Senegal and Morocco book qualifications to next phase of World Cup qualifiers
Senegal became the first African country to book its place in the next stage of the Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifiers after accumulating 12 points from four matches in the qualifiers.
Placed in Group H with Togo, Namibia and Congo, the Teranga Lions made light work of their opponents to stroll through to the next stage unscathed. The 2019 Afcon finalist scored a staggering 12 goals, averaging 3 goals per match in the four matches played.
They conceded just three goals in the process as they create a deep gap between them and the next team, Togo is on four points, the same as Namibia. Famara Diedhiou scored a hattrick in the game against Namibia on Tuesday to seal the qualification.
In November, Senegal will travel to Lome to play against Togo before returning home to round up their campaign against Congo three days later.
Morocco joined the Teranga Lions in booking qualification to the next stage after thumping Guinea 1-4 on Tuesday evening thanks to a brace from Selim Amallah on either side of Ayoub El Kaabi and Sofiane Boufal’s goals.
The Atlas Lions advanced at the expense of Guinea-Bissau, 4 points, Guinea, 3 points and Sudan, 2 points ahead of the final two rounds of matches. Their accumulated 12 points cannot be breached by any of the teams in the group even if they won all their matches and Morocco lost.
Vahid Halilhodžić’s side scored a staggering 14 goals, kept three clean sheets and conceded their first goal in the qualifiers against Guinea on Tuesday evening when Mamadou Kané equalized El Kaabi’s goal in the 31st-minute.
Eight more teams are expected to book qualifications to join Senegal and Morocco in the next round where the ten teams will be paired to play a two-leg playoff to determine the five teams that will represent Africa in Qatar next year.
By: Clifford Adumbire | myactiveonline.com
