Road to Qatar: Gabon, Cameroon and co grind out wins on matchday 4
The journey to the next World Cup is heating up in Africa with 40 countries crying for 10 slots to the two-leg play-off phase that will determine the continent’s five representatives in Qatar next year. But which countries are urging closer to emerging group winners in each of the ten groups and how are they performing in the qualifiers? We bring to you all the roundup and all the scores from the various match centres each day of this qualifying series. Missed any of the previous scorelines? Check it right here.
On Monday, five matches took place across Africa in the qualifiers and Gabon versus Angola was one of them. Having lost the previous tie on Friday away in Angola by 3-1, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s Gabon were determined to put a brake on their fall and they did so in a beauty, securing a two-nil win at the Stade de Franceville. The Arsenal and Gabon skipper opened the scoring for his nation in the 74th-minute before Alex Yowan Kevin Moucketou Moussounda added the second 10 minutes later to seal the win. Gabon has overtaken Angola and now placed third with 4 points, one more than Angola who is fourth, both behind leaders Egypt and Libya.
Still, in Group F, Egypt after finding it difficult to break the defence of Libya for nearly the entire first half found the magic spot on the 40th-minute mark thanks to Ahmed Fattoh. Soon after the opener, Mostafa Mohammed scored another for the Pharaohs in the 4th-minute of first-half added time. With 18 minutes to end the second half, Ramadan Sobhi scored the third goal in the match as Egypt took a commanding lead towards victory at the 28 March Stadium. It ended 3-0 against the Mediterranean Knights who remains second in the group behind Egypt but is now four points apart.
In Group A, it is a tight two-horse race between Burkina Faso and African champions, Algeria. The Stallions took advantage of their group rivals not playing until tomorrow to move ahead in the group with a two-goal win at home against Djibouti who remains winless after four attempts. Issoufou Dayo scored in the half-hour mark to opening the scoring before Abdoul Tapsoba sealed the victory with a 63rd-minute goal. Djibouti’s place at the bottom is confirmed until the next round of matches but Burkina Faso’s stay at the top could end with a win for Angola tomorrow.
Cameroon secured a one-goal win away in Mozambique with Michael Ngadeu Ngadjui’s 68th-minute goal being the difference and ensuring the Indomitable Lions remain in hot pursuit of Ivory Coast in Group D. Mozambique has no chance of making it to the next round even if they win the remaining two matches, having accumulated just a point from the four matches played thus far as they remain bottom of the group.
Ivory Coast saw off Malawi 2-1 at the Stade de l’Amitie in Cotonou thanks to goals from Nicolas Pepe and Frank Kessie on either side of Khuda Muyaba.s goal. Pepe scored first after only two minutes into the game but Muyaba drew the Flames level on the 20th-minute mark. Frank Kessie converted from the spot in the 66th-minute to seal the win. The Elephants remain top of Group D, one point ahead of Cameroon while Malawi remains third with three points.
By: Clifford Adumbire | myactiveonline.com
