Tunisia left it late but secured a crucial 2-0 win over a stubborn Malawi side to tighten their grip at the top of Group H in the 2026 FIFA World Cup African qualifiers, while Ethiopia revived their campaign in emphatic fashion with a stunning 6-1 rout of Djibouti in Group A.
Seifeddine Jaziri came off the bench to break Malawi’s resistance with a headed goal in the 86th minute, before Elias Achouri sealed the victory with a stoppage-time penalty.
The Carthage Eagles were frustrated for much of the match by a well-drilled Malawi defence and needed late interventions to secure all three points.
Jaziri, introduced in the 78th minute by Tunisia head coach, Sami Trabelsi, took just eight minutes to justify his selection, connecting with a cross to beat goalkeeper William Thole, who had been outstanding throughout the contest.
Achouri’s penalty in the 92nd minute put the result beyond doubt after Malawi, desperate to rescue a point, conceded a foul in the box.
There was still late drama as Malawi were awarded a penalty deep into added time, but Aymen Dahmen guessed correctly to deny Richard Mbulu from the spot.
The result sees Tunisia move to 13 points from five matches, four ahead of second-placed, Namibia, who were held to a 1-1 draw by Equatorial Guinea earlier in the day.
In Group A, Ethiopia served up one of the most dominant performances of the qualifiers so far, thrashing Djibouti 6-1 to register their first win of the campaign in spectacular style.
Hat-tricks from Bereka Desta and Abubeker Nassir lit up the Stade
Ben M’Hamed El Abdi in El Jadida, Morocco, as the Walya Antelopes turned on the style against a hapless Djibouti defence.
Desta opened the scoring in the 19th minute and added further strikes in the 52nd and 70th minutes.
Nassir wasn’t to be outdone, netting in the 34th, 37th, and 58th minutes to complete a devastating display of attacking football.
Djibouti, now with just a single point from six games, had a brief moment of hope when Samuel Akinbinu pulled a goal back in the 51st minute.
But that proved to be a mere consolation as Ethiopia ran riot to climb to fourth place in the group standings, although they remain seven points behind leaders Egypt, who have a game in hand.
It was a statement win from Mesay Teferi’s side, who had struggled in earlier fixtures but will now hope to carry momentum into the final stretch of qualifying.
With two matchdays remaining, both Tunisia and Ethiopia have given their fans renewed hope the former eyeing a return to the World Cup, and the latter showing they may yet have a say in Group A’s final outcome. —CAF
