PANIC OVER!

Top teams rebound after below par showings

African soccer giants Nigeria, Ghana and Egypt all managed to negotiate tightropes across the canyon of humiliation to progress to the continent’s 2018 World Cup qualifier group stage on Tuesday with aggregate wins against unfancied opponents.

The West Africans mirrored each other’s performances with 2-0 second leg wins at home against sides that finished with 10 men, having held their odds-on opponents to a 0-0 draw in the first leg.

Nigeria’s Super Eagles were without claws in the first leg of their tie against Swaziland, and had to wait until the second half in the Port Harcourt Stadium to break the deadlock.

Things had looked ominous at the break after Sunday Oliseh’s men’s biggest chance in the first half fell to Watford forward Odion Ighalo, who missed a sitter on the half hour. The on-form striker deftly controlled a Paul Onobi cross only to flash his strike wide of the goal with just the goalkeeper to beat.

It took a 51st minute Moses Simon free kick to fire the Nigerians ahead. The Ghent man stepped forward to swerve the ball to the top right corner of goalkeeper Gwegbu’s goal after Sylvester Igbonu was fouled by Ndlovu.

A second goal was added by Efe Ambrose, who sealed the win for the three-time African champions when he skilfully converted Igbonu’s free kick from close range on 88 minutes. Within a minute of falling further behind, Swaziland had Phumlani Dlamini sent off when he was shown a second yellow card.

The Black Stars of Ghana failed to sparkle against the footballing might of the tiny Indian Ocean archipelago of Comoros in a goalless away leg. But the islanders’ resistance waned just 18 minutes into the second match when a Mubarak Wakaso free kick earned by Asamoah Gyan sailed over the defensive wall straight into the net with the Comoros goalkeeper rooted to the ground. The 25-year-old former Celtic winger kept up his run of never having been on the losing side in an international when he has scored.

The deluge many predicted failed to materialise, however, and it was not until four minutes before the end of normal time that the West Africans’ frayed nerves were becalmed when, playing with a one man advantage after Omar Mdahoma was sent off for the away team, Aston Villa’s Jordan Ayew capitalised on the panic caused by a missed Gyan opportunity.

The score-line did not flatter Ghana, who were by far the best side against a team 147 below them in the FIFA rankings, but there is a definite need for greater composure in front of goal if they harbour any ambition to light up Russia in 2018.

Egypt made the most of Chad’s late arrival to win easily 4-0 to go through 4-1 on aggregate.

Mohamed El Neny was on target for Egypt in Alexandria as they easily beat the Chadians, who only arrived at the Borg Al Arab stadium in 30 minutes before kick-off.

The minnows’ flight from N’Djamena was delayed due to a dispute over player bonuses followed by concern over the condition of the plane they were using for the journey. The delay meant there was barely time for the routine pre-match warm up at Borg El-Arab Stadium in Egypt’s second largest city and they were ripped to shreds by a vibrant Egypt side who vowed to make up for a stunning 1-0 first-leg reverse in N’Djamena on Saturday.

Egypt, who scored all their goals in the first half, basked in the support of some 25,000 fans at the 86,000-seat stadium for the first time since hosting Senegal in Cairo in November last year, following the partial lifting of a crowd ban by authorities keen to ease the hosts’ passage to the group phase.

The Pharaohs went 2-0 up inside the first 10 minutes to overturn the first-leg deficit, with Basel midfielder Mohamed Elneny opening the scoring and Ahly’s Abdallah El-Saied notching his first goal in 13 international appearances.

Two headers from lone striker Ahmed Kouka before the break completed the rout and ensured there would be no huge upsets for a team which, despite being the record African champions with seven Nations Cup titles, have not qualified for the World Cup since 1990.

The Pharaohs will be drawn into a four-team group, with the winners directly reaching the 2018 finals in Russia. The draw will be made in July next year and the group stage will start in October.

Elsewhere, Cape Verde, fourth in the FIFA rankings for Africa, beat Kenya 2-0 to overturn a first leg loss and win 3-2 on aggregate. Heldon Ramos, who is on loan at Portuguese side Rio Ave, netted both goals for the Blue Sharks.

Remuneration was evidently a theme on Tuesday, as Kenya had only arrived in Praia hours before the match after a lengthy flight from Nairobi followed a departure delayed because the players and the charter airline demanded to be paid before they would take off.

Mali were another side to overcome a first leg deficit winning 2-0 against visiting Botswana to make 3-2 overall.

Bordeaux’s Cheick Diabate made it 2-2 on aggregate with a penalty after only 10 minutes of play and Bakary Sako of Crystal Palace gave the Eagles a decisive lead on the half hour mark.

Senegal were pushed all the way in the first leg by Madagascar but were better at home in Dakar with a 3-0 victory to make it 4-2 overall.

West Ham midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate gave the hosts the lead midway through the first-half with Moussa Konate scoring the second eight minutes after the break. Mame Biram Diouf, who scored in the first leg, made sure of the win with eight minutes remaining.

Tunisia eased past Mauritania with a second 2-1 win, to make it 4-2 overall.

Defender Syam Ben Youssef gave the hosts the lead early in the second half before Moulaye Ahmed ‘Bessam’ Khalil gave Mauritania hope with an equaliser. Substitute Saad Bguir, who plays for local club Esperance, sealed the victory for the hosts.

African champions Ivory Coast were convincing 3-0 winners over Liberia in Abidjan to complete a 4-0 aggregate win.

Striker Giovanni Sio, who plays for Rennes in France, scored twice before half-time. Nice midfielder Jean Michel Seri was also on target for the Elephants.

Burkina Faso overturned a first leg deficit against Benin with a 2-0 victory in Ouagadougou.

Jonathan Pitroipa was on target from the penalty spot before Chelsea’s Bertrand Traore completed the comeback to send the Burkinabe through 3-2 on aggregate.

Algeria crushed 10-man Tanzania 7-0 in Blida with Porto’s Yacine Brahimi scoring as early as the first minute.

Napoli’s Faouzi Ghoulam then scored the first of his two goals with a superb free kick from outside the area, he also scored from the penalty spot after the break.

Tanzania had to play the whole of the second half with 10 men after Mudathir Yahya was dismissed for a second bookable offence after 41 minutes. Moments later Riyad Mahrez, of Leicester City, made it 3-0 at half-time. Carl Medjani was also on the scoresheet as the Algerians won 9-2 on aggregate.

Islam Slimani, who scored the goals to secure a 2-2 draw in the first leg, grabbed another brace in the second half including a penalty.

South Africa needed an own goal to earn a narrow 1-0 win over visiting Angola in Durban.

Manucho Diniz was the unfortunate player who got the last touch on a corner to give Bafana Bafana the 4-1 aggregate win.

Libya were the first team on Tuesday to book their place in the next round after a 3-1 win in Rwanda gave them a 4-1 aggregate victory.

Khumaj put the visitors ahead in the second leg to put them in control of the tie.

Rwanda’s Jacques Tuyisenge made it 1-1 on the day and offered his side some hope of a comeback but Libya pulled away thanks to a brace from Mohamed Ghanudi.

And Cameroon are through, despite being held to a 0-0 draw at home to Niger. The Indomitable Lions secured their passage in the first leg with a 3-0 win.

Congo finally emerged victorious after a fantastic tussle with Ethiopia, the Red Devils winning their second leg 2-1 to go through 6-4 on aggregate.

Ethiopia’s Getaneh Kebede scored the opening goal of the second leg to level the tie at 4-4 on aggregate.

But Francis N’Ganga nudged Congo ahead overall when he made it 1-1 on the day and Thievy Bifouma’s strike sealed his side’s victory.

The final group stage begins next October, the 20 second-round qualifiers will form five groups of four teams with the winners of each group booking their place at the World Cup finals in Russia.