Cameroon scored twice within four minutes to defeat Gabon 2-0 in Libreville on Saturday and revive their hopes of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Achille Emana and Samuel Eto’o struck midway through the second half as Cameroon atoned for a poor start to their Group A campaign by climbing two places to second, two points behind Gabon.
The countries clash again on Wednesday in Yaounde and another triumph for the “Indomitable Lions” would lift them above surprise packets Gabon, who shocked Morocco away before slamming three unanswered goals past Togo at home.
PHOTO: AFP
Gabonese dreams of a first World Cup appearance now hinge largely on avoiding defeat in the Cameroon capital, a tall order given their failure to use home advantage.
Spain-based midfielder Emana atoned for a first-half caution by breaking the deadlock on 65 minutes and new captain, three-time African Footballer of the Year and Inter striker Eto’o scored his seventh goal of the campaign.
The result marked a dream competitive debut as a national coach for Frenchman Paul Le Guen, whose touchline adversary was compatriot and former national team star Alain Giresse.
Le Guen, who guided Lyon to three consecutive French titles this decade, left long-serving defender and skipper Rigobert Song on the bench until midway through the first half when he replaced Sebastien Bassong.
Ali Bongo, winner of a presidential election this week that triggered civil unrest as opposition parties protested the outcome, was among the 20,000 crowd in a national stadium named after his late father and former ruler Omar Bongo.
Meanwhile, veteran midfielder Ahmed Hassan, a last-minute inclusion after star Mohamed Aboutrika was injured warming up, kept African champions Egypt in the hunt for the finals by scoring the 68th-minute goal that earned a 1-0 victory over Rwanda in Kigali.
Victory lifted a “Pharaohs” team lacking its top four strikers to seven points from four Group C outings, level with fierce rivals Algeria, who hosted Zambia yesterday.
It was a must-win game for Egypt, who have lifted the African Nations Cup a record six times but qualified for the World Cup only twice with their last appearance 19 years ago in Italy.
The North Africans came close to scoring a few times in the opening half and then withstood an early second-half Rwandan attacking flurry before Hassan gave Egypt a double over Rwanda having won 3-0 in Cairo two months ago.
Ivory Coast crushed closest challengers Burkina Faso 5-0 in Abidjan with captain and Chelsea striker Didier Drogba scoring twice to take a six-point Group E lead and they need just one more to secure a place in South Africa.
Kader Keita scored the lone first-half goal on 12 minutes and then the floodgates opened with the same player and Barcelona midfield enforcer Yaya Toure also on target.
Substitute Chiukepo Msowoya struck twice after coming on at half-time as Malawi fought back to edge Guinea 2-1 in a match between World Cup also-rans in the same pool.
Oumar Kalabane put the West Africans ahead seven minutes before half-time at the Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre, Msowoya levelled a minute after half-time and grabbed the 58th-minute winner.
The five group winners join hosts South Africa at the first World Cup to be staged in Africa while the top three finishers in each mini-league go to the 2010 Nations Cup in Angola.
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