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Nigeria bounce back, Tanzania go top

football10 October 2021 21:48| © AFP
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Victor Osimhen © Backpagepix

Revenge was on the menu for several nations across the African continent in CAF second-round 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifying action on Sunday. 

Nigeria, shocked 1-0 by the Central African Republic in Lagos earlier this week, bounced back with a 2-0 win over the same opponents in Douala.

Leon Balogun and the in-form Victor Osimhen were on target for the Super Eagles who hold a narrow two-point advantage in Group C. 

Cape Verde stayed within touching distance of Nigeria with a 1-0 win over Liberia.

The Blue Sharks left it late once more: having netted a stoppage-time winner through Garry Rodrigues in the reverse fixture, Ryan Mendes scored with 90 minutes on the clock in Mindelo to seal a maximum haul of six points in the October internationals for the island nation. 

Tanzania were also able to exact their own revenge in a 1-0 win over Benin.

A few days after falling to a home loss to the same opponents in Dar Es Salaam, a stunning Saimon Msuva goal fired them to a 1-0 victory in Cotonou, as the Taifa Stars duly climbed to the top of a highly competitive Group J. 

Victory moved Tanzania level on seven points with Benin and two ahead of the Democratic Republic of Congo who lost 1-0 to Madagascar in Antananarivo on Sunday, having beaten their hosts in Kinshasa on Thursday. 

Mali will go into the final two rounds of qualifiers holding a two-point lead following a 1-0 win over Kenya in Group E, which effectively ended the Harambee Stars' hopes of reaching Qatar 2022. 

Ibrahima Kone scored the decisive goal in Nairobi, having netted a hat-trick in the reverse fixture for Les Aigles in Morocco. 

Uganda occupy second spot in Group E behind Mali. The Cranes defeated Rwanda 1-0 thanks to a goal from Fahad Bayo who had also netted the winner in Kigali. 

Elsewhere, Zambia's World Cup hopes suffered another blow as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Equatorial Guinea in Lusaka.

Fashion Sakala netted a brilliant solo effort but Chipolopolo failed to hold onto their lead with Federico Bikoro on target to claim a point for the visitors. 

Tunisia lead the way in Group B, three points clear of Equatorial Guinea and six ahead of Zambia in third following a 0-0 draw at already eliminated Mauritania. 

RESULTS, 10 OCTOBER

Benin 0-1 Tanzania 
Central African Republic 0-2 Nigeria 
Kenya 0-1 Mali 
Uganda 1-0 Rwanda
Cape Verde 1-0 Liberia 
Madagascar 1-0 Democratic Republic of Congo 
Zambia 1-1 Equatorial Guinea 
Mauritania 0-0 Tunisia 

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