Sadio Mane Secures Senegal's AFCON Spot, While Ghana Faces an Uphill Battle

Senegal booked their place in next year's Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals in Morocco, thanks to a dramatic last-minute goal from Sadio Mane that clinched a 1-0 victory over Malawi.

Meanwhile, Ghana's hopes of qualification hang by a thread after suffering a shock defeat to Sudan on Tuesday.

Senegal dominated throughout the match, racking up 30 shots on goal but struggled to break through until the dying moments. Mane delivered the decisive blow with a stunning free-kick from 25 yards, curling the ball expertly around the wall and into the bottom corner to seal the win. The reigning AFCON champions, who recently parted ways with long-time coach Aliou Cisse, now join Burkina Faso as the second team from Group L to qualify for the 24-team finals, with two group-stage matches still to play in November.

In stark contrast, Ghana's road to the AFCON finals has taken a significant hit. The Black Stars suffered a 2-0 defeat to Sudan, with goals from Ahmed Al-Tash and Mohamed Abdel Rahman coming just three minutes apart in the second half. Ghana has now collected just two points from their four matches and sit five points adrift of the qualification places. With an away match against group leaders Angola on the horizon, Ghana's hopes of reaching the continental finals for the first time since 2004 look bleak.

Elsewhere, the Democratic Republic of Congo also secured their spot at the finals with a 2-0 win over Tanzania. Meschack Elia scored both goals, netting the first in the 88th minute before adding a second deep into stoppage time, giving DR Congo a perfect record of 12 points from four matches.

Zambia, under coach Avram Grant, inched closer to qualification with a crucial 1-0 victory over Chad. Kennedy Musonda’s goal 20 minutes from time was enough to move Zambia within touching distance of securing their spot in Morocco.

READ ALSO: Ghana held by Sudan as Algeria continues their winning streak in AFCON qualifiers

Gabon also strengthened their position with a 2-0 win over Lesotho in neutral Durban. Shavy Babicka and Rody Effaghe struck in the second half to keep Gabon on course for qualification.

In other matches, Uganda claimed a 2-1 victory over South Sudan in Juba. Uganda's qualification hopes hinge on South Africa's result against Congo later on Tuesday. Rwanda pulled off a 2-1 win against Benin in Group D, while Nigeria's match against Libya was postponed due to Nigeria's refusal to play amidst travel disruptions.

Nigeria currently leads the group with seven points from three matches, followed by Benin with six points from four games, while Rwanda sits on five points. Libya remains in last place with just one point from three matches.

Meanwhile, Tunisia's 1-1 draw with Comoros leaves them two points ahead of Gambia, who are in third place in their group.

Host nations Morocco, Cameroon, and Algeria have already secured their spots for the tournament, with more teams expected to join them as the qualification process continues.

SportsLigue