Tanzania boosted their chances of qualifying for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations after edging Niger 1-0 at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Sunday afternoon.
Adel Amrouche's side carved out numerous openings in this Group F clash before Saimon Msuva eventually broke the deadlock 21 minutes from time to secure their second win of the campaign.
The Taifa Stars opened up a three-point gap to Uganda in second place ahead of their game against group leaders Algeria later on that same day, with the Menas eliminated after slipping to their third defeat.
Tanzania were looking to bounce back from a 1-0 defeat to Uganda on matchday 4 which brought the two teams level on four points with an identical record in the group.
Meanwhile, Niger sought a first victory to keep their qualification hopes alive, having picked up just two points from their opening four matches and suffering back-to-back losses against Algeria in March.
They were fairly evenly matched in the first half, although the hosts created the better chances and threatened twice early on when Msuva flashed a shot just wide of the right post from inside the box after meeting a second-minute corner before Mudathir Yahya tested Mahamdou Tanja with a strike from range in the fifth minute.
MADE TO PAY FOR MISS
Kibu Denis then steered a header narrowly wide of the left post from Msuva's cross on 17 minutes, while Mbwana Samatta drew a comfortable save out of Tandja with a long-range effort in the 27th minute.
The Menas finally had their first sight at goal from a free-kick two minutes later, although Yacouba Diori failed to hit the target as the ball sailed well over the crossbar.
Beno Kakolanya was called into action for the first time on 39 minutes as he pulled off a fine save to deny Daniel Sosah from close range and Abdoul Madjid Moumouni wasted a good opportunity in the final minute of the half when he fired wide of the far post from inside the area on the left.
The visitors went on the attack early in the second half, but Amadou Wonkoye failed to even test Kakolanya with two shots in the space of a minute before Bakari Mwamnyeto nearly opened the scoring at the other end with a header that went inches wide of the right post from a free-kick in the 51st minute.
Msuva should perhaps have done better when he glanced a header fractionally wide of the target from Dickson Job's cross on 65 minutes, while Moumouni squandered a glorious chance for Niger two minutes later as he somehow headed a free-kick over the crossbar from a couple of yards out.
They were made to pay for that miss soon afterwards as Msuva tapped home from close range after being picked out by Novatus Dismas inside the six-yard box.
Seybou Koita was also guilty of wastefulness for Niger when he fired wide of the right post from close range on 82 minutes after getting on the end of Issa Djibrilla's cross, while Victorien Adebayor was unable to beat Kakolanya three minutes from time after being played in on the right.
Tanzania (1) 1 (Msuva 69')
Niger (0) 0
Tanzania: B. Kakolanya, D. Job, I. Bacca, N. Dismas, M. Abraham (A. Suleiman 60'), B. Mwamnyeto, A. Banda, M. Yahya (M. Yassin 60'), S. Msuva (H. Mao 87'), M. Samatta, K. Denis (G. Tibar 74').
Niger: M. Tandja, A. Muhammad, O. Diabate, B. Katkore (I. Djibrilla 73'), N. Yakubu, B. Moumouni, Y. Oumarou, K. Doudou (V. Adebayor 87'), M. Wonkoye (S. Koita 73'), Y. Diori (R. Alhassane 56'), D. Sosah.