Rivals collide...
Senegal winger Sadio
Mane dribbles past
Liverpool team-mate
Mohamed Salah
WORLD SERVICETo make matters worse, Sissako was
red-carded four minutes later for a trip
on SeifeddineJaziri, leaving Mali down
to ten men for most of the match.
Yet, Mali were evenly matched and
Tunisia were forced to hold on for a 0-0
draw at home in the return with another
of their trademark defensive displays.
Senegal lost1-0 away in Cairo in the
first leg of their play-off when Salah’s
fourth-minute effort hit the crossbar
and then came off the knee of Saliou
Ciss. But the new African champions
always looked the stronger of the two
teams and had their hosts on the back
foot, without realising any profit.
But just three minutes into the return
leg at their new stadium in Dakar, striker
Boulaye Dia stabbed home the aggregate
equaliser – via a deflection off Hamdi
Fathi – setting off another rear-guard
action by the Egyptians.
The game progressed through extra
time and into the shootout. Senegal
captain Kalidou Koulibaly missed, then
Salah blazed his effort into the night sky,
with the next two penalties also wasted.
At 2-1 up, Senegal goalkeeper EdouardMendy saved from Mostafa Mohamed,
allowing Mane to grab glory again as he
thrashed his kick home in a repeat of
the AFCON final.
Morocco overcame the Democratic
Republic of Congo 5-2 on aggregate,
falling behind early in the first leg
but recovering for a1-1 draw when
substitute Tarik Tissoudali scored. He
was among the goalscorers again in
the second leg, with Azzedine Ounahi
netting twice in Casablanca and Achraf
Hakimi adding the fourth. Striker Ben
Malango netted a consolation for the
visitors in the 77th minute.
Morocco coach Vahid Halilhodzic
will now, however, have to deal with the
Hakim Ziyech issue after he left both
the Chelsea winger and Ajax full-back
Noussair Mazraoui out of the squad
forJanuary’s Cup of Nations. He then
surprisingly recalled them for the
World Cup play-offs only for the
pair to give him short shrift.
But it is unlikely to be the end of the
matter, especially as the pair can greatly
enhance Morocco’s prospects in Qatar.
Full line-ups and results on page 94.Finals spot secured...
Kwasi Okyere Wriedt
celebrates Ghana’s
aggregate victory
against NigeriaKey clash...
Algeria’s Islam
Slimani clashes
with Cameroon
defender Michael
Ngadeu-Ngadjui21-year-old central defender from
Standard Liege, playing only his fourth
international for Mali in the first leg
in Bamako. He made a horrible error
by hitting a no-look back pass and
catching goalkeeper Ibrahim Mounkoro
unawares to hand the Tunisians a gift
of a goal away from home.Comfortable...
Achraf Hakimi
after scoring
vDRCongo