Ghana ended a 37-month wait for victory in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying with a 2-0 win over Somalia on Thursday, while Ivory Coast, Senegal and the Democratic Republic of Congo also claimed important victories in their respective groups.
The four-time African champions secured their first win in Group C at Essipong, with goals from Adjei Adjetey and Felix Afena-Gyan keeping their hopes of qualifying for the next AFCON tournament alive.
Adjetey, who plays for German second-tier side VfL Wolfsburg, opened the scoring in first-half stoppage time with his first international goal.
Turkey-based forward Afena-Gyan doubled Ghana's advantage in the 62nd minute, sealing a much-needed victory after consecutive defeats to Ivory Coast and Gambia two months earlier.
Despite the result, Ghana's performance raised concerns, with both goals coming from defensive mistakes by Somalia, who are ranked 200th in the world, 130 places below the Black Stars.
Ghana's victory provided welcome relief for interim coach Kim Lars Bjorkegren, who was temporarily appointed from the women's national team.
However, the Black Stars struggled to impose themselves against lower-ranked opposition.
Adjetey's opening goal exposed Somalia's vulnerability in aerial situations, with the defender given space to head home following a corner.
Somalia goalkeeper Ibrahim Hussein had earlier denied Ghana captain Jordan Ayew from the penalty spot but was responsible for the second goal.
The 20-year-old failed to stop a relatively tame effort from Afena-Gyan, allowing the ball to slip beneath his body and into the net.
Ghana now sit third in Group C with three points, behind leaders Ivory Coast and second-placed Gambia.
Ivory Coast maintained their perfect qualifying record with a 2-1 victory over Gambia in Bouake, moving to nine points from three matches. Gambia remain second with six points, while Somalia have yet to register a point.
Somalia have surrendered home advantage for Monday's return fixture against Ghana, presenting the Black Stars with another opportunity to strengthen their qualification prospects.
Should Ghana complete consecutive victories over Somalia, their final two qualifiers will see them host Ivory Coast before travelling to face Gambia next March.
With the top two teams advancing, Ghana remain firmly in contention despite their difficult start.
Equatorial Guinea were held to a goalless draw by Zimbabwe in Group E, despite dominating much of the encounter in Yaounde, Cameroon.
The Central African nation were without regular goalkeeper Jesus Owono, who remains uncertain about continuing his football career following a tragic incident in Spain.
Owono was involved in a collision with Jesus de Miguel during a Spanish second-division match earlier this month, which resulted in the forward's death.
The 47-cap international was replaced by Marcos Ondo, who faced little pressure as Zimbabwe adopted a defensive approach.
The fixture was played in Cameroon because Equatorial Guinea currently lack a stadium meeting international requirements.
The situation contrasts sharply with 2015, when the country hosted the Africa Cup of Nations across four CAF-approved venues.
Both Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea now have four points in Group E, five behind leaders Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Democratic Republic of Congo continued their impressive AFCON qualifying campaign with a 3-1 victory over Sierra Leone in Kinshasa.
Newcastle United forward Yoane Wissa gave the hosts a flying start, opening the scoring after just four minutes.
The Congolese extended their advantage to three goals before Samuel Bekoe scored a late consolation for Sierra Leone.
The result maintained DR Congo's perfect record after three matches, leaving them five points clear of Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea in Group E.
Their strong start has placed them in an excellent position to secure qualification.
Senegal delivered an emphatic second-half performance to defeat Sudan 4-1 in Dakar in Group J.
Aston Villa forward Nicolas Jackson opened the scoring before Senegal took control after the interval to secure a convincing victory.
The result provided another positive moment for Senegal, although uncertainty continues to surround their disputed Africa Cup of Nations title.
Senegal initially won the previous tournament with a 1-0 extra-time victory over hosts Morocco in February.
However, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) subsequently awarded the title to Morocco after most of Senegal's players temporarily left the pitch in protest against a penalty decision.
The penalty was eventually missed when play resumed, and Senegal went on to win the match.
Senegal have challenged CAF's ruling at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland, seeking to overturn the decision.
A ruling on the appeal is expected later this month.
While the legal dispute remains unresolved, Senegal continue to produce strong performances on the pitch as they pursue qualification for another major continental tournament.
