Al Nasr winger Jonathan Pitroipa missed a penalty on Saturday night as Burkina Faso scrambled a dramatic late draw in their 2018 World Cup qualifier with South Africa in Ouagadougou.
Pitroipa saw his 10th minute spot kick saved by South Africa goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune before teammate Alain Traore missed a second penalty for Burkina Faso three minutes from time.
South Africa had taken an 80th minute lead through midfielder Dean Furman but surrendered their advantage in the third minute of injury time through Banou Diawara.
There was better luck for fellow Arabian Gulf League player Moussa Sow, who scored the second goal in Senegal’s 2-0 victory over the Cape Verde Islands.
Sow, contracted to UAE champions Al Ahli but on loan for the season at Turkish side Fenerbahce, doubled Senegal’s lead in the 80th minute after Lazio forward Balde Keita struck in the first half.
Elsewhere, Dieumerci Mbokani scored twice as the Democratic Republic of Congo made an emphatic start to the group phase of Africa’s World Cup qualifiers with a 4-0 thumping of Libya while both the Ivory Coast also emerged victorious.
There was also a potentially important away point collected by Morocco on the opening weekend of games in the five groups, from which the winners go on to compete at the 2018 finals in Russia.
Striker Mbokani, recently signed by Hull City, netted after just six minutes to set the tone in Kinshasa with Jonathan Bolingi and Ndombe Mubele adding goals in a one-sided performance that could have ended with an even more convincing winning margin had the hosts taken all their chances.
Gervinho hammered home a left footed cracker for the Ivory Coast as they came from a goal down to beat Mali 3-1 in Bouake.
Sambou Yatabare scored to give Mali an 18th minute lead in the Group C clash but it lasted only eight minutes before Jonathan Kodjia equalised with an effort from outside the penalty area.
A horror own goal from Salif Coulibaly meant the African champions went 2-1 up just after the half-hour mark before Gervinho’s superb finish gave the Ivorians a two-goal advantage at half-time. There were no more goals in the second half of an entertaining derby clash.
Morocco drew 0-0 away in Gabon in the other Group C clash.
Four more qualifiers will be played on Sunday including a first group game for heavyweights Algeria, Cameroon, Egypt and Nigeria.
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