Salah takes Egypt closer

JOHANNESBURG: African giants Egypt moved closer to a first World Cup appearance since 1990 when they defeated Uganda 1-0 Tuesday thanks to an early goal from Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah.

A near-capacity crowd in the 85,000-seat Borg El Arab Stadium in Alexandria saw the June signing from AS Roma strike just six minutes into the Group E clash.

Salah sneaked behind the defence and after goalkeeper Denis Onyango parried his first attempt, he poked the rebound into the net to decide the top-ofthe-table showdown.

It was the first goal conceded by Uganda in 456 minutes of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup

in Russia after five consecutive clean sheets.

Egypt created most of the chances only to be regularly thwarted by 2016 Africa-based Footballer of the Year Onyango.

The Pharaohs host bottom team Congo Brazzaville in October and visit third-place Ghana in November and two victories will ensure they qualify.

Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey scored a hattrick as Ghana kept faint hopes of a fourth straight World Cup appearance alive with a 5-1 thrash-

ing of Congo in Brazzaville.

Egypt have nine points after four rounds, Uganda seven, Ghana five and Congo just one.

Although Egypt have been the dominant African football force, winning the Cup of Nations a record seven times, they consistently struggle in the World Cup, qualifying only twice.

Leaders Ivory Coast suffered a shock 2-1 home defeat by Gabon in Group C, but the damage was lessened by second-place Morocco only drawing 0-0 with Mali in Bamako.

Ivory Coast have seven points, Morocco six, Gabon five and Mali two, with the final-round clash of the top two nations set to decide who goes to Russia.

South Africa were another team to suffer a shock home defeat, losing 2-1 to Cape Verde for the second time in five days, this time in Indian Ocean city Durban.

Defeat dropped the South Africans to the bottom of Group D, which is headed by Burkina Faso after a dramatic 2-2 draw with Senegal in Ouagadougou.

Burkinabe and Cape Verde have six points, Senegal five and South Africa four with two matchdays remaining.

Tunisia retained a three-point lead over the Democratic Republic of Congo in Group A after coming from two goals behind in Kinshasa to salvage a 2-2 draw.

Tunisia have 10 points, DR Congo seven and out-of-contention Guinea and Libya three.

Captain Kennedy Mweene saved a Riyad Mahrez penalty as second-place Zambia beat Algeria 1-0 in Constantine to close the gap behind Group B leaders Nigeria to three points. AFP