Liverpool star Mohamed Salah on Monday helped Egypt to a 3-0 World Cup qualifying win over nearest rivals Libya that puts them on the verge of winning Group F and reaching the final elimination round. The two-time African Footballer of the Year was a constant threat in Benghazi as the Pharaohs completed a double over the Mediterranean Knights in a 1-0 win in Alexandria three days earlier. Ahmed Al Fatouh broke the deadlock at 40 minutes, Mustafa Mohamed added a second goal in the first half and substitute Ramzan Sobhi netted after 72 minutes. Egypt have 10 points, four more than second-placed Libya after four rounds and need a win from fixtures against Angola and Gabon in November to make the play-offs.
The 10 group winners will be divided into five pairs, and in March the winner of the two-legged ties will represent Africa at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
In Group D, Ivory Coast retained a one point advantage over Cameroon, widely regarded as the toughest of the 10 mini-leagues, with the two nations claiming to have participated in 10 World Cups.
Ivory Coast defeated Malawi 2–1 in Cotonou and Cameroon defeated Mozambique 1–0 in Tangier to turn the section into a two-team race and finished first.
The qualifiers were played in Benin and Morocco as hosts Ivory Coast and Mozambique do not have stadiums of international standard.
Arsenal forward Nicolas Pepe gave three-time World Cup participants Ivory Coast a fine start by scoring a goal within two minutes as he punished a defensive mix.
Malawi equalized on 20 minutes through Khuda Muyaba, who fired a low shot from outside the box to Sylvain Gobouo in the corner of the net.
case penalty decider
The match-winner came on 67 minutes as AC Milan midfielder Frank Casey gave goalkeeper Brighton Munthali no chance with a rising strike from the penalty spot.
Multiple flight delays due to COVID-19 cases among airline crew have meant Cameroon arrived in Morocco only 11 hours before kick-off.
Portuguese coach Tony Conceicao took a gamble after the indomitable Lions, whose seven World Cup appearances are an African record, in the first half.
He removed Erik Maxim Chopo-Motting and Karl Toko Ekambi at half-time and replaced his third forward Vincent Abubaker at the start of the second half.
Three of their most famous players, Cameroon, struggled several times to contain the lively Mozambican Mambas, with forward Jenny Catamo being a constant threat.
But Cameroonian defender Michael Ngadeau-Ngadjui succeeded in the 68th minute, where the attacker had failed, tossing the ball into the net after a weak punch from a corner by goalkeeper Hernani Siluen.
Meanwhile, Burkina Faso replaced defending African champions Algeria as Group A leaders, falling short of an expected 2–0 win over Djibouti, the bottom-placed of 40 group-stage sides.
After scoring four times against Minno last week, the Stallions had to settle for goals from Issoufou Dayo and Abdul Tapsoba in the second meeting.
Algeria, who boast an African record 30-match unbeaten record, will top the target on goal difference if they secure a 6-1 home win over Niger to beat West Africans again in Niamey on Tuesday.
read all breaking news, breaking news And coronavirus news Here. follow us on Facebook, Twitter And Wire.
.