Eswatini achieved a remarkable 3-0 victory over Zimbabwe on Sunday as the 2025 African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifiers began. Andy Magagula was the star for Eswatini, scoring twice in the first half, with Sifiso Matse adding a third.
Despite Zimbabwe’s history of CHAN qualifications—five out of seven tournaments—they struggled to contain Eswatini, who are among the 22 African nations yet to reach the CHAN finals. The match was held in Francistown, Botswana, as neither country has an international-standard stadium. Eswatini will host the return leg in Mbombela, South Africa.
In another surprising result, South Sudan defeated Kenya 2-0 in Juba with goals from Ezbon Malish and Yohanna Paulino. Although Kenya has a guaranteed spot as one of the co-hosts, they participated in qualifying for extra match practice.
Elsewhere, Djibouti claimed a 1-0 win over Rwanda in Kigali, thanks to George Dadzie’s 79th-minute goal. Other first-leg winners included Liberia, Lesotho, Sudan, and Togo, with second-leg matches set for November 1-3. Eritrea and Somalia withdrew from the competition, granting walkovers to Burundi and Ethiopia.