Guinea go on record 7-goal spree
Mali thrash Gambia 4-0
JOHANNESBURG, July 23, (AFP): Guinea thrashed GuineaBissau 7-0 in Conakry Saturday for a record winning margin for an African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifier.
The west Africans overtook Tanzania, who walloped Somalia 6-0 in Dar es Salaam during 2011 qualifying.
In 15 previous qualifying matches since the competition for homebased players kicked off in 2008, Guinea never won by more than two goals.
Sekou Amadou Camara was the destroyer-in-chief for the Guineans at the national stadium, netting four times to equal the individual scoring record for a qualifier.
Guinea took 38 minutes to score, through Camara, and led 2-0 at half-time before the floodgates opened during a second half that yielded five more goals.
They won the West zone A second round tie 10-1 on aggregate having built a 3-1 first leg advantage in Bissau last weekend.
Guinea face Senegal on successive weekends during August in the final qualifying round for the 2018 tournament in Kenya.
The Senegalese overcame Sierra Leone 3-1 in Dakar to advance 4-2 on aggregate.
Amadou Dia Ndiaye for the hosts and Mahmou Fofanah exchanged early goals before Senegal netted twice in the second half through Alisane Ndao and Gueye Dieme.
Mali overpowered the Gambia during the final quarter in Bamako to triumph 4-0 and progress by the same scoreline after a goalless first encounter.
Ibrahima Kone broke the deadlock on 65 minutes and went on to score a hat-trick for the 2016 Nations Championship runners-up.
Paul Mucureezi matched Camara by netting four times for Uganda as they crushed South Sudan 5-1 in Kampala to qualify by the same overall score.
It took him just 15 minutes either side of half-time to achieve the feat after Derrick Nsibambi put Uganda ahead on 33 minutes.
Rwanda, who hosted the 2016 tournament and reached the quarter-finals, squeezed into the third round on away goals after a 0-0 draw with Tanzania in Kigali.
For the Tanzanians, held 1-1 at home in Lake Victoria city Mwanza, it was the fourth consecutive failure to reach the finals after featuring in the maiden 2009 tournament.
South Africa and Zambia set up an August showdown for a place in Kenya by winning at home having established first-leg leads on the road.
A Ryan Moon goal earned South Africa a 1-0 win over Botswana, who travelled to Moruleng in the northwestern platinum mining belt with little hope after losing by two goals at home.
Zambia followed up a four-goal away triumph over Swaziland by winning 3-0 in Lusaka with all the goals coming before half-time.
Justin Shonga gave the hosts a
second-minute lead, Brian Mwila doubled it four minutes before halftime and Simon Silwimba struck in first-half stoppage time.
Another seven fixtures are scheduled for Sunday, including a delayed first leg between Burundi and Sudan.