroon)
Burkina Faso v Malawi, Bamako (Mali)
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