A three-goal blitz enabled Ivory Coast to whip Mali 3-1 on Saturday in 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying, while Burkina Faso snatched a dramatic 1-1 draw with South Africa after wasting two penalties. The Democratic Republic of the Congo thrashed Libya 4-0, Senegal overcame Cape Verde 2-0 and Gabon and Morocco drew 0-0 in other African clashes.
Sambou Yatabare stunned reigning African champions Ivory Coast by racing on to a long-ball and chipping over slow-reacting goalkeeper Sylvain Gbohouo for an early lead in Bouake, but the hosts responded by laying siege to the Mali goal, and Jonathan Kodjia and Gervinho scored in a dazzling nine-minute spell during which Salif Coulibaly conceded an own-goal.
Kodjia, a recent recruit by English second-tier club Aston Villa, leveled on 25 minutes by slamming the ball past goalkeeper Oumar Sissoko from outside the penalty area.
Photo: AFP
Rattled Mali fell behind when Coulibaly turned a low cross into his net five minutes later and China-based Gervinho fired the third from just inside the area.
It was a great start for three-time World Cup qualifiers Ivory Coast in Group C, especially as likely closest rivals Morocco were held 0-0 by next year’s Africa Cup of Nations hosts Gabon in Franceville.
Jonathan Pitroipa had an early penalty saved by Itumeleng Khune and Alain Traore blazed another spot-kick over, before Banou Diawara snatched a stoppage-time draw for Burkina Faso in Group D.
Dean Furman put three-time World Cup participants South Africa ahead on 80 minutes, rifling a low shot through a crowd of players and past goalkeeper Herve Kouakou Koffi after a corner was not cleared.
When Traore failed to equalize from the penalty spot a minute before the end of regular time in front of a 40,000 Ouagadougou crowd, the hosts seemed doomed, but South Africa failed to deal with a bicycle-kick in the first minute of stoppage-time and Diawara got a touch that diverted the ball past Khune.
Striker Keita Balde from Italian Serie A outfit SS Lazio scored the first goal and created the second as dominant Senegal cruised to victory in Dakar and took a two-point lead over Burkina Faso and South Africa.
Balde beat Vozinha with a low, close-range shot during the opening half and his clever back-heel allowed recalled Moussa Sow to slam the ball into the net with 10 minutes left.
Dieumerci Mbokani netted early in each half to power the Democratic Republic of the Congo to an emphatic triumph over Libya in Kinshasa, with Jonathan Bolingi and Ndombe Mubele the other scorers. The decisive victory sent an early warning to their other Group A rivals, Tunisia and Guinea, who were due to meet yesterday.
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