Five African teams qualify for the World Cup – since Tuesday, all ten candidates have been decided. Cameroon won the race in a direct duel with Côte d’Ivoire.
While numerous World Cup tickets have already been allocated in Europe, the decision on which quintet will be allowed to travel to Qatar in November 2022 will not be made in Africa until the new year. In March, a total of ten teams will fight for a place in five play-off pairings with first and second legs.
And the last four of those ten teams have been decided since Tuesday. After Ghana (whose rivals South Africa have lodged a protest), Egypt, Mali, Morocco (six games, six wins), Senegal and DR Congo, Algeria, Tunisia, Nigeria and Cameroon made it to the final round of African World Cup qualifying, in which only the group winners of ten groups of four can take part.
Cameroon still overtake Ivory Coast – Choupo-Moting substituted
Côte d’Ivoire are not in it: Cameroon still ousted the Ivorians around Leverkusen’s Odilon Kossounou and Ajax scorer Sebastien Haller from first place in Group D in the top duel of the day. Karl Toko Ekambi’s goal in the 21st minute was enough to give the Cameroonians a decisive 1-0 victory. Bayern goal-scorer Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, who had tested free from his Corona quarantine, was substituted for the match-winner in the 72nd minute.
Algeria held off Group A rivals Burkina Faso 2-2 after twice leading, while Nigeria drew 1-1 with Cape Verde. Napoli top scorer Victor Osimhen scored in the first minute for the Super Eagles coached by Gernot Rohr.
Tunisia’s 3-1 win over Zambia in their long-distance clash with rivals Equatorial Guinea (1-1 in the parallel match in Mauritania) stole their hopes early on.
