African WCQ round-up

Papiss Cisse: Newcastle striker was on target for Senegal as they drew with Uganda

African champions Zambia again got the better of Ghana as they edged past them 1-0 in their World Cup qualifier in Ndola.

Zambia overcame the Black Stars earlier this year when the two teams locked horns in the African Nations Cup semi-final.

Ghana thumped Lesotho 7-0 in their opening Group D game and had hopes of making it two wins out of two, but Christopher Katongo's goal gave Zambia a 1-0 win the fixture.

Elsewhere, South Africa failed to win for an eighth successive match. They were held to a 1-1 draw by Botswana in Gaborone.

Optimism

Bafana Bafana sacked Pitso Mosimane earlier this week after managing only a 1-1 draw in their opening Group A game last weekend, with interim coach Steve Komphela expressing his optimism before kick-off that three points would get the team back on track.

All was going well when Morgan Gould gave the visitors a 17th-minute lead, but Ofentse Nato equalised six minutes before the break to secure a point for Botswana - their first of the pool campaign after they were beaten 2-0 by Central African Republic last time out.

Newcastle striker Papiss Cisse opened the scoring for Senegal against Uganda, but Godfrey Walusimbi kept his cool to convert a penalty four minutes from time which ensured the Group J match finished 1-1.

There was late drama in Group F, with Ruben Gabriel breaking the deadlock for Nigeria in the 89th minute only for substitute John Banda to nick a 1-1 draw for Malawi two minutes into stoppage-time.

Issam Jemaa notched the winner three minutes into the second half as Tunisia made it two wins from two in Group B with a 2-1 success over Cape Verde Islands in Praia.

Parity

Saber Khelifa earlier put the Tunisians ahead in the 13th minute only to see Odair Fortes restore parity 11 minutes later.

In the same pool, Edjogo-Owono Juvenal started and finished the scoring for Equatorial Guinea to earn the hosts a 2-2 draw against Sierra Leone in Malabo.

All the goals came in the first half, with Samuel Barley and Umaru Bangura on target for the visitors in between Juvenal's brace.

Elsewhere, Henrico Botes grabbed the only goal of the game in Windhoek as Namibia edged past Kenya 1-0 to secure their first three points of the Group F campaign.

Hamza Abourazz scored an 89th minute equaliser for Morocco to deny Ivory Coast a win in their Group C game.

Salomon Kalou opened the scoring for the visitors and Kolo Toure was also on target. But Abourazz's late strike denied them an opportunity to extend their lead at the top of the group.