Algeria, Libya and Malawi triumphed this weekend to keep alive hopes of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
A three-goal second half burst helped the Desert Foxes of Algeria edge the Teranga Lions of Senegal 3-2 in Blida and take a one-point advantage in Group 6 with one round to play. Long serving Ahmed Saad was the hero of Libya as his goal six minutes from full-time earned a 1-0 win over Ghana in a top-of-the-table Group 5 Tripoli clash marred by an injury to Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien. Malawi were the latest team to inflict misery on Group 12 whipping boys Djibouti, winning 3-0 in the tiny Horn of Africa state via goals from Chiukepo Msowoya, Moses Chavula and Atosaye Nyondo.
After a goalless first half in Blida, Issiar Dia put previously unbeaten Senegal ahead only for Yacine Bezzaz, Rafik Saifi and Antar Yahia to score for Algeria within 14 minutes.
Mamadou Sougou grabbed a stoppage-time consolation goal for Senegal, who host Gambia in their final match next month, while Algeria travel to group strugglers Liberia.
Libya won their fourth consecutive match without conceding a goal after suffering a hiding in Ghana last June, and a point from their away fixture against Gabon on Oct. 11 would seal first place. A blunder by defender Harrison Afful led to Libya’s winner as he failed to clear a through ball, allowing Saad to beat goalkeeper Richard Kingson from an acute angle.
Essien, who had been a doubtful starter, was the victim of a cynical foul midway through the opening half and Stephen Appiah came on to end a nine-month injury induced absence from the Black Stars. Appiah, who has been linked with West Ham United after quitting Fenerbahce, delivered a series of defense-splitting passes which were squandered by Junior Agogo and Sulley Muntari.
Malawi climbed above African champions Egypt on goal difference after their win over Djibouti. They are in second place in the standings in Group 12, one of the most hotly contested in Africa, with the Democratic Republic of Congo also strong challengers for top spot.
Yesterday, Mauritius were defeated 1-4 in Curepipe by Tanzania.
The 12 group winners and the best eight runners-up advance to the final qualifying phase.
■OCEANIA
AFP, NOUMEA AND BA, FIJI
A second-half double by Shane Smeltz lifted New Zealand to a 3-1 victory over New Caledonia yesterday to put them on the verge of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup.
New Zealand must now play the fifth-ranked Asian nation in a home-and-away series, with the winner going through to the World Cup finals in South Africa.
Smeltz’s two-goal burst sealed the match for New Zealand after they appeared to lose their way early in the second half.
Ben Sigmund put New Zealand ahead in the 15th minute when he fired in from close range following a corner.
The All Whites looked to have control of the match against a struggling New Caledonia side and only excellent work by goalkeeper Jean Marc Ounemoa kept the score at 1-0.
But shortly after halftime, Michel Hmae equalized for New Caledonia as New Zealand began to struggle in the tropical heat.
However, they hit back in the 65th minute when Jarrod Smith and Jeremy Brockie combined to set up Smeltz for his first goal, firing home from close range.
Eleven minutes later, Smeltz put New Zealand 3-1 up when he received the ball on the edge of the box, turned his marker and hammered a powerful shot into the top corner.
Earlier, goals by Salesh Kumar and Macium Dunadamu gave Fiji a 2-0 win over Vanuatu.
Kumar scored in the seventh minute, volleying a free-kick into the Vanuatu net. Dunadamu made the game safe eight minutes before time.
Tainan TSG Hawks slugger Steven Moya, who is leading the CPBL in home runs, has withdrawn from this weekend’s All-Star Game after the unexpected death of his wife. Moya’s wife began feeling severely unwell aboard a plane that landed at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Friday evening. She was rushed to a hospital, but passed away, the Hawks said in a statement yesterday. The franchise is assisting Moya with funeral arrangements and hopes fans who were looking forward to seeing him at the All-Star Game can understand his decision to withdraw. According to Landseed Medical Clinic, whose staff attempted to save Moya’s wife,
Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt yesterday backed Nick Champion de Crespigny to be the team’s “roving scavenger” after handing him a shock debut in the opening Test against the British and Irish Lions Test in Brisbane. Hard man Champion de Crespigny, who spent three seasons at French side Castres before moving to the Western Force this year, is to get his chance tomorrow with first-choice blindside flanker Rob Valetini not fully fit. His elevation is an eye-opener, preferred to Tom Hooper, but Schmidt said he had no doubt about his abilities. “I keep an eye on the Top 14 having coached there many years
ON A KNEE: In the MLB’s equivalent of soccer’s penalty-kicks shoot-out, the game was decided by three batters from each side taking three swings each off coaches Kyle Schwarber was nervous. He had played in Game 7 of the MLB World Series and homered for the US in the World Baseball Classic (WBC), but he had never walked up to the plate in an All-Star Game swing-off. No one had. “That’s kind of like the baseball version of a shoot-out,” Schwarber said after homering on all three of his swings, going down to his left knee on the final one, to overcome a two-homer deficit. That held up when Jonathan Aranda fell short on the American League’s final three swings, giving the National League a 4-3 swing-off win after
NBA team owners on Tuesday authorized league officials to begin an in-depth analysis regarding expansion, but NBA commissioner Adam Silver said there was no timetable for any changes. The NBA board of governors meeting in Las Vegas marked the first time team owners officially discussed expanding the league beyond 30 teams, but Silver said they went no deeper than requesting more research into the possibility. “There is a significant step now in that we’re now engaging in this in-depth analysis,” Silver said. “It’s something we weren’t prepared to do before, but beyond that, it’s really day one of that analysis. In terms
RSS