Johannesburg, Oct 11: Ivory Coast and Senegal moved closer to qualifying for next year’s World Cup after resounding victories in the latest round of African qualifiers.
Ivory Coast beat Seychelles 7-0 to remain top of Group F ahead of Gabon, which defeated Gambia 4-3 away thanks to four goals from captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – who also was sent off late in the game – to keep alive the team’s hope of automatic qualification.
With one round remaining, Ivory Coast is one point ahead of Gabon and can clinch a spot at next year’s tournament by beating Kenya in its last game.
Senegal beat South Sudan 5-0 to also remain top of its group, two points ahead of Congo, which won 1-0 away to Togo.
The Congolese will need a win in their last match against Sudan and hope that Senegal loses at home against Mauritania in order to qualify automatically.
Three teams still have a chance to qualify from Group C after Benin beat Rwanda 1-0 away while South Africa drew 0-0 with Zimbabwe.
That leaves Benin top of the group, two points ahead of South Africa, with Nigeria another point behind after beating Lesotho 2-1.
South Africa needs to convincingly beat Rwanda in the last round and hope Nigeria beat Benin in the last match.
South Africa was docked three points by FIFA for fielding an ineligible player in its first match against Lesotho.
Tunisia, which has already qualified, beat Sao Tome and Principe 6-0 while Sudan and Mauritania drew 0-0.
As the final round of fixtures looms, the African qualifiers promise a thrilling finish with several heavyweight nations still in contention. While Ivory Coast and Senegal look poised to secure their berths, the battle in Group C remains wide open, setting the stage for high-stakes clashes that could redefine the continent’s World Cup landscape.
With just one round of matches remaining, teams across the continent will be under immense pressure to deliver, making every goal and point crucial. (AP)
