"AFCON qualifiers: Guinea Bissau stun Nigeria in Abuja as Liberia fight back to draw South Africa"

" AFCON qualifiers: Guinea Bissau stun Nigeria in Abuja as Liberia fight back to draw South Africa \r\n\r\nGuinea-Bissau stunned hosts Nigeria 1-0 in an Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier played at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja on Friday evening.\r\n\r\nThe result, secured by a first-half strike from Mame Balde and a resilient defensive display, took the Djurtus to the top of Group A on seven points, with the Super Eagles dropping to second on six points..\r\n\r\nPowered by their home fans in Abuja, Nigeria had started well and their best chance was in the 16th minute when Kelechi Iheanacho picked up Victor Osimhen with a brilliant through ball, but the lanky forward\u2019s attempt to clip over the keeper was blocked.\r\n\r\nThe visitors broke the deadlock in the 29th minute, Balde picking a long ball behind the defense from Opa Sangante before sliding the ball past Francis Uzoho.\r\n\r\nThey should have doubled their advantage nine minutes from halftime when Fali Cande picked up Eucidalcio Gomes with a brilliant cross-field ball, but the latter hit the side netting despite sitting the keeper and a defender down.\r\n\r\nIn the second half, Nigeria threw in their all to battle to get back into the game but they were unsuccessful with Samuel Chukwueze coming close twice with curling shots while substitute Paul Onuachu had a header sail inches wide.\r\n\r\nContinental champions Senegal moved to within touching distance of qualification for the next Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) after they racked up an emphatic 5-1 triumph over Mozambique at the Diamniadio Olympic Stadium in Dakar on Friday night.\r\n\r\nThe Teranga Lions made it three wins from as many games in Group L thanks to goals from Youssouf Sabaly, Sadio Mane, Iliman Ndiaye, Boulaye Dia and Habib Diallo, and a victory in their next match away to the Mambas (second on the log with four points compared to the leaders\u2019 nine) will seal qualification for the Nations Cup finals in Ivory Coast next year.\r\n\r\nSenegal got off to a flying start and claimed the lead in just the ninth minute. A sustained attack concluded with Boulaye Dia dummying Iliman Ndiaye\u2019s square ball, allowing Youssouf Sabaly to crack home a drive from the edge of the penalty area for 1-0.\r\n\r\nAnd it was soon 2-0, with Sadio Mane netting in the 15th minute. Sabaly went from scorer to provider, clipping in a teasing ball from the right which allowed Mane to sneak between goalkeeper and defender, before providing just enough of a touch to help the ball into the back of the net.\r\n\r\nThe Teranga Lions effectively killed off the game with a third goal just after the half-hour mark, as Abdallah Ndour whipped in a cross from the left which was beautifully finished off by Ndiaye, who clipped a shot past the right hand of goalkeeper Gion Chande.\r\n\r\nOn 39 minutes Senegal continued their relentless attack and were rewarded with a fourth goal, as Dia picked up a loose ball and fired off a shot from the edge of the box \u2013 his effort was well saved by Chande, but Dia followed up to sweep home the loose ball and make it 4-0.\r\n\r\nThe Mambas, having offered almost nothing in attack through the first half, pulled a goal back three minutes into the second, as Lourenco Vilanculos acrobatically headed home on the rebound after Alfred Gomis had saved an initial shot on target from a free kick by Elias Pelembe.\r\n\r\nThis sparked a period of dominance for the visitors, who looked to capitalise on their momentum by introducing Luis Miquissone, Shaquille Nangy and Domingos Macandza on the hour mark, while Senegal responded by bringing on Krepin Diatta, Pathe Ciss and Habib Diallo.\r\n\r\nThe Teranga Lions reclaimed control of the game and were mostly content to sit on their three-goal lead, controlling the game and efficiently ensuring that the Mambas had no path to a comeback.\r\n\r\nSenegal spurned great chances created for substitute Bamba Dieng, but he eventually turned provider and sent in a cross from the right which was headed home by Diallo in the 89th minute to complete a 5-1 scoreline.\r\n\r\nThe teams will meet in the return Group L match at Estadio do Zimpeto in Maputo on Tuesday, 28 March.\r\n\r\nAt the Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa head coach Hugo Broos was left red faced as the Bafana Bafana dropped a two goal lead to draw 2-2 with Liberia.\r\n\r\nLyle Foster\u2019s first half double had given South Africa a comfortable cushion, but the Lone Stars of Liberia fought in the second half with substitute Mohamed Sangare scoring at the stroke of 90 minutes, after Tonia Tisdell\u2019s freekick had brought them within reach.\r\n\r\nBafana had raced to a 2-0 lead within 22 minutes. Foster broke the deadlock after nine minutes from the penalty spot after Percy tau was brought down by the keeper inside the box.\r\n\r\nThe Burnley forward doubled the tally in the 22nd minute when he sneaked in a header at the near post from a Teboho Mokoena corner. South Africa had more chances with Bongokuhle Hlongwane hitting the outside of the post one on one with the keeper, before Tau also missed a sitter.\r\n\r\nSouth Africa thought they had a third in the 52nd minute, but tau\u2019s freekick was cancelled as he took it direct when the referee had put his hand up for an indirect freekick.\r\n\r\nHaving dodged the bullet, Liberia put in a fight and they halved the deficit in the 68th minute when Tisdell\u2019s freekick curled in from the left foot trickled past two Bafana defenders and the keeper.\r\n\r\nThey kept the fight and were rewarded when Sangare struck a sublime shot from range, keeper Ronwen Williams completely beaten.\r\n\r\nBoth Liberia and South Africa are on one point from two matches and with Morocco already qualified in the three-team Group K, pressure is on Bafana to battle for the single remaining slot.\r\n\r\nElsewhere at the Stade De La Paix de Bouak\u00e9, hosts C\u00f4te d'Ivoire picked up a 3-1 victory over Comoros to move back top of Group H with seven points.\r\n\r\nSebastian Haller\u2019s inspirational story continued, as he scored one of the three goals in his first international match since recovering from cancer. He scored a brilliant header in between Christian Kouame and Jean Philipe Krasso\u2019s goals.\r\n\r\nKiuame broke the deadlock after 29 minutes when Kouame raced to a through ball before sneaking it between the keeper\u2019s legs. Before that, the Ivorians had two goals disallowed for offside.\r\n\r\nThey took the 1-0 lead to the break but Haller doubled their advantage on the hour mark with a glancing header off a Wilfried Singo cross.\r\n\r\nThey made it 3-0 in the 89th minute with a brilliant goal. The keeper hit to Ghislan Konan out wide, the latter squaring for Krasso to finish off brilliantly inside the box.\r\n\r\nEgypt put on a dominant display against Malawi to emerge 2-0 victors in their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo on Friday night.\r\n\r\nRui Vitoria's side looked comfortable after Mohamed Salah opened the scoring midway through the first half and an own-goal from Charles Petro on the stroke of halftime sealed the win.\r\n\r\nThe Pharaohs moved to the top of Group D ahead of the clash between Ethiopia and Guinea later that same night, with the Flames dropping to third place.\r\n\r\nThe hosts were on top from the get-go and they signalled their intentions early on when Mohamed Abdelmonem hit the crossbar with a header from an eighth-minute free-kick.\r\n\r\nAfter continuing to probe away at the opposition defence, they made the breakthrough on 20 minutes as Salah played Mohamed Hamdy into acres of space on the left and timed his run to perfection to convert the left-back's pass from 10 yards out.\r\n\r\nCharles Thomu had to be alert to tip the ball over the crossbar on 24 minutes after Mohamed Hany mis-queued his cross from the right towards goal and the Pharaohs threatened once more in the 33rd minute when Omar Marmoush produced an exquisite touch to bring Ahmed Hegazi's aerial ball under control before blazing over from the right side of the box.\r\n\r\nMalawi would have done well to go into the break just one goal down but they conceded again in stoppage time following a mistake on the left side of defence, with the ball coming out to Marmoush, whose shot from the edge of the area took a wicked deflection off Petro and looped over Thomu into the back of the net."

"AFCON qualifiers: Guinea Bissau stun Nigeria in Abuja as Liberia fight back to draw South Africa"

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