Ugandan teen Miya bags World Cup brace
JOHANNESBURG: Seventeen-year-old Farouk Miya bagged a brace as Uganda trounced Togo 3-0 yesterday and advanced to the group stage of 2018 World Cup qualifying in Africa.
Captain Geoffrey Massa scored the other goal in Kampala as Uganda qualified 4-0 on aggregate after matching their record home victory margin in a qualifier for the global football showpiece.
Zambia also advanced from the second knockout round with post-halftime goals by Lubambo Musonda and Winston Kalengo delivering a 2-0 win over Sudan in Ndola.
The Chipolopolo (Copper Bullets), one of the strongest African national teams never to play at the World Cup, progressed 3-0 overall. Gabon were first to reach the five-group stage, which kicks off next October, beating Mozambique in a penalty shootout in Libreville Saturday after a 1-1 aggregate stalemate.
Uganda, buoyant after a historic first World Cup qualifying away win last Thursday, were ahead within five minutes before a packed, vibrant Nelson Mandela National Stadium crowd.
Burly Massa was given time to line up a shot from just outside the area that goalkeeper N’Guissan Djehani should have saved, but he allowed the ball to creep into the corner of the net.
Miya, a regular scorer this year for the national under-23 team, struck twice in the final five minutes of opening half as near-total Ugandan dominance was translated into goals.
He blasted a cross past Djehani for his first goal, then latched on to a headed pass across the goalmouth to net again. The woodwork foiled the Ugandan Cranes of a fourth goal during the second half as idea-less Togo offered little resistance.
After a dreary opening half at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium, Zambia went ahead just before the hour when Musonda pounced on a parried clearance by goalkeeper Akram El Hadi Salim to fire home.
Kalengo, scorer of the winner in Sudan four days ago, doubled the second-leg lead with a run past several defenders and an unstoppable shot. A further three second legs are scheduled for later yesterday and 14 for Tuesday. Five places have been reserved for Africa at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. — Reuters