African football fans were treated to a spectacular, if controversial, international break, as we reached the midpoint of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
At least most of teams reached the midpoint, with Nigeria and Libya failing to play the second match between them amid acrimonious circumstances and African football's latest airport scandal.
The field for the final tournament is beginning to take shape, with eight of the 24 qualifiers known and seven teams eliminated from the running to reach Morocco in December 2025.
Ghana primed to miss out
Ghana are struggling in Group F, and while the Black Stars aren't mathematically out of the running, they are on the brink of missing the continent's grandest stage.
After a slow start to the group -- they were defeated at home by Angola then held by Niger -- Ghana desperately needed an upturn in fortunes across their double-header with Sudan.
Things didn't go to plan, as their star-studded selection was held 0-0 in Accra before losing 2-0 in Benghazi, Libyan.
Youthful head coach Otto Addo was meant to usher in a new era for the West African giants, after replacing Chris Hughton following a miserable AFCON campaign earlier this year, but a promising start to his tenure is proving to be a false dawn.
Ghana are now facing the prospect of missing the Nations Cup for the first time since 2004 (and only the second time since 1990), which would be disastrous for the four-time champions -- and a shame for neutrals looking forward to seeing the likes of Thomas Partey, Iñaki Williams and Mohammed Kudus against the continent's finest players.
It remains to be seen if the Ghana Football Association (GFA) keep faith with Addo, who may also have to address disharmony in the camp after Jordan Ayew and goalkeeper Lawrence Ati Zigi had to be pulled apart by their teammates following a heated exchange at the final whistle in Libyan.
Angola have already qualified from Group F, and Sudan will join them if they take a single point from their remaining two fixtures (Niger away, Angola at home). Ghana must win both of their outstanding games and hope Sudan lose both to advance.
To add insult to injury for the Black Stars, the Falcons' victory was masterminded by ex-Ghana international and head coach Kwesi Appiah, who had to give up his position on the GFA's advisory board in order to avoid a "conflict of interests" given his current role as Sudan boss.
Remember the name: Boris Enow
South Africa's Thalente Mbatha exploded onto the scene with two 95th-minute goals for Bafana Bafana during the previous international break, but this time, it was the turn of Cameroon's Boris Enow to go from obscurity to national talisman on international debut.
The 24-year-old, who plays in Major League Soccer with D.C. United, required just 17 minutes after replacing Kunde Malong to score a left-footed free kick from more than 30 metres to give frustrated Cameroon the lead against stubborn Kenya.
It was a perfect introduction for the new arrival -- stepping up to take responsibility ahead of more senior players and scoring a wonder goal with his first shot in international football.
It also secured Cameroon's spot in Morocco, with Enow helping Indomitable Lions fans to forget the the recent ignominious power struggle involving Cameroon's federation president, Samuel Eto'o; head coach Marc Brys; and national sports minister Narcisse Mouelle Kombi.
Senegal's new era
Aliou Cissé's near-decade at the helm of Senegal's national men's team came to an end earlier this month, when he was informed by the country's sports ministry that his contract with the Teranga Lions was not being extended.
Cissé was a member of Senegal's legendary 2002 generation, and he became the first coach to conquer the continent with the West African nation (in 2021) while also qualifying the Lions to consecutive World Cups for the first time.
His departure prompted an outpouring of emotional tributes from the current team, although they appeared unaffected when they hosted Malawi in Dakar on Friday -- romping to a 4-0 victory with Sadio Mané and Nicolas Jackson among the goals.
The second match -- in Lilongwe -- wasn't as straight-forward for the Lions, but a 96th-minute Mane free kick was enough to guarantee their place among the elite next year.
Guirassy launches Dussuyer's Guinea
Upon his arrival as Guinea's new head coach, replacing Kaba Diawara, Michel Dussuyer spoke of his excitement of working with Serhou Guirassy, who scored 28 goals in the German Bundesliga last term before signing for Borussia Dortmund.
Guirassy has scored three goals in four appearances for BVB this season, and he extended his goal-scoring run with a hat trick inside the first half of Guinea's 4-1 victory over Ethiopia.
The 28-year-old then bagged two more in the reverse fixture between the side -- also during a seven-minute first-half blitz -- as Guinea ran out 3-0 winners.
After losing both of their opening fixtures, this was a fine return to form for the Syli National with Guirassy now leading the qualifying scoring charts with five.
"I'm delighted with the six points we've taken, and to have scored," Guirassy told Canal+ after the match. "I'm coming back from a long injury, and I'm not yet at 100%, [but] it's very motivating to feel the backing of all Guineans. We've done a lot of work [with Dussuyer], he manages the matches impeccably, he's a simple coach, direct, and communicates clear instructions."
Guinea, the 197 AFCON runners-up, might find themselves among the "dark horses" in Morocco if Guirassy continues his devastating form.
Sebastien Desabre's Congo DR, meanehile, have stamped their ticket with a maximum 12 points from their opening four Group H matches.
Mokoena inspires Bafana in 5-0 demolition of Congo
Hugo Broos' South Africa reached the semifinals of the Nations Cup in Ivory Coast earlier this year, but did so with less-than-exhilarating attacking football; Bafana Bafana scored less than a goal every 100 minutes during the course of the competition.
Hence their 5-0 thumping of Congo on Friday was a welcome change of pace.
Indeed, this is the biggest win of Broos's tenure, and the team's highest scoreline since a pre-2010 World Cup friendly triumph over Guatemala in Polokwane.
This was Bafana with the handbrake off, and former PSL Footballer of the Year Teboho Mokoena was at the heart of their offensive masterclass.
Mokoena, in his prime at 27, and seemingly ready to drive South Africa through this next cycle, scored twice against Congo at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, despite his relative recent inactivity at Mamelodi Sundowns. His second goal, a thumping effort from distance, prompting a second pitch invasion.
After drawing in Brazzaville, Bafana need just two points from their final two matches to secure qualification.
Trezeguet eclipses Salah, Marmoush
Despite fan excitement about witnessing iconic Mohamed Salah and in-form Bundesliga darling Omar Marmoush in action together for Egypt during this international break, it was Mahmoud Trézéguet who stole the show as the Pharaohs qualified.
The Al Rayyan loanee bagged one of the goals of the international break with a stinging volley to open the scoring in Cairo against Mauritania, waiting for the ball to drop before setting his body and rasping a shot into the roof of the net after a deflection in the box.
Salah added a second goal 10 minutes later, but the Liverpool great and Marmoush generally huffed and puffed without forging an opening against the rugged Mourabitounes.
Egypt have at times been accused of being a one-man team in recent AFCONs, overly dependent on Salah and low on ideas when he's neutralised by opponents; with Trezeguet, Marmoush and the emerging Ibrahim Adel in support, the Pharaohs might be one of the most dangerous African sides in Morocco next December.
Where now for Nigeria and Libya?
The biggest subplot of Africa's international break was the brooding animosity between Nigeria and Libya, which began when the latter accused the former of unsporting treatment after they endured extended travel and long delays before gameweek three -- a 1-0 victory for the Super Eagles in Uyo.
For the second meeting, Nigeria's team plane was diverted to Al Bayda's Al Abraq airport, rather than its intended destination of Benghazi, before the team was kept locked in the airport for approximately 16 hours and allegedly denied food and drink.
Amid mounting pressure, the Super Eagles eventually refused to take a three-hour bus journey to honour the fixture, and duly returned to their homeland.
The Confederation of African Football has stepped in, vowing to refer the case to its disciplinary board.
It remains to be seen how the case will be judged, whether Nigeria will be penalised for not honouring the fixture, whether Libya will be adjudged to have behaved unacceptably, and whether the match will be replayed at all.
Nigeria currently top the group despite having played one match fewer than second-placed Benin.
"Proud of this team," skipper William Troost-Ekong posted on his social media handles. "Naija spirit cannot be broken. Throw at us what you want, it's in our blood to overcome."