MBABANE – Both nations that progressed from Eswatini's qualifying group have secured their places in the Last 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The group stages of the continent's premier football showpiece concluded this past Wednesday. Currently taking centre stage in Morocco, the tournament began with 24 national teams divided into six groups of four.
The top two teams from each group, alongside the four best third-placed finishers, have advanced to the knockout rounds. Among those surviving a gruelling opening hurdle are Mozambique and Mali—the two sides that edged out Sihlangu and Guinea-Bissau during the qualifiers.
Eswatini’s national team finished at the bottom of their qualifying group last year, managing only two points and failing to record a single victory. Consequently, they remain spectators in this edition, still awaiting a maiden qualification alongside Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) counterparts Lesotho and Seychelles.
Mozambique have made history by qualifying for the AFCON 2025 Round of 16 for the first time. They secured their spot as one of the four best third-placed teams after the group stage wrapped up on the last day of 2025. However, a formidable challenge awaits them on Monday at 9pm, when they face Nigeria in a high-stakes Last 16 encounter.
Mali, on the other hand, reached the knockout stages by finishing second in Group A. They navigated the opening round without a single defeat, albeit in unusual fashion, having drawn all three of their matches. Mali are scheduled to face Tunisia this Saturday, January 3, at 9pm.
Meanwhile, the hunt for the revised E165 million (US$10 million) first-prize cheque resumes on Saturday at 6pm. The knockout action kicks off with a pulsating clash between 2021 champions Senegal and 1970 winners Sudan. The subsequent match between Mali and Tunisia will complete a mouth-watering double-header at 9pm.
COSAFA TEAMS ROUND OF 16 FIXTURES:
Sunday, January 4, 2026
South Africa vs Cameroon 9pm
Monday, January 5, 2026
Nigeria vs Mozambique 9pm
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