The CAF preliminary round ended on TUE 10 SEP 2019, with fourteen teams earning a place in the group phase. Djibouti, Liberia, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe were amongst those to advance.

In their second leg in Freetown, Sierra Leone were awarded a penalty late on. Umaru BANGURA stepped up to take the penalty that would have put the Leone Stars through on aggregate, but a save by Liberia’s eighteen year old keeper Ashley WILLIAMS ensured that the visitors advanced.

Two goals by Joseph MENDES led Guinea-Bissau past São Tomé-Príncipe 3-1 on aggregate, as Guinea-Bissau advance beyond the first round for the first time in seven attempts.

Somalia won their first ever Men’s World Cup qualifying match with a 1-0 win over Zimbabwe in the first leg. However, two late goals in the second leg, by Knox MUTIZWA and Khama BILLIAT, eliminated Somalia on a 3-2 aggregate scoreline.

Elsewhere, Tanzania defeated Burundi 3-0 on penalties after both legs ended 1-1, Ethiopia edged Lesotho on away goals, and Rwanda made short work of the Seychelles with a 10-0 aggregate victory.

The winning teams join 26 others that were awarded a bye into the group phase, which begins in March. CAF will confirm details for the draw at a later date.

Series aggregate results:

• Ethiopia 01-01 Lesotho [away: 01-00]
• Somalia 02-03 Zimbabwe
• Eritrea 01-04 Namibia
• Burundi 02-02 Tanzania [away: 01-01; F/OT; pen: 00-03]
• Djibouti 02-01 Eswatini
• Botswana 00-01 Malawi
• Gambia 01-03 Angola
• Liberia 03-02 Sierra Leone
• Mauritius 00-03 Mozambique
• São Tomé-Prín 01-03 Guinea-Bissau
• South Sudan 01-02 Equatorial Guinea
• Comoros 01-03 Togo
• Chad 01-03 Sudan
• Seychelles 00-10 Rwanda