AFCON (Q): Lesotho disappoint in first leg draw with Seychelles

Lesotho failed to make their opportunities count on Thursday as Likuena were held to a scoreless draw by minnows Seychelles in the first leg of their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) preliminary round qualifying clash in Bloemfontein, South Africa.

Seychelles came into the match having failed to win in 61 consecutive matches against African competition, with their last victory coming in 2016 against Thursday’s opponents in 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying. While the streak was extended to 62 matches, the result was quite satisfying for the islanders who will fancy their chances of an upset in the second leg.

They defended stoutly and also benefited from poor finishing throughout by the favored Crocodiles. Lesotho made plenty of raids into the Seychellois half but were toothless in the final third.

However, they remain firm favorites to progress when the teams meet again for the second leg which will also be played at the Toyota Stadium on Sunday.

Results elsewhere in AFCON qualifying

In the other match of the day from the preliminary round, South Sudan thrashed Djibouti by a 4-0 score in Juba.

Today’s results from the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations 2027 Qualifiers Preliminary Round. 👇 pic.twitter.com/KmDOs6VnRC

— CAF Online (@CAF_Online) March 26, 2026

On Wednesday, qualifying for the 2027 edition officially kicked off with Eritrea defeating Eswatini 2-0 to mark a triumphant return after twenty years of absence from qualifying for Africa’s showcase football competition.