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THE stadium ban on Brazzaville has been lifted, allowing Congo to play their opening qualifier for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations at home against South Sudan on September 5.
Congo, who share the same Group K with South Africa and Uganda, had previously been banned from using the venue after it failed a stadium inspection by the Confederation of African Football.
But upgrades since have seen it now passed fit for use, and the Red Devils will be in action again in front of their home fans after forfeiting a World Cup qualifier in June and then going away to Morocco when they ceded home advantage and were handed a six-goal thumping.
Libya will use the stadium in the capital Tripoli for the first time in a decade when they host Rwanda on September 4.
It has undergone a major upgrade.
But the Comoros Islands have lost their right to stage their home games in Moroni, because of the condition of the stadium in the island capital and are being forced to move their Group A match against the Gambia to El Jadida in Morocco.
The Indian Ocean islanders are one of 18 countries banned from using their home venues because they are not up to the standard requirements. Kenya are supposed to host the 2027 Cup of Nations finals with both the Nyayo National Stadium and the Moi International Sports Centre in Kasarani closed for renovations.
It means the Harambee Stars play a third consecutive home match away from Kenya.
This time they are moving their clash against Zimbabwe to Kampala after hosting their last two home games in the World Cup qualifiers in June in Malawi.
They were hoping to use the Nyayo Stadium for the Group J match on September 6 but CAF’s stadium inspectors did not pass the venue.
Zimbabwe are another country without a suitable home venue and so have decided that they must travel to Uganda to face Kenya. They will stay on in Kampala for their second game in the international window, at “home” against Cameroon on September 10.
These are the fixtures for the first two rounds of the 2025 Cup of Nations qualifiers:
September 4
Comoros Islands v Gambia, El Jadida (Morocco)
Libya v Rwanda, Tripoli
Tanzania v Ethiopia, Dar-es-Salaam
Sudan v Niger, Juba (South Sudan)
September 5
Malawi v Burundi, Lilongwe
Central African Republic v Lesotho, El Jadida (Morocco)
Congo v South Sudan, Brazzaville
Ghana v Angola, Kumasi
Guinea-Bissau v Eswatini, Bissau
Algeria v Equatorial Guinea, Oran
Tunisia v Madagascar, Tunis
September 6
Kenya v Zimbabwe, Kampala (Uganda)
DR Congo v Guinea, Kinshasa
Sierra Leone v Chad, Monrovia (Liberia)
South Africa v Uganda, Johannesburg
Togo v Liberia, Lome
Morocco v Gabon, Agadir
Egypt v Cape Verde Islands, Cairo
Cote d’lvoire v Zambia, Bouake
Mali v Mozambique, Bamako
Senegal v Burkina Faso, Dakar
September 7
Cameroon v Namibia, Douala
Mauritania v Botswana, Nouakchott
Nigeria v Benin, Uyo
September 8
Gambia v Tunisia, El Jadida (Morocco)
September 9
Burundi v Senegal, Lilongwe (Malawi)
Zambia v Sierra Leone, Ndola
Equatorial Guinea v Togo, Malabo
Madagascar v Comoros, Tunis (Tunisia)
Niger v Ghana, Berkane (Morocco)
Uganda v Congo, Kampala
Lesotho v Morocco, Agadir (Morocco)
Angola v Sudan, Luanda
Ethiopia v DR Congo, Dar-es-Salaam (Tanzania)
September 10
Botswana v Egypt, Francistown
Eswatini v Mali, Nelspruit (South Africa)
Mozambique v Guinea-Bissau, Maputo
Rwanda v Nigeria, Kigali
South Sudan v South Africa, Juba
Gabon v Central African Republic, Franceville
Guinea v Tanzania, Yamoussoukro (Cote d’lvoire)
Liberia v Algeria, Monrovia
Namibia v Kenya, Johannesburg (South Africa)
Zimbabwe v Cameroon, Kampala (Uganda)
Cape Verde Islands v Mauritania, Praia
Benin v Libya, Abidjan (Cote d’lvoire)
Chad v Cote d’lvoire, Yaounde (Cameroon)
Burkina Faso v Malawi, Bamako (Mali). — Supersport.
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