Gabon's Aubameyang Scores Four Times and Receives Red Card as Benin Secures Crucial Victory

Gabon's leading player Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang netted four times before being dismissed during the African 2026 World Cup qualifiers on Friday while underdog Benin established a two-point advantage in the challenging 'group of death'.

Aubameyang maintained Gabon's hopes of reaching the World Cup for the first time with his four goals securing a 4-3 triumph against the Gambia. Gabon now sit one point behind Group F leaders Ivory Coast.

Benin, top of Group C, secured a 1-0 win in Rwanda to extend their lead over South Africa by two points following South Africa's goalless draw against Zimbabwe.

Nigeria closed the gap on Benin to three points by overcoming Lesotho 2-1, with both teams set to meet on Tuesday. Rwanda and Lesotho were both eliminated by their defeats, leaving the group as a three-horse race for top spot.

Algeria, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia have already secured group victories to claim four of Africa's nine allocated World Cup spots. A tenth representative may emerge via intercontinental play-offs next March.

The final matchday, spanning Sunday to Tuesday, will determine the remaining five qualification places, with Senegal, Benin, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast and Ghana currently leading their respective groups.

Benin secured victory thanks to Aiyegun Tosin's 80th-minute strike, retaining first position in a group anticipated to be dominated by Nigeria and South Africa.

Mohau Nkota and Lyle Foster struck the woodwork during South Africa's underwhelming display, which was compounded by the absence of injured forward Iqraam Rayners.

Both Zimbabwe and South Africa finished with ten players after Knowledge Musona and Mbekezile Mbokazi received second yellow cards in the second half.

William Troost-Ekong converted a penalty before substitute Akor Adams added a second goal for Nigeria, with Hlompho Kalake pulling one back for Lesotho.

Zimbabwe and Lesotho faced additional challenges playing in South Africa due to lacking FIFA-approved home venues.

Ivory Coast netted seven goals during their match against the Seychelles, repeating their dominant form from a previous 9-0 victory in Abidjan two years ago.

Seven different players found the net, beginning with Nottingham Forest's Ibrahim Sangare in the seventh minute and concluding with Franck Kessie's late strike.

Seychelles, ranked 159 places beneath Ivory Coast globally, have now conceded 46 goals across their nine qualifying matches, all ending in defeat.

Gabon stayed one point behind Ivory Coast in Group F following a thrilling win over the Gambia in Nairobi.

The Gabonese took the lead twice before falling behind, only for Marseille's Aubameyang to score twice more. He received two yellow cards late in the match, resulting in his dismissal at the 86th minute.

Ivory Coast lead the group with 23 points to Gabon's 22 ahead of next week's final fixtures, where both will play at home against Kenya and Burundi respectively.

Senegal preserved a two-point advantage over the Democratic Republic of Congo in Group B following contrasting away victories.

Seeking their third consecutive World Cup appearance, Senegal dominated South Sudan 5-0 in Juba, with Crystal Palace's Ismaila Sarr scoring twice.

Veteran Sadio Mane, a two-time African Footballer of the Year, also contributed as Senegal transformed a narrow half-time lead into a convincing win.

Cedric Bakambu's seventh-minute goal secured DR Congo a hard-fought 1-0 victory in Togo.

Senegal now hold 21 points compared to DR Congo's 19 ahead of their final matches. Senegal face Mauritania at home while DR Congo host Sudan.

Sudan's goalless draw with Mauritania in Dar es Salaam ended their World Cup qualification hopes.