African Playoffs Roundup: North African Teams Pick Crucial First-leg wins

African Playoffs Roundup: North African Teams Pick Crucial First-leg wins

By Our Reporter

The first legs of the final rounds of the African 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification have now been concluded with 10 teams, preparing to turn their attentions to the second legs.

The final qualifying which will see the teams play home-and-away over two legs to decide Africa's representatives for the World Cup, saw the likes of Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt win their first legs.

In Kinshasa, Morocco scored a crucial away goal in the 75th minute of the game against 10-man DR Congo, to earn an important 1-1 draw.

DR Congo took the lead after Brentford's Yoane Wissa scored in the 11th minute following a deflection off the head of Morocco captain Romain Saiss.

The Atlas Lions then put the game on parity after Tarik Tissoudali spared Ryan Mmaee's - who missed a penalty earlier - blushes by scoring a late equaliser.

The Atlas Lions hold the advantage with a crucial away goal

The Atlas Lions hold the advantage with a crucial away goal

The hosts were then forced to finish the game with 10 men after Glody Ngonda - who will now be suspended for Tuesday's second leg in Casablanca - was dismissed after receiving a second yellow card five minutes from time.

In Douala, Islam Slimani was the hero for Algeria after he headed home a Youcef Belaili-freekick for a 1-0 away victory over Cameroon.

Algeria, who will host the return match in Blida on Tuesday, did not play very well, but they did take a big step towards qualifying for the World Cup in Qatar this summer.

Early in the second half, the lights in Douala's newly built Japoma stadium went out for six minutes, although they were quickly restored.

The interruption meant the game had to see 11 minutes of extra time, with Cameroon frantically attempting to attack but Algeria constantly rallied behind the ball to hold on for an important win.

In Bamako, Mali defender Moussa Sissako not only scored a first-half own goal to dent his country’s World Cup qualifying hopes but also got sent off four minutes later in their home defeat to Tunisia.

The 21-year-old who made his fourth appearance for Mali, put the ball in his net with a back pass in the 36th minute, catching goalkeeper Ibrahim Mounkoro off his line.

Matters went from bad to worse when Tunisia broke away, leaving Sissako to chase down Seifeddine Jaziri, clipping his heels just outside the penalty area and earning a straight red.

Tunisia's victory was a triumphant start for new coach Jalel Kadri, who was appointed after the team's quarter-final loss to Burkina Faso in the Africa Cup of Nations in January.

In Cairo, Mohamed Salah was the architect of the lone goal as Egypt edged Senegal 1-0 in their first-leg game.

Within four minutes, Egypt had enthralled the crowd as Salah spun inside the area and slammed the ball into the crossbar, through the unfortunate Saliou Ciss, and into the net.

On the other hand, Mane was kept quiet, with his finest chance - a header - go wide.

Senegal however, will hope to go that as they go into the second leg - another repeat of the Africa Cup of Nations final last month - they can trouble the Egyptians.

In Kumasi, neither hosts Ghana nor visitors Nigeria could find the back of the net after 90 minutes.

Both teams - having two shots on target each - played with vigour but found no goals that could provide an edge to securing a spot in the November tournament in Qatar.

Ghana had the best of the first half but only came close to scoring once, when Abdul Fatawu Issahaku attempted a long-range shot. Nigeria, on the other side, was denied a chance to advance after a penalty was reversed by VAR.