Gattuso Shines as Italy Crush Estonia 5-0, Morocco First African Nation to Qualify for 2026 World Cup

Posted : 06 September 2025

Gennaro Gattuso made an emphatic debut as Italy head coach, guiding the Azzurri to a commanding 5-0 win against Estonia on Friday in Bergamo. Italy dominated from the opening whistle, and second-half goals from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui (twice), Giacomo Raspadori, and Alessandro Bastoni sealed all three points. Fans celebrated the victory by chanting Gattuso’s name, reflecting the renewed energy around the team.

Italy now sit third in Group I, six points behind leaders Norway, who have played one extra game, with a crucial match against second-placed Israel scheduled for Monday in Debrecen, Hungary.

"We played well, and it’s down to the way the boys have conducted themselves this week," Gattuso said. "We’ve worked hard, and there’s a good atmosphere in the squad. Being attack-minded carries risks, but against Estonia, it paid off."

Three points separate Italy from Israel and the group’s play-off position, which remains their most likely route to qualify for next year’s World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. Italy’s goal difference still lags behind Norway, who defeated the four-time world champions 3-0 in June.

Italy could have extended their goal difference further with more clinical finishing earlier in the match. Kean eventually opened the scoring in the 58th minute from Retegui’s flick, following earlier missed chances from both strikers. Retegui doubled the lead shortly after, with Raspadori and Bastoni rounding out the 5-0 victory with precise headers.

Elsewhere in the CAF qualifiers, Morocco became the first African nation to book a place at the 2026 World Cup finals. A 5-0 triumph over Niger in Rabat, highlighted by Ismael Saibari’s first-half brace, secured their spot with two games to spare.

Egypt moved closer to qualification with a 2-0 win over Ethiopia in Cairo, courtesy of goals from Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush. South Africa maintained their five-point lead in Group C with a 3-0 victory against Lesotho, while Ivory Coast returned to the top of Group F after a narrow 1-0 win over Burundi thanks to Vakoun Issouf Bayo.

Other notable results included DR Congo’s 4-1 win over South Sudan and Senegal’s 2-0 victory against Sudan. These outcomes set up a series of decisive matches on September 9, where several African teams will fight for qualification spots.

Friday’s CAF World Cup Qualifiers Results:

Congo 1-1 Tanzania
Benin 1-0 Zimbabwe
Djibouti 0-5 Burkina Faso
Lesotho 0-3 South Africa
Uganda 4-0 Mozambique
Egypt 2-0 Ethiopia
Morocco 5-0 Niger
Senegal 2-0 Sudan
Ivory Coast 1-0 Burundi
Mauritania 2-0 Togo
South Sudan 1-4 DR Congo
Kenya 1-3 Gambia
Somalia 0-3 Guinea
Namibia 1-2 Malawi

Gattuso Shines as Italy Crush Estonia 5-0, Morocco First African Nation to Qualify for 2026 World Cup

ADD A COMMENT :

Hot Topics