Gabon moved closer to a first World Cup appearance by trouncing Togo 3-0 when the 2010 qualifying competition resumed in Africa on Saturday.
Bruno Ecuele scored after only 11 minutes in Libreville to give the home team a perfect start and second half goals from Roguy Meye and Moise Brou secured three more Group A points.
Thomas Dossevi did not help Togo by being sent off five minutes before half-time and teammate Emmanuel Adebayor was shown a yellow card soon after.
Victory maintained the 100 percent record of Gabon in a pool completed by Cameroon and Morocco, who were to clash yesterday.
Morocco fell at home to Gabon, while Cameroon were beaten in neutral Accra by Togo, who are barred from hosting World Cup fixtures as punishment for crowd violence.
The five group winners qualify for the Cup and the top three in each go to the African Nations Cup scheduled for January in Angola.
Moumouni Dagano raised his goal tally to 10 in the joint elimination competition by scoring the winner as Burkina Faso triumphed 1-0 in Malawi and maintained a perfect Group E record. The Qatar-based striker struck on 70 minutes at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre, volleying the ball past goalkeeper Swadick Sanudi from close range before a crowd restricted to 25,000 owing to security concerns.
Burkina Faso, another country that has never qualified for the World Cup, had six points, Ivory Coast three and Guinea and Malawi none ahead of a game between the Guineans and Ivorians scheduled yesterday.
Zambia followed up a shock Group C draw at African Nations Cup holders Egypt last March by edging Rwanda 1-0 in the northern town of Chililabombwe with Rainford Kalaba heading the lone goal on 79 minutes.
Tunisia also defeated Mozambique 2-0.
Taiwan’s top women’s badminton doubles duo, Hsieh Pei-shan (謝沛珊) and Hung En-tzu (洪恩慈), achieved a straight-sets victory over Japan’s Kaho Osawa and Mayui Tanabe at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Super 300 Macau Open on Sunday. The Taiwanese pair won the final 21-18, 21-12, marking the duo’s second title this year after their win at the BWF Super 300 Taipei Open in May. The match on Sunday was their first encounter with the Japanese duo, ranked No. 63 in the world. Hsieh and Hung, ranked No. 12, began the opening game well. Hung, who plays left-handed, performed strongly at both the net and the
Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko upset top-seeded Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-4 on Saturday night to reach the National Bank Open quarter-finals. “Your support was incredible,” Mboko told the crowd in French after a chorus of “Ole, Ole, Ole” chants echoed around the venue. “I’m really happy to win today ... It’s incredible. I’m so happy to beat such a great champion.” Gauff dropped to 2-3 since winning the French Open. She followed the major victory with opening losses in Berlin and Wimbledon, then overcame double-fault problems to win two three-set matches in Montreal. Gauff had five double-faults on Saturday after having 23 in
Jobe Bellingham on Tuesday admitted to having “anxieties” on following in brother Jude’s footsteps after joining Borussia Dortmund in the summer. Jobe Bellingham, 19, is two years younger than Jude Bellingham, who joined Real Madrid in 2023 after three years at Dortmund. A centerpiece of the England national team, Jude Bellingham has emerged as one of the best players in the world in recent seasons. The younger Jobe Bellingham joined Dortmund in June from Sunderland after their promotion to the English Premier League. He admitted he understood what the perception would be ahead of the move to Germany. “It’s something you do think about.
Before Tuesday’s 7-2 win at the Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy suggested “most people couldn’t tell you five players on our team.” A look at the standings would indicate more Brewers players soon will be recognized by more fans. After all, it is difficult to overlook a team that not only continues to extend their lead in the National League Central, but also boasts the best record in the majors. “What we’re doing in here right now is special,” right-handed pitcher Freddy Peralta said after allowing only four hits and one run in five innings, while setting a career high with
RSS