Mauritania - Central African Republic

Mauritania and Central African Republic begin their Africa Cup of Nations Qualification Group F journey on 24 September 2026. Both sides enter this matchday 1 fixture looking to establish early momentum in a competitive group stage. While Mauritania aims to build on their defensive discipline, Central African Republic arrives seeking to find consistency against a familiar opponent in a crucial opening test.

The two nations share a history of closely contested encounters, most notably during the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification cycle where they traded victories. Mauritania secured a 2-0 win in November 2019, while Central African Republic responded with a 0-1 defeat in March 2021. More recently, they met in the African Nations Championship in August 2025, where Mauritania edged a 0-1 result. As they collide once more, the question remains whether the visitors can disrupt Mauritania's tactical rhythm or if the hosts will continue their narrow dominance in this series.