Matchday four brought us 24 Africa Cup of Nations qualification matches for the 2022 edition in Cameroon. The stage was set for teams to clinch early qualification, get themselves back into the hunt, or face the reality of elimination. For part 2 of Pan-Africa Football’s AFCON Qualifying Recap, here is a focus on Groups G-L.

Mohamed Magdy “Afsha”- Egypt (Al Ahly [EGY])

• Comoros continue their unexpected run to the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations by taking advantage of a weak group and playing fierce, well-organized football. Unless Kenya win out, Les Coelacantes will be making their debut in 2022.
• Fans of Kenya’s Harambee Stars have been disappointed once again now that qualification is highly unlikely. The tone for the week was set in the first match versus Comoros when Kenya could not get a win despite playing a man up in the second half. It was unfortunate that key scorer Michael Olunga could not travel from his club in Japan due to Covid-19 protocols, but a team needs to overcome obstacles like these in the course of a qualification campaign.
• Egypt are back to showing the form of a top CAF team, earning back-to-back victories over Togo. The Pharoahs showed no hesitation on the road in the second match, asserting themselves early to get a lead they would never relinquish. Considering there were seven starting lineup changes from the first match, Egyptian fans will be satisfied for now after worrying early results.
• This has been a campaign to forget for Togo. The Sparrow Hawks have the talent that suggests they are capable of competing, but are still finding their way in the attack without the influence of legendary forward Emmanuel Adebayor. A bright spot is the emergence of 21-year-old Lyon goalkeeper Malcolm Barcola, who looks capable of being a key player for the long-term.