Cameroon draw with Algeria, as Ivory Coast,
DR Congo and Senegal win
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| Indomitable Lions celebrate Moukanjo’s 26th minute equalizer |
Ivory Coast beat Mali 3-1 to go top of
Group C after Gabon and Morocco had earlier drawn 0-0.
DR
Congo thrashed Libya in Group A, winning 4-0 in Kinshasa.
In
Group D, Senegal beat Cape Verde 2-0 after Burkina Faso and South Africa had
drawn 1-1.
The
reigning African champions, Ivory Coast, took onMali in Group C in Bouake with
a largely new generation of players in the post Toure-brothers era.
The
hosts were put under pressure after just 18 minutes when SambouYatabare scored
to give Mali a 1-0 lead.
It
took eight minutes for Ivory Coast to level the match, with Aston Villa forward
Jonathan Kodjia scoring an equaliser.
Five
minutes later, the Ivorians went 2-1 up after Mali's SalifCoulibaly struck into
his own net.
Ivory
Coast took a commanding 3-1 lead in the 34th minute when Gervinho (pictured),
one of the few existing members of Ivory Coast's so-called "golden
generation" volleyed in to put his side top of Group C, above Gabonand
Morocco who drew 0-0 in Franceville earlier.
Gabon,
hosts of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, were left frustrated by Morocco at
home.
They
looked to their Borussia Dortmund talisman, Pierre-EmerickAubameyang, to
conjure up a winner and he came closest to scoring in the 68th minute, only to
see his header cleared off the line by Moroccan goalkeeper, Munir.
In
Group A, the Democratic Republic of Congo looked in firm control as they
convincingly beat Libya 4-0.
DieumerciMbokani
scored twice, getting the first of his two goals in the sixth minute with
Jonathan Bolingi adding a second on the stroke of half-time.
Mbokani grabbed his second after 56 minutes
to make it 3-0 to DR Congo, with substitute NdombeMubele adding a fourth late on
for the hosts.
Tunisia
host Guinea in the other Group A game on Sunday.
In
other 2018 World Cup qualifying matches, Senegal beat Cape Verde 2-0 late on
Saturday night in Dakar to go top of Group D.
Lazio striker BaldeDiao Keita struck in the
first half and substitute Moussa Sow in the 80th minute to give Senegal an
opening win.
Earlier
on Saturday, Burkina Faso squandered two penalties but did manage to grab a
dramatic injury-time equaliser as they drew 1-1 with South Africa in their
Group D match in Ouagadougou.
Jonathan
Pitroipa had the chance to put Burkina Faso 1-0 up in the 10th minute from the
penalty spot, but South African goal-keeper ItumelengKhune saved the spot-kick
to keep his team in the match.
It
remained 0-0 until the 80th minute when South Africa took the lead through Dean
Furman against the run of play.
Burkina
Faso got a second penalty of the game with Alain Traore stepping up to take it,
but he missed from the spot.
South
Africa and their coach Shakes Mashaba were denied a victory when BanouDiawara
scored in the 91st minute for Burkina Faso to make it 1-1.
On
Friday , the group phase of African World Cup qualifiers kicked off withUganda
holding Ghana to a 0-0 draw in Tamale in the opening game of Group E.
In
the other Group E match at the weekend Congo Brazzaville lost at home 0-2 to
Egypt.
Group
B - seen as the toughest of the five groups, Zambia lost 1-2 to Nigeria in
Ndola while Algeria and Cameroon separated 0-0 in Blida.
Only
the five group winners will qualify for Russia 2018 from Africa.
This weekend's African qualifiers for 2018
World Cup
Ghana 0-0 Uganda - Group E Senegal 2-0 Cape Verde -
Group D
Gabon 0-0 Morocco - Group C Zambia 1 - 2 Nigeria - Group B
DR Congo 4-0 Libya - Group A Congo 1-2 Egypt - Group E
Ivory Coast 3-1 Mali - Group C Tunisia v Guinea - Group A
B. Faso 1-1 S. Africa - Group D Algeria 1-1 Cameroon - Group B
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