African Nations Cup Qualifier Previews & Wrap Up`s:
The 2008 African Nations Cup qualifier is almost over. Already some teams have performed impressively and have now qualified for the finals to be played in Ghana early next year. Some teams will play their final group matches this weekend, here they are.
Group 1
Gabon v Cote d'Ivoire 0-0
Ivory Coast secured their place at the 2008 African Cup of Nations despite being held to a 0-0 draw by Gabon on Saturday.
The Elephants clinched Group One's automatic ticket to the tournament in Ghana after finishing top of the group with ten points.
Group 2
Burundi 0-0 Egypt
Nations Cup holders Egypt continued to make hard work of qualifying for the 2008 finals with a 0-0 draw in Burundi in their Group Two qualifier on Sunday.
With the final games in the group being played in mid-October, Burundi and Botswana are two points behind the Pharoahs and still in with a chance.
Group 3
Nigeria v Lesotho 2-0
Uganda v Niger 3-1
Goals by Stephen Makinwa and Uche Ikechukwu were enough to earn Nigeria a 2-0 win over Lesotho in Warri. The Super Eagles have already qualified for the Nations Cup finals, topping their group with 15 points.
Uganda kept alive their hopes of qualifying for the 2008 African Cup of Nations on Saturday after their 3-1 victory over Niger.
A hat-trick by South Africa-based striker David Obua in Kampala helped the Cranes to finish second in Group Three with eleven points.
Group 4
Mauritius 1-1 Seychelles
Sudan 3-2 Tunisa
Sudan continued their rise in African football by beating Tunisia 3-2 in Omdurman on Sunday, to finish top of Group Four.
Tunisia, who qualify for the 2008 Nations Cup as one of the best runners-up, had not conceded a single goal in their previous group matches.
Group 5
E. Guinea 1-0 Cameroon
Rwanda 4-0 Liberia
Equatorial Guinea defeated continental giants Cameroon 1-0 in a qualifying match for the African Cup of Nations on Sunday.
Cameroon had already qualified for the final tournament in Ghana, but the upset kept the Indomitable Lions from sweeping Group Five. .
A couple of late goals wrapped up a 4-0 win for Rwanda over Liberia in the African Cup of Nations qualifier where only pride was at stake.
Four-time African champions Cameroon won Group Five in June with Equatorial Guinea assured of second spot.
Group 6
Kenya 2-1 Angola
Swaziland 0-0 Eritrea
Angola tops the group with 13 points and has already qualified for Ghana 2008.
Meanwhile Sihlangu’s African Cup of Nations qualifier against Eritrea has been shifted to the Trade Fair ground after Mhlume Stadium had been considered unfit to host the qualifier.
A victory to Eritrea will increase their prospects of qualifying for the next stage of the tournament.
Group 7
Senegal 5-1 Burkina Faso
Tanzania 0-1 Mozambique
An emphatic 5-1 win over Burkina Faso was enough to book Senegal a place in the Ghana finals. Guirane Ndaw scored the opening goal for Senegal but Burkina Faso equalized 10 minutes later, in the 32 minute, thanks to an effort by Sibiri Alain.
Ousmane Ndoye, who plies his trade in Portugal, gave his side the lead again after 70 minutes.
West Ham forward Henri Camara scored a brace for the Teranga Lions while Bolton striker El Hadji Diouf added another goal for the home side.
In the group‘s other match, Tico Tico gave Mozambique an early lead away to Tanzania scoring the only goal of the match to cancel Tanzania’s hopes of making an appearance in the Nations Cup next year.
Group 8
Guinea 4-0 Cape Verde Islands
Gambia 2-1 Algeria.
Guinea booked their place at the Nations Cup as they swept to a 4-0 victory over the Cape Verde Islands in their Group Eight qualifier on Sunday.
Guinea finished three points ahead of Algeria and Gambia to become the 12th team to reach the tournament being held in Ghana next year.
n Sunday's other Group Eight game, Assan Jatta scored twice in the last 15 minutes to give 10-man Gambia a 2-1 win over Algeria.
The defeat means the former African champions miss out on a second consecutive edition of the African Nations Cup.
Group 10
Ethiopia 2-3 Namibia
DR Congo 1-1 Libya
Namibia pulled a surprise 3-2 victory away to Ethiopia to seal a spot in the Nations cup finals in Ghana. They were considered underdogs in this group with DR Congo labeled as favorites to progress to the next stage.
Birhanu Bogale, Salhadin Said and Muna Katupose were the goal scorers for Nambia while Rudolph Bester's goals for the home side were not enough to save them from defeat.
DR Congo needed a win to guarantee them a place in the finals but managed a 1-1 draw with Libya.
Striker Shabani Nonda scored for DR Congo from the penalty spot after Mbala Mbuta was fouled in the area but Libya equalized to end the home side’s chances of making their sixteenth Nations Cup appearance.
Group 11
South Africa 1-3 Zambia
Chad1-1 Congo
With Algeria losing out on one of the place reserved for the best three runners-up slots for the tournament in Ghana, South Africa have qualified for the Nations Cup despite losing 3-1 to Zambia earlier in the day.
Group 12
Zimbabwe3-1 Malawi
Zimbabwe avoided finishing bottom of Group Twelve in the qualifiers for the 2008 Nations Cup by beating Malawi 3-1 on Sunday.
Warriors caretaker coach Norman Mapeza fielded a team of locally-based players for the game, played at Barbourfields Stadium in Bulawayo.
Zimbabwe3-1 Malawi,
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