Ghana and Nigeria Suffer Defeats in Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers
Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail
CAPETOWN: Ghana and Nigeria suffered unexpected defeats in their Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches on Tuesday, while Algeria recovered from an early two-goal deficit to secure a draw against Burundi.
Gambia produced one of the biggest results of the day by coming from two goals behind to beat Ghana 4-2 in Accra.
Gambia Complete Remarkable Comeback
Ghana appeared in control after Ernest Nuamah and Felix Afena-Gyan scored within the opening 33 minutes.
However, Gambia responded strongly. Muhammed Badamosi converted a penalty before Omar Colley brought the visitors level. Substitute Ebrima Colley then scored twice to complete a memorable comeback.
The defeat increased pressure on Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz, whose team had also lost to Ivory Coast in their opening Group C fixture.
Ivory Coast secured a 2-0 victory over Somalia after Yann Gboho scored in the final minute before Bazoumana Toure added another goal during stoppage time.
Nigeria Beaten by Guinea-Bissau
Nigeria also endured a difficult evening, losing 3-0 to Guinea-Bissau despite starting the match with seven players from the English Premier League.
Franculino Dju opened the scoring in the first half, while captain Mama Balde doubled the advantage in the 66th minute. Alvaro Djalo completed the scoring during stoppage time.
Algeria Recover from Two-Goal Deficit
Algeria conceded twice inside the first 12 minutes against Burundi but fought back to earn a 2-2 draw in their Group I encounter in Bujumbura.
Mohamed Belloumi and Adil Boulbina scored for Algeria as new coach Brahim Hemdani avoided defeat in his first competitive outing in charge.
Cape Verde also suffered a setback, losing 2-1 at home to Rwanda. Teenager Elie Iradukunda scored the decisive goal for Rwanda after Cape Verde had taken the lead.
In the same group, Mali secured a 1-0 away win over Liberia.
Egypt, Morocco and Senegal Record Wins
Egypt enjoyed a comfortable 5-0 victory over South Sudan in Group B. Omar Marmoush scored twice, while Mostafa Zico, Ibrahim Adel and teenager Hamza Abdelkarim also found the net.
Mohamed Salah was left out of Egypt’s squad for the match amid concerns about the artificial playing surface and potential injury.
Morocco defeated Lesotho 2-0 in Bloemfontein, South Africa. Brahim Diaz opened the scoring shortly before half-time before Azzedine Ounahi added the second late in the match, sending Morocco to the top of Group A.
Senegal secured a 1-0 victory over Ethiopia, giving new coach Patrick Vieira his first win in charge. Ibrahim Mbaye scored the only goal after 11 minutes following a pass from Nicolas Jackson.
Elsewhere, Mozambique defeated Sudan 4-1, Cameroon drew 1-1 with Congo, Comoros beat Namibia 1-0, Zambia defeated Togo 2-0, Benin overcame Mauritania 2-1 and Uganda edged Libya 1-0.
The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations will be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
