The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and Rwanda light up AFCON 2027 qualifying as East Africa gets ready

Two goals down after 33 minutes in Accra, against a Ghana side that played at this summer's World Cup, The Gambia could have folded. Instead they scored four. Muhammed Badamosi's penalty and a goal from Omar Colley levelled it before half-time, and substitute Ebrima Colley scored twice after the break, the second deep in stoppage time, to complete a 4-2 win on 29 September that left a country of under three million people top of Group C with maximum points.

It was not even the only upset that night. In Bissau, Guinea-Bissau beat Nigeria 3-0, a Nigeria side that started seven Premier League players and reached the semi-finals of the last Africa Cup of Nations in January. Two rounds into qualifying for AFCON 2027, the best stories belong to the smaller nations.

• 48nations in qualifying, in 12 groups of four
• 24teams at the finals in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania
• 1976the last time the finals were held in East Africa
• 19 June2027: the opening day of the tournament

The nights the smaller sides stood tall

Guinea-Bissau's win at the Estádio 24 de Setembro was no fluke. Franculino Dju put them ahead, Mama Baldé doubled the lead and Álvaro Djaló added a third in stoppage time. Having already beaten Tanzania 2-0, they lead Group L with six points, and it was the first competitive defeat for Nigeria's coach, Eric Chelle.

Rwanda produced the night's other comeback, winning 2-1 away in Cape Verde. Claude Niyomugabo equalised just before half-time and the teenager Elie Iradukunda scored the winner soon after the restart, giving Rwanda six points from six in Group K.

• Ghana 2-4 The Gambia (Group C): The Gambia top the group; Ghana have no points after two games.
• Guinea-Bissau 3-0 Nigeria (Group L): Guinea-Bissau lead with six points, Nigeria have three.
• Cape Verde 1-2 Rwanda (Group K): Rwanda two from two.
• Uganda 1-0 Libya (Group H): the co-hosts win at home and sit on four points.

Why one place can decide everything

The format makes these upsets weigh even more. Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania qualify automatically as hosts, and each sits in a qualifying group. In those groups only the best-placed of the other three teams goes through. Group L contains Tanzania, so Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria and Madagascar are competing for a single ticket. Nigeria are far from out, but they now have to chase. The qualifiers resume in the November international window, with Nigeria at home to Tanzania.

Meanwhile, in East Africa

Wherever the qualifiers lead, the road ends in East Africa, and the region is building fast. In Nairobi the new Talanta Sports International Stadium, with 60,000 seats, is the flagship, and CAF's president Patrice Motsepe said he was impressed with its progress when inspectors visited in September. Kasarani is due its new pitch by the end of October.

In Uganda, the Hoima City Stadium is finished and commissioned, Mandela National Stadium in Kampala is being renovated as the main venue, and Lira's Akii-Bua Olympic Stadium is due by December. Tanzania's organisers say their stadiums are more than 80 per cent complete on average, with ferries planned between Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar for travelling fans.