Sport
The Galatasaray winger struck 28 minutes into the 2026 qualifier in Dar es Salaam.
Johannesburg (AFP) – Hakim Zigeh scored from 40 meters as the 2022 World Cup shock semi-finalists beat Tanzania 2-0 on Tuesday as they began their campaign to qualify for the next finals.
The Galatasaray winger struck 28 minutes into the 2026 qualifier in Dar es Salaam and Tanzania fell further behind when Lusaha Mwaykeda conceded an own goal eight minutes after half-time.
Tanzania, who are 108 places below Morocco, were reduced to 10 men midway through the second half following Novatus Miroshi’s red card following a second booking.
While Morocco got off to a winning start in Group E after receiving a first-round bye last week when Eritrea crashed out, Zambia were stunned 2-1 by Niger in the same section. It was the first competitive defeat for former Chelsea and West Ham United boss Abraham Grant since taking charge of Zambia last December.
A superb solo goal by Myziane Maolida just before half-time gave Comoros a 1-0 win over Ghana in Moroni and top spot in Group I with six points, two clear of leaders Mali.
Maolinda took possession near the center circle, dribbled past several opponents and beat goalkeeper Richard Ofori with a shot from inside the box. Comoros also shocked Ghana at the last African Cup of Nations by winning 3-2 — a result that condemned the Black Stars to a first-round exit.
Defeat will increase the pressure on Ghana manager and former Premier League boss Chris Hughton after three defeats in four games. Rwanda adapted much better than South Africa on a rainy artificial pitch in Group C in Butare and won 2-0 to end a 12-match unbeaten run by the visitors.
Sloppy defending by Nkosinathi Sibisi and Khuliso Mudau gifted goals to Innocent Nshuti and Gilbert Mugisha inside 28 minutes as the home side used a one-man drive to good effect. South Africa, however, persisted with short passes that often went awry and rarely threatened to get back into the game.
Shock protagonists
Rwanda leads the shock with four points, South Africa has three and Nigeria is among the three countries with two. Cameroon were held to a draw in Libya without goalkeeper Andre Onana, who returned to Manchester United after picking up an unspecified injury in last Friday’s win over Mauritius.
Olivier Ntcham converted a penalty for the Indomitable Lions, whose eight World Cup appearances are an African record, and Abdulmunem Aleiyan equalized as half-time approached in Benghazi. Cameroon top Group D on goal difference from Cape Verde and Libya with each country collecting four points from two outings.
Senegal reclaimed top spot in Group B, but only on goal difference from Sudan, after being held 0-0 by Togo in Lomé. Both have four points, one more than the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Tunisia was another nation back on top as veteran Youssef Msakni scored a penalty to grab a 1-0 Group H win over Malawi in Lilongwe. The six World Cup qualifiers have six points, level with Equatorial Guinea, who are expected to pose the biggest threat to the Tunisians.
Burkina Faso moved up to second in Group A behind Egypt after a 3-0 win over Ethiopia with Aston Villa striker Bertrand Traore coming off the bench to score the second goal from the penalty spot.
Serhou Guirassy, who has scored 15 goals for Bundesliga side Stuttgart this season, failed to find the net for Guinea, who suffered a shock 1-0 Group G defeat to Botswana in Francistown. The next two qualifying rounds are scheduled for June 2024, with six more to follow next year.
The nine group winners are guaranteed spots in the 2026 finals, which will feature a record 48 teams across the United States, Canada and Mexico. There is the possibility of a 10th African qualifier as the four best-ranked runners-up enter the play-offs and the winners go to an intercontinental tournament two places up.
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