TAU IN STARRING ROLE:
Tau in starring role as Bafana stay in race with win over Burkina Faso
ALEX Iwobi’s second-half winner ensured Nigeria became the first African nation to qualify for next year’s World Cup in Russia when their 1-0 home victory over Zambia on Saturday moved them into an unassailable lead in their group.
South Africa, meanwhile, remained in the race by beating Burkina Faso 3-1 at Soccer City in Johannesburg.
Percy Tau starred for Bafana Bafana, scoring the first goal after 48 seconds, playing a role in the second, and creating the third with a cheeky back-heel.
Back-to-back losses to Cape Verde and the annulling of a win against Senegal over match manipulation by a Ghanaian referee left South Africa desperate for maximum points.
Despite the win, South Africa remain bottom of Group D and needing home and away victories over Senegal next month to have a chance of winning the group and qualifying.
Iwobi netted for Nigeria with a neat finish inside the box in the 73rd minute of an open contest in Uyo after both Wilfred Ndidi and Moses Simon had squandered earlier chances.
Zambia were the only country still capable of catching Nigeria in Group B but needed an unlikely away win against the Super Eagles, who have now qualified for six of the last seven World Cup finals, missing out in 2006. Nigeria advanced to 13 points with Zambia on seven, one ahead of third-placed Cameroon, who beat Algeria 2-0 in Yaounde earlier on Saturday.
In Group E, Uganda were held at home to a goalless draw by Ghana in Kampala on Saturday.
Youssef Msakni’s hat-trick saw Tunisia come from a goal down to beat Guinea 4-1 away in Conakry and stay three points ahead of the Democratic Republic of Congo in Group A.
Liverpool-bound Naby Keita scored first for Guinea but Msakni equalised in stoppage time at the end of the first half and added two more after the break, with Mohamed Amine Ben Amor also scoring.
Tunisia need just a point from their last game at home to neighbours Libya next month to qualify.
Firmin Mubele scored a 74th-minute winner for DR Congo as they beat Libya 2-1 in Monastir, Tunisia.
The Libyans have been forced to host their matches in Tunisia because of a Fifa ban dictated by safety concerns in their strife-torn country.
Morocco will also need only a draw from their last game to finish top of Group C after they beat Gabon 3-0 in Casablanca on Saturday to set up a showdown with Ivory Coast, who are a point behind them.
Victory for the Elephants would take them to the finals instead – for a fourth successive tournament.
Senegal moved to the top of Group D with a 2-0 away win over the Cape Verde Islands as England-based Diafra Sakho and Cheikh Ndoye scored late.