African World Cup qualifying results
Friday
• Ghana 0-0 Uganda
Saturday
• Gabon 0-0 Morocco
• DR Congo 4-0 Libya
• Burkina Faso 1-1 South Africa
• Ivory Coast 3-1 Mali
• Senegal 2-0 Cape Verde
Sunday
• Zambia 1-2 Nigeria
• Congo 1-2 Egypt
• Tunisia 2-0 Guinea
• Algeria 1-1 Cameroon
• For fixtures and TV info, click here
Sunday
Congo 1-2 Egypt
Hector Cuper-managed Egypt won their first third-round 2018 World Cup qualifier despite going down early to Republic of Congo in Brazzaville.
Ferebory Dore of Ligue 1’s Angers put the hosts ahead on 24minutes, but AS Roma’s Mohamed Salah equalised just before half-time.
Abdallah Said of Cairo giants Al Ahly fired in the winner on 58 minutes and the Pharaohs held on from there.
• Congo v Egypt preview: Hector Cuper, Mohamed salah and some points to prove for Pharaohs
Zambia 1-2 Nigeria
Nigeria opened their 2018 World Cup group-phase qualifying campaign with a 2-1 victory in Zambia on Sunday thanks to goals from Premier League duo Alex Iwobi and Kelechi Iheanacho
The 20-year-old strikers scored in the opening half before a capacity 40,000 crowd at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in central city Ndola that included President Edgar Lungu.
Zambia dominated the second half and veteran striker Collins Mbesuma set up a tense finish by halving the deficit 19 minutes from time.
• More: Nigeria starlets Kelechi Iheanacho and Alex Iwobi could begin to leave mark on Super Eagles
But an equaliser eluded the Chipolopolo (Copper Bullets), who are seeking a first World Cup appearance while the Super Eagles have already been to the finals five times.
The teams are in Group B – labelled the “group of death” as it contains three 2014 World Cup qualifiers in Algeria, Cameroon and Nigeria.
Algeria host record seven-time African qualifiers Cameroon later on Sunday in Blida, a venue where the Desert Foxes are virtually invincible.
Iwobi of Arsenal pounced on a weak headed clearance to slam the ball past goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene from close range on 32 minutes.
Neat one-touch passing set Iheanacho of Manchester City free 10 minutes later and he rounded Mweene before calmly pushing the ball into the net.
A blunder from Nigeria defender Kenneth Omeruo allowed Mbesuma to score by firing past impressive goalkeeper Carl Ikeme from inside the penalty area.
Seven matches into the African group phase, Nigeria are the only country to win away after three home victories and three draws.
Saturday’s round-up
A three-goal blitz enabled Ivory Coast to whip Mali 3-1 Saturday in World Cup qualifying while Burkina Faso snatched a dramatic 1-1 draw with South Africa after wasting two penalties.
DR Congo thrashed Libya 4-0, Senegal overcame Cape Verde 2-0 and Gabon and Morocco drew 0-0 in other Matchday 1 African clashes.
Sambou Yatabare stunned reigning African champions Ivory Coast by racing on to a long pass and chipping the ball over slow-reacting goalkeeper Sylvain Gbohouo for an early lead in Bouake.
But the Ivorians responded by laying siege to the Mali goalmouth and Jonathan Kodjia and Gervinho scored in a dazzling nine-minute spell during which Salif Coulibaly conceded an own-goal.
Kodjia, a recent recruit by English second-tier club Aston Villa, levelled on 25 minutes by slamming the ball past goalkeeper Oumar Sissoko from outside the box.
Rattled Mali fell behind when Coulibaly turned a low cross into his net five minutes later and China-based Gervinho fired the third goal from just inside the penalty area.
It was a great start for three-time World Cup qualifiers Ivory Coast in Group C, especially as likely closest rivals Morocco were held 0-0 by 2017 Africa Cup of Nations hosts Gabon in Franceville.
Al Nasr’s Jonathan Pitroipa had an early penalty saved by Itumeleng Khune and Alain Traore blazed another spot-kick over before Banou Diawara snatched a stoppage-time draw for Burkina Faso in Group D.
Dean Furman put three-time World Cup participants South Africa ahead on 80 minutes, rifling a low shot through a crowd of players and past goalkeeper Herve Kouakou Koffi after a corner was not cleared.
When Traore failed to equalise from his penalty a minute before the end of regular time in front of a 40,000 Ouagadougou crowd, the hosts seemed doomed.
However, South Africa failed to deal with a bicycle kick in the first minute of additional time and Diawara got a touch that diverted the ball past Khune.
Striker Keita Balde from Italian Serie A outfit Lazio scored the first goal and created the second as dominant Senegal cruised to victory in Dakar and took a two-point lead over Burkina Faso and South Africa.
Balde beat Vozinha with a low, close-range shot during the opening half and his clever back-heel allowed recalled former Al Ahli striker Moussa Sow to slam the ball into the net with 10 minutes left.
Dieumerci Mbokani netted early in each half to power DR Congo to an emphatic triumph over Libya in Kinshasa with Jonathan Bolingi and Ndombe Mubele the other scorers.
The decisive Congolese victory sent an early warning to their other Group A rivals, Tunisia and Guinea, who meet Sunday.
Among the other three fixtures is Zambia against Nigeria in Ndola.
Friday
Uganda defender Nicholas Wadada was yellow-carded twice but not sent off as his team forced a shock 0-0 away draw against Ghana on Friday in a World Cup qualifier.
Although right-back Wadada was cautioned in each half at the Tamale Sports Stadium in northern Ghana, the Sudanese referee did not flash the expected red card after the second booking.
The Ugandan battled against the pace of winger Frank Acheampong until substituted soon after his lucky escape, and both cautions were the result of illegal tackles from behind.
A Fifa website report of the opening group-phase match in Africa confirmed that Wadada was yellow-carded after 23 and 55 minutes.
Ghana are ranked 22 places above Uganda in the world and were expected to make a winning start as they seek to emulate African record-holders Cameroon and reach four consecutive World Cup tournaments.
Following a slow start in 35 degrees C (95 F) heat, Ghana controlled possession and had the best chances to win the match in Group E, which includes Republic of Congo and Egypt.
Unmarked Jordan Ayew from English second-tier club Aston Villa blazed a far-post volley wide in the opening half and Christian Atsu was also off target after dribbling past several defenders.
Daniel Amartey from reigning Premier League champions Leicester City had a second-half header from a corner brilliantly tipped over by Uganda goalkeeper and captain Dennis Onyango.
*Agence France-Presse
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