Ethiopia given the boot by FIFA

Ethiopia will not complete its final two qualifying matches in Africa's first round. This was announced on September 12, 2008. The results from their first two encounters have been stripped from the Group H table, and that group now consists of only Rwanda, Morocco, and Mauritania.

The group leader is Rwanda with nine points through four matches. With the withdrawal of Ethiopia comes great news for Rwanda: they have qualified for CAF's Round Two! Because the points they earned against Mauritania now count toward the second-place tiebreakers, they are guaranteed to advance regardless of the outcome of the group's lone remaining encounter.

Morocco host Mauritania in the group finale. Morocco have six points whereas Mauritania have zero. A Morocco win would guarantee them a place in Africa's final twenty alongside Rwanda.

Saudi Arabia 2 - United Arab Emirates 1; Bahrain 1 - Qatar 1; Sudan win

Saudi Arabia at United Arab Emirates (4-2)

"This is a wonderful result for us, especially after the draw against Iran. It was a superb performance from the team to come back from one goal behind. United Arab Emirates were playing really well and putting us under a lot of pressure." -Yasser Al Kahtani, captain of Saudi Arabia

Bahrain at Qatar (5-2, Abdulla Marzooq 8, 35/Sebastien Soria Quintana missed penalty in 1st half)

"We were down to ten men in the first half with Marzooq receiving his second yellow card, and considering the fact that we equalised and got a draw is quite creditable." -Milan Macala, coach of Bahrain

Sudan at Chad (3-3,/Marcus Mbaiama 90)

Goal scorers:
Saudi Arabia: Autef 68; Al Fraidi 73

United Arab Emirates: Khater 29

Qatar: Quintana 5

Bahrain: Fatadi 66

Sudan: Adel 4; Agab 48 PK; Ali 75

Chad: Djime 34

Zambia 1 - Togo 0; Australia win; Koreas draw

Fiji at Vanuatu (/Geoffrey Gete 30 52)
New Caledonia at New Zealand
South Korea at North Korea

Australia at Uzbekistan
Australia's coach Pim Verbeek spoke after the win.

"It was tough match for both teams. All of my boys did their jobs very well. Uzbekistan held no surprises for me, I knew this team was very good."

Togo at Zambia (no Emmanuel Adebayor for Togo)

Goal scorers:
Vanuatu: Sakama 59; Malas 90+2

Fiji: Dunadamu 90+3

New Zealand: Smeltz 49, 76; Christie 69

North Korea: Hong Y-J 64 PK

South Korea: Ki 69

Australia: Chipperfield 26

Zambia: Katongo 32

Benin 3 - Angola 2; Egypt 1 - Democratic Republic of the Congo 0; Côte d'Ivoire draw

Botswana faced off with Madagascar in Antananarivo. A Madagascar goal midway through the first half surely caught the attention of the Botswanans. The score, however, failed to change for the duration of the match and surprising Madagascar moved into second place in Group G with six points. Botswana ended the day stuck on five points.

"This game is like a cup final." -Valinhos, coach of Zimbabwe

Guinea visited Zimbabwe in a crucial qualifier in Group B qualifier, although Valinhos may have slightly overstated the importance of the matchup. Neither team could get going offensively, and the match ended in an unsatisfactory scoreless tie. Guinea missed its opportunity to tie Kenya for the group lead, and the red card given to their substitute Amara Bangoura in the seventy-second minute did not help their chances of scoring a late winner. Guinea have eight points, behing Kenya's ten but ahead of Zimbabwe's six. Guinea host Kenya in their final Round One qualifier in October.

Gabon went to South Africa to face already-vanquished Lesotho. Gabon got the win they desperately needed by a score of 3-0, and after Libya's victory over Ghana the day before, Group E has become a crapshoot. Libya visit Gabon in the final day of first-round qualifying, and Ghana host Lesotho. Libya have twelve points, Gabon have nine and the goal-differential tiebreaker over Ghana, who also have nine points.

Côte d'Ivoire went to Maputo with aspirations of clinching the Group G title, but resilient Mozambique was not about to be knocked out of the World Cup this early. A scoreless first half lead to high drama in the early minutes of the second half. The Ivoirians scored three minutes after the restart, but Mozambique kept its hopes alive with an answer four minutes later and a final score of 1-1. Côte d'Ivoire lead the group with ten points, whereas Mozambique have five points. This result eliminated Botswana from World Cup contention because they have no opportunity of finishing as a top eight second-place team despite still having the opportunity to finish second in Group G.

Mali faced off with Congo in Brazzaville for a huge match in Group J. A road win for Mali would have sealed their progression, but the Congolese had different plans. The game was scoreless until there remained but three minutes. Congo scored the decisive goal at that point to send the crowd into rapture. The 1-0 means that both teams now have three points and are tied at the top of the group tables heading into Match Day Six. A Chad win over Sudan on Wednesday would mean a three-way tie at nine points.

Egypt went to Kinshasha in the hopes of finishing off their Group L crown. Democratic Republic of the Congo expected a physical encounter from the two-time defending African Cup of Nations champions. At the half hour point, the Egyptians went atop the score with a goal. The next hour proved to be a stalemate, and the 1-0 win guarantees that the Egyptians will live to see Round Two. Democratic Republic of the Congo play in Malawi in October to determine who will finish second in the group. Both have nine points, but Democratic of the Congo have a better goal differential, so a tie would clinch second place for them.

"We will throw away caution, we are going for victory. It is going to be a hard game and Benin are difficult adversaries, but our objective is to win." -Oliveira Gonçalves, coach of Angola

Angola faced Benin in Cotonou in another highly important encounter, this time in the competitive Group C. The Beninese got out quickly with a goal two minutes in, but the Angolans answered within ten minutes time. The score was stable until the second half, when Benin jumped out to 3-1 with two strikes in a fifteen-minute span. Angola had twenty-five minutes to answer, but they were unsuccessful, pulling closer to Benin at 3-2 but not finishing the deal. The win seals Benin's surprising progression as group victors. Angola visit Niger in their final qualifier stuck at seven points. Angola appear unlikely to progress as one of the best eight second-place finishers and will need many results to swing their way come Match Day Six.

Uganda visited group doormats Niger in a match that was supposed to propel the Ugandans to ten points and a high position in Group C. Their 1-0 lead at the half suggested that they would achieve just that. The Nigeriens finally pulled themselves together and played the soccer they had been searching for all campaign long in the second half, pouring on three goals after having scored only one in their first four matches. Niger grab the miraculous 3-1 victory and shattered the hopes of Uganda, who sit in third place in Group C at seven points, although if they can win at home against Benin and move past Angola in the group table, they are very likely to advance as one of the best eight second-place teams. Such is the nature of African qualifying, where being second can be worse than being third.

Goal scorers:
Madagascar: Rabemanajara 23

Gabon: Ebuele ; Meye ; Mbanagoye

Côte d'Ivoire: B. Koné 48

Mozambique: Miro 52

Congo: Endzanga 87

Egypt: Aboutrika 30

Benin: Adenon 2; Omotoyossi 52, 66

Angola: Flavio 12; Loco 78

Niger: Issoufou 68, 85; Kamilou 87

Uganda: Obua 33

Austria 3 - France 1; Italy 2 - Cyprus 1; Spain win

Estonia showed up in Liege to face a Belgium side that had seen its U-23 team make the recent Olympic semifinals. What ensued was a very entertaining match. The Belgians took the first score five minutes before the half ended, but it was the second half that was a goal frenzy. Estonia equalized before the hour. With fifteen minutes to go, the Belgians turned their level of play in an upward direction and knocked home two more goals for a 3-1 lead. Estonia pulled a second back in stoppage time, but that did not prevent them from a loss. Belgium won 3-2.

Germany visited low-ranking Liechtenstein, but they took nothing for granted, especially after only scoring once in the opening forty-five minutes. Five more goals rained in Vaduz for the Germans, and they took the encounter 6-0.

"Liechtenstein started strongly, but it was good for our confidence to know we can play well against defence-minded opposition." -Joachim Löw, coach of Germany

France paid Austria a visit in Vienna. Both teams were looking to improve upon rather disappointing Euro2008 campaigns. The Austrians capitalized on an own goal by France within ten minutes, and they put up a second goal toward the end of the first half. The French attempted to regroup and indeed, they scored a goal in the middle of the second half. Their silly play, however, again came back to bite them as they conceded a penalty when they tripped Austria's Marc Janko. Austria struck from the spot and won the match in upset fashion, 3-1. In a group also featuring Serbia, Romania, and Lithuania, the French have dug themselves an unseemingly hole to begin their campaign.

Italy visited Larnaca to take on Cyprus. Antonio di Natale was the savior on this night for the Italians, who needed a great deal of luck to hold off the constant attacks of the Cypriots. di Natale struck before ten minutes had elapsed, but Cyprus tied the match at the half hour, leaving both teams pondering their situation at the half. Nobody could score again until di Natale saved the defending World Cup champions with a stoppage-time killer. The 2-1 did not come without a hefty price for the Italians; they lost Gennaro Gattuso, Fabio Grosso, and Alessandro Gamberini to injury.

Bosnia at Herzegovina visited the world's top-ranked side in Spain, and they gave the Spaniards all that they cared to handle on this night. Spain drew a penalty opportunity in the first half, but star striker David Villa missed on his try, so the sides were still knotted at zero after the first period. Villa made amends for the miss in the second half, scoring during the run of play and forcing the Bosnians to play offensively. Spain were able to hold off the attacks and looked as though they would score a second, but they had to settle for a 1-0 victory at home.

Chad faced off with Sudan in Cairo, Egypt, the first of two encounters the teams will have over the next four days in that city. Sudan took three yellow cards, but that was not enough for them to stave off Chad on this night. Chad took the lead midway through the first period, but Sudan finally drew level with under one quarter of an hour remaining in the match. The neighbors and bitter rivals looked ready to share the points, but Chad quickly answered the equalizer with a second goal five minutes later, and they held off Sudan for the 2-1 victory. Anything less than a win for Sudan in the second match will eliminate them officially, but Chad too need the victory or they are almost certain to succumb to elimination fever as well.

Goal scorers:

Germany: Podolski 21, 48; Rolfes 65; Schweinsteiger 66; Hitzlsperger 76; Westermann 87

Belgium: Sonck 40, 80; Defour 75

Estonia: Zenjov 57; Oper 90+3

Austria: Mexès 8 OG (France); Aufhauser 41; Ivanschitz 72 PK

France: Govou 61

Italy: di Natale 8, 90+2

Cyprus: Aloneftis 29

Spain: Villa 57

Chad: Mbaiam 28; S. Hassan 82

Sudan: Kamal 77

Sweden, Norway draw; Cameroon, Tunisia, Burkina Faso advance; Ukraine win

Equatorial Guinea looked for a win in Freetown, but Sierra Leone were not about to let their opportunity to pass South Africa in the group go by the wayside. The grabbed the first goal at the half-hour mark, and a goal with ten minutes to go in the second half gave them an insurmountable 2-0 lead. A stoppage time goal by Equatorial Guinea was not enough, and Sierra Leone have themselves a 2-1 lead, seven points, and a great chance to move onto Round Two.

Liberia went to Banjul to keep their faint hopes of qualification from dying, but Gambia sent Liberia packing for good. Two goals within the first half hour ended Liberian hopes, and a third goal sent the visitors home soundly defeated. The 3-0 win gives Gambia eight points and a tie for second place with an edge in goal differential over Sénégal. Gambia need a result in their upcoming match in Sénégal to have a chance to advance. More than likely, a tie will see them through to Round Two.

Cameroon went to Praia in hopes of snatching the Group A title from Cape Verde. Things did not appear too auspicious for the Cameroonians after surrendering a goal near the end of the first period and entering the break down one goal. Cameroon continued to fight, however, and two goals before the midpoint of the second period brought the Cameroonians to the promised land by virtue of a 2-1 victory and the Group A title. Cape Verde now face a must-win fixture in Tanzania to retain hope of qualifying for Round Two.

Rwanda visited Mauritania holding nine points through four matches. They had a date with winless and pointless Mauritania, but it appeared to be destined for a scoreless tie until the Rwandans clinched the away victory with a goal with nine minutes left in regulation. Rwanda's twelve points appear to be enough to advance, but Morocco and Ethiopia's match was postponed, so Rwanda have not yet advanced completely out of Group H. Alexandre Song was red-carded for picking up two yellows in the final minutes of the game, including his second in stoppage time, but he will only miss Cameroon's unimportant qualifier against Mauritius in October.

"There's no point in lying, we're in danger. Even though we've won our last three games, the defeat at home to Burkina Faso hurt us badly. Our qualification depends entirely on the match over there." - Karim Haggui, Tunisia

Tunisia went to Ouagadougou to face their nemesis Burkina Faso. Alas, the game did not deliver the interest that it had been tabbed to generate, but the scoreless draw suits both teams rather nicely. Burkina Faso and Tunisia have both advanced to Round Two out of Group I with the result. Burkina Faso have thirteen points and the group victory, whereas the seven points garnered by Tunisia against first-place Burkina Faso and third-place Burundi guarantees them a spot as one of the best eight second-place sides.

Sweden went to Tirana to snatch three points from their hosts. Albania had other ideas, and although the Albanians could not generate any offense, they did generate one point in the standings by shutting out the heavily-favored Swedes. The result was undoubtedly highly frustrating for Sweden.

Belarus faced a Ukraine side looking to redeem itself after falling off in the two years after its 2006 World Cup appearance. Neither side could pull anything together in the offensive ends of the pitch, and the game was scoreless after ninety minutes. Ukraine drew a penalty kick opportunity deep into second-half stoppage time, much to the chagrin of the Belarussian fans, and the conversion gave Ukraine a 1-0 victory over their neighbors and their first three points of qualifying.

Iceland faced fellow Scandinavians Norway in Oslo, but it was the Norwegians who were supposed to be making all of the noise. Iceland were forced to take three yellows to slow down Norway's attackers, but the Norwegians struck first after drawing and converting a penalty kick in the first half. Iceland quickly answered with a goal of their own, and the sides went to the break tied at one. A goal five minutes into the second half put the hosts atop the score once again, but the Icelanders knocked home another goal and walked away with a tough 1-1 road draw.

Goal scorers:
Sierra Leone: Conteh 30; Suma 80

Equatorial Guinea: Edjogo 90+1

Gambia: Demba 10, 80; Jallow 26

Cameroon: Emana 51; Nkong 65

Cape Verde: Lito 39

Rwanda: Mulenda 81

Ukraine: Shevchenko 90+4 PK

Norway: Iversen 36 PK, 50

Iceland: Helguson 39; Guðjohnsen 69

New Zealand clinch OFC; Kenya win; South Africa eliminated from 2010 qualifiers

“Vanuatu will definitely have more experience than us. However, playing at home, we know our side will do well.” -Juan Carlos Buzzetti, coach of Fiji

Vanuatu took a trip to tropical Fiji to play their penultimate qualifier of the 2010 cycle. Both teams had already reduced to playing for pride, but the Fijians had to play well today to appease their fans. An early goal for the home side was the only score for eighty minutes, but Fiji were able to knock home another just shy of time being called, and they won their first qualifier of Oceania's second round in shutout style, 2-0. Fiji next travel to Vanuatu for the return fixture.

"We all believe it's still possible, because there is still a chance, however small. But we're realistic, and we know that a huge feat will be needed if we are to continue the adventure. Man for man, technically, we can match New Zealand, but how we measure that collectively over the two matches is harder to assess." -Didier Chambaron, coach of New Caledonia

New Zealand went to Nouméa to settle the matter of who would represent Oceania in the 2009 Oceania/Asia inter-continental playoff. Their hosts New Caledonia realized that a single loss in their home-and-away series would give the New Zealanders the glory of being Oceania Nations Cup champions. New Zealand, in spite of the abscence of Chris Killen, were the team that grabbed the quick lead by scoring after one quarter hour. In the second half, the Caledonians equalized, but the 1-1 tie was quickly answered by two rapid New Zealand goals, and New Zealand won 3-1. New Zealand clinch the OFC Nations Cup and a spot in the inter-continental playoff, meaning that their two remaining qualifiers are just tune-ups for the all-important home-and-away tie they will be facing to qualify for South Africa 2010.

Tanzania visited Mauritius in a match between two teams playing simply for pride. All five goals were scored in the first half. The teams traded the first two goals one minute apart from each other, but Tanzania would score the next three for a 4-1 victory in Curepipe.

Burundi needed a win in Seychelles to keep hope alive for their progression. A 1-0 halftime lead ballooned to 2-0 in the second period, but a Seychelles goal midway through the second half put a scare into Burundi. Burundi were able to escape any further damage, however, and left with a 2-1 victory.

Namibia visited Group B leaders Kenya. Namibia looked to be going into the break with a tie in hand, but a strike right before the whistle gave the Kenyans a 1-0 lead, which they would onto for a 1-0 win and points eight, nine, and ten in their quest for the second round. Kenya are assured of at worst second place in the group, and a tie in Guinea in October will give them the group title. Namibia are eliminated from World Cup contention, but still have to face Zimbabwe at home.

"This was the best performance by South Africa since I took charge and we could have scored six or seven goals." -Joel Santana, coach of South Africa

Nigeria, the first team to qualify for Round Two, visited South Africa, who were without Aaron Makoena in Port Elizabeth. Still, the Nigerians were missing Joseph Yobo, Nwankwo Kanu, John Obi Mikel, and Obafemi Martins. With quotes like that, one would have though South Africa would have won the match. Nevertheless, the South Africans appear to be addicted to losing in spite of facing a depleted, likely complacent squad. Constant failures to convert opportunities burned South Africa, and Nigeria are now five for five in terms of victories after a goal in the middle of the second half gave them a 1-0 win. South Africa suffer the ignominy of failing to qualify for their own World Cup. It's actually unfortunate that they still have to participate in the tournament after this astonishing embarassment.

Goal scorers:
Fiji: Kumar 7; Dunadamu 87

New Zealand: Nelson 15; Smeltz 66, 76

New Caledonia: Hmae 57

Tanzania: Nsajigwa 12; Khalfan 19; Tegete 30, 34

Mauritius: Marquette 13

Burundi: Mbazumutima 27; Nahimana 58

Seychelles: Zialor 63

Kenya: Jamas 43

Nigeria: Uche 71

Libya 1 – Ghana 0; Algeria 3 – Sénégal 2; Malawi win

Africa's Round One resumed today with three World Cup qualifiers.

The first matchup saw no surprises as Malawi paid a visit to already-eliminated Djibouti. Malawi went easy on their hapless hosts, pushing one goal across before halftime. Two more in the second half finished off the 3-0 win for Malawi, who now sit in a tie for first position in Group L, although leaders Egypt and Democratic Republic of the Congo will play tomorrow in their fifth match of qualifying.

The other two matches provided much more interest and excitement. Libya hosted 2006 World Cup participants Ghana in Tripoli. Libya and Ghana entered the fifth CAF matchday with nine points each in Group E. The game featured no scores in the first half, but that was no reason to believe that the two would not break through in the final half. With under ten minutes to go, the Libyans pulled out a clutch goal and held on defensively for the victory. The 1-0 defeat leaves Ghana struggling to reach Round Two, but it almost ensures Libya's progression to the next phase. Ghana have won its two home qualifiers against Libya and Gabon, but they suffered road defeats to both of those rivals as well. Gabon play winless and pointless Lesotho tomorrow and with a win would join Ghana at nine points. In the sixth and final qualifying matches for the Group E participants, Ghana host Lesotho and Gabon host leaders Libya.

"The quality of our play and our behavior on the field must be at the highest level." - Rabah, Saadane, coach of Algeria, speaking of what his team must do to defeat Sénégal.

In the day's final qualifier, Sénégal visited Algeria in a pivotal match to determine the outcome of Group F. Sénégal began the day with eight points, but Algeria were close behind with six and Gambia had five. The crowd was treated to a tense, scoreless first half, but the second half was a massive display of goal-scoring fireworks. The Senegalese struck first, scoring less than ten minutes into the second period, and thereby setting themselves up for instant qualification. It was not to be. The Algerians countered with three goals in a fourteen-minute span and had the game out of reach by the time Sénégal scored in the final minute of regulation. The epic 3-2 victory has Algeria on the cusp of the second and final round. Sénégal host Gambia, whereas Algeria visited Liberia in their respective Round One finales. Gambia and Liberia will play tomorrow.

Goal scorers:
Malawi: Msowoya 45; Chavula 60; Nyondo 70

Libya: Osman 84

Algeria: Bezzaz 60; Saifi 67; Yahia 73

Sénégal: Diao 54; Gueye 90

August/September 2008 schedule

The August schedule is pretty light, for it only contains Match Day 1 of CONCACAF's Third Round, as well as the opening UEFA qualifier. September is much more packed. All match times are local.

August 20, 2008
Andorra at Kazakhstan 9 PM Almaty
Suriname at Haiti 5 PM Port-au-Prince
Jamaica at Canada 7:30 PM Toronto
Trinidad and Tobago at Cuba 8 PM Havana
Honduras at México 8 PM México City
El Salvador at Costa Rica 8 PM San José
United States of America at Guatemala 8 PM Guatemala City

September 5, 2008
Malawi at Djibouti 9 PM Djibouti
Ghana at Libya 10 PM Tripoli
Sénégal at Algeria 10 PM Blida

September 6, 2008
Vanuatu at Fiji 3 PM Ba
New Zealand at New Caledonia 5 PM Nouméa
Nigeria at South Africa 3 PM Port Elizabeth
Scotland at Macedonia 3 PM Skopje
Namibia at Kenya 4 PM Nairobi
Equatorial Guinea at Sierra Leone 4:30 PM Freetown
Azerbaijan at Wales 3 PM Cardiff
Cameroon at Cape Verde 4 PM Praia
Slovenia at Poland 5 PM Wrocław
Northern Ireland at Slovakia 5:30 PM Bratislava
Liberia at Gambia 5 PM Banjul
Rwanda at Mauritania 5 PM Nouakchott
Tunisia at Burkina Faso 6 PM Ouagadougou
Latvia at Moldova 7 PM Tiraspol
Iceland at Norway 7 PM Oslo
Belarus at Ukraine 8 PM Lviv
Japan at Bahrain 7:30 PM Al Manāmah
Denmark at Hungary 7:45 PM Budapest
Switzerland at Israel 8:55 PM Ramat Gan
Portugal at Malta 8 PM Ta'Qali
England at Andorra 8 PM Barcelona, Spain
Ireland at Georgia 8 PM Mainz, Germany
Bulgaria at Montenegro 8 PM Podgorica
Turkey at Armenia 9 PM Yerevan
Italy at Cyprus 9 PM Larnaca
Uzbekistan at Qatar 10 PM Doha
Lithuania at Romania 9 PM Cluj
Greece at Luxembourg 8:15 PM Luxembourg
Kazakstan at Croatia 8:15 PM Zagreb
Faroe Islands at Serbia 8:15 PM Belgrade
North Korea at United Arab Emirates 10:15 PM Abu Dhabi
France at Austria 8:30 PM Vienna
Sweden at Albania 8:45 PM Tirana
Germany at Liechtenstein 8:45 PM Vaduz
Chad at Sudan 10 PM Cairo, Egypt
Paraguay at Argentina 4 PM Buenos Aires
Bosnia and Herzegovina at Spain 10 PM Murcia
Bolivia at Ecuador 4:10 PM Quito
Guatemala at Trinidad and Tobago 5:30 PM Port of Spain
Uruguay at Colombia 6:20 PM Bogotá
Jamaica at México 5 PM México City
Honduras at Canada 8 PM Montréal
Haiti at El Salvador 7:30 PM San Salvador
United States of America at Cuba 8 PM Havana
Suriname at Costa Rica 8 PM San José
Venezuela at Perú 8:30 PM Lima

September 7, 2008
Botswana at Madagascar 2:30 PM Antananarivo
Tanzania at Mauritius 3 PM Curepipe
Guinea at Zimbabwe 3 PM Harare
Gabon at Lesotho 3 PM Bloemfontein, South Africa
Côte d'Ivoire at Mozambique 3 PM Maputo
Mali at Congo 3:30 PM Brazzaville
Egypt at Democratic Republic of the Congo 3:30 PM Kinshasa
Angola at Benin 4 PM Cotonou
Uganda at Niger 4:30 PM Niamey
Brazil at Chile 8 PM Santiago

September 9, 2008
Venezuela at Paraguay 8 PM Asunción

September 10, 2008
Fiji at Vanuatu 2 PM Port Vila
New Caledonia at New Zealand 7:30 PM Auckland
South Korea at North Korea 8 PM Shanghai, China
Togo at Zambia 2 PM Chililabombwe
Australia at Uzbekistan 8:30 PM Tashkent
Wales at Russia 7 PM Moscow
Romania at Faroe Islands 5:30 PM Tórshavn
Belarus at Andorra 7 PM Andorra la Vella
Ireland at Montenegro 7 PM Podgorica
Liechtenstein at Azerbaijan 9 PM Baku
Belgium at Turkey 9 PM Istanbul
Saudi Arabia at United Arab Emirates 10:15 PM Abu Dhabi
Germany at Finland 8:35 PM Helsinki
Bahrain at Qatar 10 PM Doha
Estonia at Bosnia and Herzegovina 8:15 PM Zenica
Hungary at Sweden 8:15 PM Solna
Greece at Latvia 9:15 PM Riga
Luxembourg at Switzerland 8:30 PM Zürich
Israel at Moldova 8:30 PM Chisinau
Poland at San Marino 8:30 PM Serravalle
Netherlands at Macedonia 8:30 PM Skopje
Austria at Lithuania 8:30 PM Marijampolė
Czech Republic at Northern Ireland 7:45 PM Belfast
Malta at Albania 8:45 PM Tirana
Slovakia at Slovenia 8:45 PM Maribor
Georgia at Italy 8:50 PM Udine
Denmark at Portugal 9 PM Lisboa
England at Croatia 9 PM Zagreb
Serbia at France 9 PM Saint-Denis
Sudan at Chad 10 PM Cairo, Egypt
El Salvador at Suriname 4:30 PM Paramaribo
Ecuador at Uruguay 5:40 PM Montevideo
Armenia at Spain 10 PM Albacete
Costa Rica at Haiti 5 PM Port-au-Prince
Colombia at Chile 6:40 PM Santiago
Trinidad and Tobago at United States of America 7 PM Bridgeview
Jamaica at Honduras 7:30 PM Tegulcigalpa
Bolivia at Brazil 9:50 PM Rio de Janeiro
Cuba at Guatemala 8 PM Guatemala City
Canada at México 8 PM Tuxtla Gutiérrez
Argentina at Perú 9:30 PM Lima

Yet to be confirmed:

September 10
Ukraine at Kazakhstan Almaty

Morocco at Ethiopia was postponed until a later date.

Gabon 2 - Lesotho 0

In the final World Cup qualifier for over one month, Lesotho went to Libreville to face Gabon. Neither side was able to pull ahead until late in the first half. The home crowd was rewarded for its patience with a goal that placed Gabon ahead 1-0 at the half. Twenty minutes into the second half, the Gabonese again found the back of the net for a 2-0 lead. The game ended with the score still 2-0, and the Gabonese now have six points with two games left to play. Lesotho are the latest team to be eliminated from the 2010 World Cup. Gabon trail Ghana and Libya in the Group E table.

Goal scorers:
Gabon: Do Marcolino 42, 65

Uganda 0 - Angola 0

Uganda visited Angola in the penultimate African qualifier of the month of June. Nothing spectacular occurred in this match, scoring-wise or behavior-wise, so June 23, 2008 will down go down in history as producing no World Cup qualifying scores. The scoreless tie keeps the two participants in a tie for second in Group C with seven points, two behind leaders Benin. Angola are currently second on goal differential.

The game was delayed by one day because the officials from Nigeria were unable to arrive on time.

Current group leaders:
Nigeria (clinched Round Two)

A. Cameroon
B. Guinea
C. Benin
E. Ghana
F. Sénégal
G. Côte d’Ivoire
H. Morocco
I. Burkina Faso
J. Mali
K. Swaziland
L. Democratic Republic of the Congo

Standings of the current second-place teams:
1. Kenya 7 +4
2. Egypt 6 +2
3. Rwanda 6 +1
4. Tunisia 6 +1
5. Angola 4 +1 (tiebreaker over Uganda)
6. Zambia 4 0
7. Botswana 4 -3
8. Congo 3 -1
9. Cape Verde 3 -1
9. Algeria 3 -1
11. Libya 3 -2
12. South Africa 1 -3 (tiebreaker over Sierra Leone)

Cape Verde and Libya have both played twice against the fourth-place teams in their respective groups, so their point totals reflect their other two games played. The other ten teams have three games counting toward this ranking.

Egypt repay Malawi with 2-0 win; Ghana win

Niger faced Benin in a match that Benin wanted to win to put pressure on Angola and Uganda, whose match had been postponed until the next day. Benin accomplished this objective with a 2-0 victory that was extremely bitter for Niger, not only because it signaled their eliminated, but also because they suffered the indignity of an own goal. Benin had a lead of 1-0 at the half before Niger gave away the second tally. Benin have nine points and lead Group C. Both Angola and Uganda have six.

Mauritius visited another island nation, Cape Verde, on Match Day Four. Cape Verde waited until first half stoppage time to give the fans in Praia a reason to get excited. Johan Marmitte was booted from the Mauritius squad after a red card in minute forty-eight, and soon Cape Verde was up 2-0. Mauritius miraculously pulled one back before giving up a third for a 3-1 road loss.

Gabon visited Ghana after pulling off a 2-0 win at home against the Ghanaians the week before. The story was different this time around, however, as Ghana scored once in each half to win 2-0 and retain their first-place tie with Libya in Group E.

Namibia faced off with Guinea in Conakry in an important matchup in a tight Group B. The Guineans scored twice in a five-minute period right before the half hour mark and retained the lead going into the half. Another quick two-goal spurt before the hour mark solidified the Guinean victory by a score of 4-0. Guinea are tied for the group with Kenya at seven points. Namibia are hanging on by a thread in fourth place with just three points after three straight losses.

Sudan paid a visit to Mali. The Sudanese picked up three of the four yellow cards awarded in the match. Mali, on the other hand, picked up the three goals earned during the tilt against Sudan. Africa’s joint leading scorer Frederic Kanoute made the score 1-0 a quarter of the way through the game. After the half, two goals sandwiched around the hour mark stretched the lead to 3-0 and Mali took sole possession of first-place in Group J with nine points, three more than Congo.

Malawi visited 2008 African champions Egypt a week after upsetting the Egyptians in Blantyre. The Egyptians wanted to keep pace with Democratic Republic of the Congo, so a win was in order against Malawi. A loss to Malawi would have caused Egypt to fall into third place with only two games to play. Luckily, Egypt won each half of the match by a score of 1-0 for a final of 2-0. Egypt are now tied for the lead in Group L with Congo DR.

Goal scorers:
Benin: Ahoueya 45; Anicet 53 OG (Niger)

Cape Verde: Dady 45+1, 56; Marco Soares 77

Mauritius: Sophie 67

Ghana: Tagoe 30; Muntari 78

Guinea: Feindouno 23; Bangoura 27, 55, 60

Mali: Kanoute 23; Keita 58, 66

Egypt: Emad Moteab 17, 50

Côte d'Ivoire return to form with return of stars

Madagascar paid Mozambique a visit. Their hosts were not very kind, however, as they staked out a 1-0 lead at the half. Two second half goals gave the home side a three-goal shutout over their friends from across the sea. Madagascar have three points, and Mozambique have four in Group G.

Kenya visited Zimbabwe and had to weather not only the Zimbabweans, but the lightning as well. The two sides battled to a draw, and Kenya kept their two-point cushion over Zimbabwe. Kenya have seven, Zimbabwe have five.

Djibouti flew to the Democratic Republic of the Congo for their fourth match of Round One. Djibouti were not well behaved and gathered five yellow cards. Clearly, frustration was a factor; Democratic Republic of the Congo had a 2-0 halftime lead and had stretched the lead to 5-0 by the middle of the second half. Djibouti took a consolation goal with them into the break, but Congo DR took the group lead with the 5-1 score. Djibouti are eliminated from World Cup contention.

Mauritania visited Ethiopia, but were a man down after Ba Yaoub grabbed two yellows in a four-minute span, culminating with his expulsion in minute thirty-seven. Ethiopia converted the ensuing penalty, but Mauritania somehow leveled the game by the half. The 1-1 score became a lopsided 6-1 Ethiopian victory after the Mauritanians began to break down without a full eleven. Mauritania are eliminated from South Africa 2010.

Bostwana visited undefeated yet underperforming Côte d'Ivoire. Côte d'Ivoire were glad to welcome Salomon Kalou and Bakary Koné back to the squad for the first time in World Cup 2010 qualifying. The Ivoirians finally looked like themselves, scoring twice in each half and playing stout defensively, garnering three points from a 4-0 win. Côte d'Ivoire lead Group G by three points over Botswana, and a win in Mozambique this September will send them to Round Two.

Chad visited Congo in a physical encounter where both sides picked up three cautions. Congo Brazzaville scored once in each half to give themselves a 2-0 victory and are currently one of the top eight second-place teams, though their September matchup with Mali will go a long way toward determining their fate.

Goal scorers:
Mozambique: Tico-Tico 23; Carlitos 52; Domingues 64

Democratic Republic of the Congo: Nonda 10, 45+3, 52; Tshiolola 60; Mbokani 64

Djibouti: Hirir 85

Ethiopia: Fikru 38 PK, 89; Nigussie 55, 63; Mesud 83; Adane 90

Mauritania: Ely 44

Côte d'Ivoire: Sanogo 16; Zokora 21; Cisse 46, 70

Congo: Mouithys 14; Ibara 64

Sénégal, Tunisia, Morocco, Burkina Faso all win

Seychelles visited red-hot Burkina Faso after nearly pulling out a win at home against the group leaders the previous week. Burkina Faso were not about to let this game get out of hand, however, and took a 2-0 lead by the end of the first half hour. The Seychelles scored just before the half, and the Burkina Faso fans must have been disappointed by the 2-1 score. An early second-half goal stretched the lead up to 3-1, and a late goal by national hero Koné ended the score at 4-1.

Rwanda took their perfect record into Morocco a week after winning against the Moroccans at home. Morocco notched a lead on a first-half penalty kick and they stretched it to 2-0 shortly after the break. Rwanda’s Elias Ntaganda took two yellows in a seven-minute span and was bounced from the game with thirty minutes still to play. Ten-man Rwanda had no chance to come back and the Moroccans ended the match with a 2-0 win and a first-place tie with the Rwandans in their group.

Liberia visited Sénégal a week after holding the mighty Senegalese to a draw at home. Sénégal had different plans for this outcome and raced to a 2-0 lead by the half. The scoreboard read 3-0 with two minutes to go until the Liberians made the final score a respectable 3-1.

Burundi visited Tunisia in Rades. Burundi’s goalkeeper Janvier Ndikumana was ejected for a red card in minute twenty, and Burundi were caught behind the eight ball early. Tunisia converted the ensuing penalty kick and grabbed a 2-0 with one minute left in the half. Burundi scored immediately after the second goal to make the halftime line read 2-1 in Tunisia’s favor. A scoreless second half guaranteed the Tunisians three home points and set them up for a crucial showdown on Match Day 5. Burkina Faso have a three-point lead over Tunisia in Group I and can clinch the group by earning a tie or win over the Tunisians at home in September.

Goal scorers:
Burkina Faso: Kabore 21; Kere 28; Ouattara 54; Y. Koné 89

Seychelles: St. Ange 44

Morocco: Safri 11 PK; El Zhar 49

Sénégal: Sonko 8; Diouf 32; Camara 63

Liberia: D. Williams 89

Tunisia: Ben Saada 21 PK; Jomaa 44

Burundi: Mbazumutima 45

Zambia 1 - Swaziland 0; Nigeria advance; Vanuatu eliminated

Vanuatu visited New Caledonia in a match that had to be a victory for both sides. Anything less than a win would send Vanuatu home for good, meaning their two matches against Fiji in September would just be glorified friendlies. A loss by New Caledonia would have left them with no control over their destiny. Even two wins over New Zealand in September would be for naught if New Zealand could beat Fiji in November. Vanuatu’s Ken Masauvakalo committed a fatal error in the twelfth minute; he took a red card. Vanuatu had no luck playing a man down, and New Caledonia had a 1-0 lead at the half. In the second, the French colony added two more for a 3-0 victory that eliminated both Vanuatu and Fiji from World Cup contention.

New Caledonia have eight points and New Zealand have nine. The two teams play twice in a home-and-home series in September, but New Zealand have one more game to play. If New Zealand win just one of the two games, they will advance to the Asia/Oceania playoff. If both games are ties, New Zealand advance. If New Caledonia win both games, they advance to the playoff. If New Caledonia win one game and tie the other, they will have a two-point lead. If New Zealand do not beat Fiji in this scenario, the Caledonians advance. If New Zealand do beat Fiji after grabbing one point against the Caledonians, they advance to the playoff.

Swaziland visited Zambia in an attempt to keep sole possession of first place in the group. Zakhele Manyatsi did not help the Swazi cause by getting sent off in first-half stoppage time. Remarkably, tee Swazis kept the game scoreless and were poised to steal an important road point before conceding a penalty score five minutes from time. The 1-0 win puts Zambia in a first-place tie with Swaziland with one game left to play. Togo are one point behind and have an extra game left. FIFA have changed their initial ruling, and only results against the first and third-place finishers in a group determine the rankings of the second-place teams, so the teams from Group K have a legitimate shot of finishing second and moving on to Round Two.

Sierra Leone visited South Africa looking to build upon their recent home win over the World Cup hosts. South Africa continued to embarrass themselves by suffering through a scoreless tie at home. Sierra Leone won the yellow card battle on the afternoon 3-2. South Africa are currently the twelfth of twelve second-place teams, so they need to be Nigeria at home to have any shot of advancing to the second round.

Tanzania took a shot at Cameroon in Yaoundé after grabbing a draw against the Cameroonians at home last week. After a scoreless first half, Cameroon grabbed a 1-0 lead only to see the visitors return the favor with under fifteen minutes to go. A frantic effort near the whistle provided the go-ahead goal for Cameroon with less than two minutes to play in regulation, and they won 2-1 to take the lead in Group A. If they beat Cape Verde on the road in September, Cameroon will clinch a spot in Round Two.

Visiting Equatorial Guinea faced Nigeria, who were glad to welcome back Nwankwo Kanu. Nigeria pulled ahead at the stroke of halftime during stoppage time, and then continued their suffocating defense. An extra goal with under ten minutes to play ended the tally at 2-0. Nigeria win Group D and become the first time to guarantee a place in CAF’s Round Two. Nigeria have not conceded a goal through four matches and have grabbed four wins in the process.

Goal scorers:
New Caledonia: Wajoka 36; Hmae 60; Diaike 87

Zambia: Katongo 86 PK

Cameroon: Eto'o 67, 89

Tanzania: Mrwanda 78

Nigeria: Yakubu 45+1; Uche 84

Algeria 1 - Gambia 0; Canada advance

Gambia went into Algeria with the lead in Group F and a two-point cushion over third-place Algeria. By the time the game was done, Algeria were on top of the group and had a one-point lead over both Gambia and Sénégal, who play Liberia on June 22. Algeria score once in the first half, and the 1-0 lead at the break held for the entirety of the second half, giving the Algerians a one-goal, shutout victory.

Lesotho faced Libya in Tripoli, but their hosts were not kind to them. Libya got themselves on the board within five minutes and kept the 1-0 lead going into the half. In the ensuing period, Libya added three more goals and won the game 4-0. Libya currently have a three-point lead in Group E over second-place Ghana, who play on June 22.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines needed a miracle on the road to overcome Canada's 3-0 aggregate lead. It didn't happen. Canada struck twice in each half to grab a 4-0 edge before Saint Vincent and the Grenadines scored their first and only goal of 2010 qualifying to lose 4-1 and be eliminated by an aggregate tally of 7-1.

Goal scorers:
Algeria: Yahia 33

Libya: Salah 4; Dawood 50; Al Shibani 69; Shaban 81

Canada: de Rosario 29, 50; Gerba 38, 63

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: M. James 76

Sénégal 2 - Liberia 2; Zambia tie Swaziland

Mozambique visited Madagascar looking to take full points and get a leg up on the other power teams in their group. At the half, it looked possible given their 1-0 lead, and up until the final minute Mozambique made the margin hold up. It’s too bad for Mozambique that the home side equalized at the buzzer for a 1-1 tie. The teams each take one point.

Cape Verde knew that victories are what are necessitated from trips to Mauritius. In the rain of Curepipe, the two island nations fought it out, but Cape Verde stole a 1-0 lead after forty-five minutes thanks to a penalty conversion. The Cape Verde defense held and so did their margin for a 1-0 road victory.

Libya were given the opportunity to visit Lesotho for their third qualifying match, and they made the most of it: three points. A scoreless opening half gave way to a scoreless opening eighty minutes. Then, Libya broke through and coasted to the finish for a 1-0 in Maseru.
Zambia saw that Swaziland would be no walkover after the Swazis beat Togo in Mbabane on match day two. Zambia did not allow themselves to be defeated, but the scoreless draw in Mbabane leaves them with only one point in the three-team group. Swaziland lead the group with four, and Togo have three.

Tunisia went into Burundi needing a win in Bujumbura to keep within striking distance of Burkina Faso for the group lead. Five yellow cards show the two teams’ commitment, and the hosts drew three of those cards. A scoreless first half must have been unnerving for powerful Tunisia, but a lone goal a halfway through the second period gave them a very important 1-0 win to move within three points of Burkina Faso.

Nigeria went to Equatorial Guinea on the heels of a last-second win against Sierra Leone. Nigeria did not feel like waiting so long for its goal in this game, and Yobo scored a goal in the first five minutes to match his winner from the Sierra Leone game. Nigeria would hold the 1-0 lead for over eighty-five minutes and earned the three points.

Sénégal desperately wanted a win in Monrovia in order to stay in good position to advance to Round Two. Liberia held the Senegalese for a half, but the first ten minutes of the second period saw Sénégal grab a 2-0 lead. This should have been game over for the Liberians, but the level of the powerful Senegalese slipped enough for Liberia to notch two scores in the final twelve minutes to make the final score 2-2.

African qualifying has never been so closely contested before, and all the teams will be looking to make a good last impression on the upcoming match day four, because the final two first-round group matches are months away.

Goal scorers:
Mozambique: Dario 33

Madagascar: Mamihasindrahona 90

Cape Verde: Dadi 43 PK

Libya: Osman 81

Tunisia: Jaidi 66

Nigeria: Yobo 5

Sénégal: Diouf 47; Gueye 55

Liberia: D. Williams 78; Makor 88

Uganda 3 - Angola 1; South Africa lose; Kenya, Sudan win

Angola visited Uganda with their hot start to qualifying giving them confidence. Confidence was not enough for them to handle the talented Ugandans in Kampala, however, and Uganda jumped out to a 2-0 lead within twenty minutes. A second-half strike made it 3-0 before Angola pulled out a last-minute goal. The final score read Uganda 3, Angola 1.

"We are enjoying ourselves and the boys are playing really well.” –Cameroon coach Otto Pfister

Cameroon certainly did not enjoy the result they found at Tanzania. After its first two matches, Cameroon expected better than a scoreless draw, but every point matters on the way to South Africa.

Benin visited Niger, knowing that a good performance here could really help them in their efforts to make it to Round Two. The two teams found no answers in the opening half, but Benin found themselves two goals five minutes apart in the second half. Hapless Niger could only secure three yellow cards but no goals. Benin took all three points with their 2-0 defeat of Niger.

Zimbabwe visited a Kenyan team intent on making an impact in this tournament after tripping up Guinea in their first home qualifier. Kenya did it again, causing Zimbabwe to give them all three points by virtue of a 2-0 victory. Goals in each half, over one hour apart, were what did the damage for the Kenyans.

Congo visited Chad. Chad have been deemed ineligible for Angola 2010 because of their refusal to play in Sudan despite guarantees of their safety, but they are still eligible to make it to the World Cup. After Congo took a first-half lead, Chad pulled even before the break. A second-half score by the Chadians meant that they had themselves a 2-1 victory to ease the pain of the Cup of Nations ruling.

South Africa may very well be the most scrutinized World Cup hosts ever. They have qualified for the tournament before, but sadly for them they are proving that they need the automatic bid because the team does not look world-class in the slightest. A loss to preliminary-round participants Sierra Leone, albeit it a road loss, will do nothing to dissuade the perception. A penalty conversion by Sierra Leone one quarter into the game was enough to hold off South Africa for the duration. South Africa, at three points, are six behind group leaders Nigeria.

Algeria looked to keep their momentum after their easy victory last time out. Their hosts Gambia made sure that did not happen thanks to stifling defense and a penalty kick chance converted in the first half. The 1-0 win puts the Gambians in a surprising first-place ahead of powerhouse Sénégal.

Mali went to Sudan looking to take all three away from the Sudanese. Sudan responded with a goal at the stroke of halftime for a 1-0 lead. Mali returned the favor fifteen minutes later, but the final third of the match saw Sudan knock home two straight before allowing Mali a second score just before stoppage time. Sudan get the 3-2 win and three points.

Goal scorers:
Uganda: Sepuya 7; Batabaire 19; Wagaluka 74

Angola: Mantorras 90

Benin: Tchomogo 59; Omotoyossi 64

Kenya: Mariaga 13; Oliech 85

Chad: Kedigui 40; Djerabe 47

Congo: Batota 30

Sierra Leone: Kallon 22 PK

Gambia: Jaiteh 19 PK

Sudan: Yousif 45; Tahir 72 PK; Tambal 80

Mali: Kanouté 69, 90

Egypt, Ghana, Morocco all go down on Match Day 3

"A win over Malawi is important because it would lift us through to the next phase." –Egypt coach, Hassan Shehata

Egypt visited Malawi at Blantyre knowing that a draw would keep them in the group lead but that a loss would create a three-way tie between themselves, Malawi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Well, folks, we have ourselves a three-way tie. The game did not feature its first goal until second-half stoppage time, at which point the Malawi faithful were given a huge reason to celebrate: a 1-0 lead with no time remaining. The absence of forward Emad Moteab appeared to hamper their attack just a bit. The conclusion of this group should be very entertaining.

Côte d'Ivoire have been shadows of the team that shone on an international stage on its way to the 2006 World Cup. They visited Botswana and were greeted by a first-half deficit of 1-0. The Ivoirians did not succumb, however, and they battled back for a 1-1 draw and a crucial point.

Guinea visited Namibia in another important encounter in Africa’s deepest Round One group. They got off to a 1-0 lead, saw the Namibians even the score, and pulled ahead to a 2-1 lead, all before the first half concluded. The second half featured no scores, and Guinea stole three road points.

“Namibia are really not an agreeable team to come up against. They are normally happy to defend and fire long balls forward. So it wasn't an ideal match for a team like mine, who are very technically adept. We had to adapt and I am satisfied with my players' performance. The match was very difficult in all respects: physically, tactically, and, above all, mentally. We had no choice but to win, and thankfully we managed it." -Guinea coach Robert Nouzaret

Ghana came into Gabon with a perfect 2-0-0 record. Gabon changed that record in a shocking upset, although any results that come out of Africa are not really surprising any more because the continent’s soccer is so unpredictable. The Gabonese converted once in each half and won in shutout form by two goals. Ghana’s poor ending against Lesotho may have carried over into this match. Ghana now need to right the ship, but luckily, the still have a hold on first place in the group.

Morocco are looking to return to their rightful place at the World Cup after missing out to Tunisia last cycle, but they faced fellow 2-0-0 Rwanda in Kigali. Rwanda took a well-earned 1-0 advantage into the half, but Morocco appeared to regain the upper hand with their first goal just at the hour mark. Rwanda never relented, however, and a goal ten minutes from time sent the Moroccans into panic mode. In the eighty-eighth minutes, things got ugly as Soufiane Alloudi was tossed for Morocco and Eric Gasana was expelled for Rwanda. In the ensuing ten-on-ten tussle, Rwanda scored again to make the final score 3-1. Rwanda lead the group with nine points, and Morocco are second with six of their own.

Burkina Faso were another team looking to improve upon a 2-0-0 start when they visited Seychelles in the rainy stadium of Victoria. Though they grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first half and brought that edge into the intermission, Seychells come out with inspired soccer and took a 2-1 lead with ten minutes of the resumption of the match. It took a hat trick from Moumouni Dagano, Africa’s leading scorer, to get the job done for Burkina Faso, but a 3-2 win provided three points for a full complement of nine through three games.

Goal scorers:
Malawi: Msowoya 90+3

Botswana: Selolwane 25

Côte d'Ivoire: Akale 64

Guinea: Bangoura 15; Feindouno 45

Namibia: Bester 41

Gabon: Meye 42; Nguema 66

Rwanda: Ntaganda 14; Bokota 80; Karekezi 90

Morocco: Safri 58

Burkina Faso: Dagano 26, 55, 75

Syechelles: Zialor 46; Annacoura 52

Ethiopia 1 - Mauritania 0; Democratic Republic of the Congo ease to victory

The Democratic Republic of the Congo needed a big win in Djibouti to apply pressure on group-leading Egypt the day before the Egyptians visited Malawi. Consider their mission accomplished. With three goals in the first half and three more in the second, Congo DR outdid Egypt’s 4-0 win in Djibouti with a 6-0 win of their own. They are currently at six points, tied with Egypt for a least one day at the head of the group. Djibouti are almost eliminated and have yet to pick up a point through three matches.

Ethiopia were looking to bounce back against Mauritania after blowing a halftime lead in their previous match. The match seemed destined to end in a scoreless draw, and after ninety minutes there was still no score. As we know, soccer matches almost certainly have a little bonus called “stoppage time,” and that is when the visitors made their mark. Ethiopia knocked in the walk-off goal and left with a 1-0 victory that did not give the home crowd any cause for celebration.

Goal scorers:
Democratic Republic of the Congo: Mbokani 25, 48; Nonda 31; Matumdna 40, 49; Mputu 79

Ethiopia: Said 90+2