African giants fall

2010 World/Africa Cup qualifiers Rwanda     3-1   MoroccoUganda      3-1   AngolaMalawi       1-0   EgyptSudan        3-2   MaliS.Leone      1-0   South AfricaGambia       1-0   AlgeriaGabon        2-0  Ghana

Monday, June 16, 2008
The Rwandan national team that walloped Morocco 3-1 on Saturday. (Photo/ G. Barya).

2010 World/Africa Cup qualifiers

Rwanda     3-1   Morocco
Uganda      3-1   Angola
Malawi       1-0   Egypt
Sudan        3-2   Mali
S.Leone      1-0   South Africa
Gambia       1-0   Algeria
Gabon        2-0  Ghana

The continent’s heavyweights suffered defeats in 2010 World/Africa Cup qualifiers with Morocco, Angola, Egypt, Ghana and Mali all beaten in their group matches over the weekend.

In group 12, African champions Egypt lost 1-0 in Malawi to a goal three minutes into stoppage time from substitute Chiukepo Msowoya, which set up a three-way tie at the head of their group.

In group five, Roguy Mere and Stephane Nguema were the scorers as Gabon won their first points in Group Five with a 2-0 win over Ghana.

In group three, Eugene Ssepuya, Andy Mwesigwa and Dan Wagaluka scored for the Uganda Cranes as they romped Angola 3-1 in Kampala while substitute Mantorras got a late consolation goal for the 2006 World Cup finalists.

Rwanda maintained their 100 percent winning record as Said Abedi, Olivier Karekezi and Bokota Labama Kamana scored for Amavubi Stars in the 3-1 win over Morocco, a feat which put them on top of Group Eight.

Group Nine leaders Burkina Faso lost to Seychelles 3-2 while Gambia defeated Algeria courtesy of 8th minute penalty shoot by Mustapha Jarjue in group six in Banjul.

Sierra Leone won their first points of the campaign as they beat 2010 hosts South Africa 1-0 with a first half penalty from captain Mohamed Kallon. The automatically-qualified World Cup hosts have lost two of their three groups four matches to date.

In Group ten, last year’s Cecafa Cup champions Sudan pounced Mali 3-2 in Khartoum to come on level points with Chad which also has three points in two fixtures played.

Elsewhere, Cameroon and the Cote d’Ivoire were also held by supposedly inferior oppositions on a day of shock results as were Senegal and Zambia.

The Ivorians had to come from a goal down to draw 1-1 away in Botswana, their second successive away draw in a stuttering start to their qualifying campaign.

Cameroon failed to score against Tanzania in a goalless draw in Dar-es-Salaam but remain at the head of the Group One standings. Meanwhile, giants Nigeria and Tunisia maintained their victories.

In group four, leaders Nigeria defeated Equatorial Guinea 1-0 in Malabo. A lone goal from defender Joseph Yobo, his second in two matches, once again helped the Super Eagles to pick up three points.

The three other teams of the group, South Africa, Equatorial Guinea and Sierra Leone, all trails Nigeria by six points.

Tunisia defeated Burundi 1-0 in Bujumbura in group nine
Meanwhile, Liberia completed an improbable comeback against Senegal in Monrovia.

Liberia scored two late goals to earn a 2-2 draw in Group 6.The result leaves Liberia rooted to the bottom with two points from three games while Senegal top the group with Gambia on five.

In another of the day’s games Cape Verde beat Mauritius 1-0 in Group 1 with a penalty from their Spanish-based striker Dady.

Ends