Sports
Algeria, Nigeria Scrape Through To W’Cup Play-Off Spots
Algeria and Nigeria did enough to reach Africa’s play-offs for the 2022 World Cup after drawing their final qualifiers yesterday.
Both sides needed just a point at home against their closest challengers to secure top spot in their respective groups.
Algeria twice led against Burkina Faso but drew 2-2, while the Super Eagles won Group C despite being held 1-1 by Cape Verde in Lagos.
The final two spots in the play-offs were yet to be decided before press time.
Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Mali, Morocco and Senegal have already reached the play-offs, which will take place next March and decide the continent’s five representatives in Qatar.
However, South Africa has complained to FIFA about the refereeing in their 1-0 defeat by Ghana on Sunday, which decided top spot in Group G.
Continental champions, Algeria were pushed all the way by Burkina Faso, who needed victory in Blida to keep their hopes of a first-ever World Cup appearance alive.
Algeria took the lead midway through the first half when Manchester City forward, Riyad Mahrez converted a cutback from Youcef Belaili, but the Stallions equalised eight minutes before the break through Zakaria Sanogo, who chipped the ball over Rais M’Bolhi.
Half-time substitute, Sofiane Feghouli restored the Desert Foxes’ lead, converting another pull-back by Belaili in the 68th minute, but the Burkinabe got a second equaliser through Issoufou Dayo’s penalty with six minutes left to set up a nervous finale to the Group A clash.
However, Djamel Belmadi’s men held on to extend their unbeaten run to 33 matches, four short of Italy’s world record of 37 set earlier this year.
Similarly, Nigeria had a two-point lead over Cape Verde going into their showdown but Gernot Rohr’s side scraped into the play-off stage.
The Super Eagles made the perfect start as in-form Napoli striker, Victor Osimhen controlled a cross from Moses Simon and slotted home in the opening minute, but the islanders hit back four minutes later when defender, Stopira equalised off a corner kick.
Cape Verde keeper, Vozinha made several saves in the first half to deny the hosts and the Blue Sharks almost pulled off an upset, with Super Eagles defender, Chidozie Awaziem making a crucial late block.
In the other match in Group C, Liberia beat Central African Republic 3-1.
Marcus Macauley and Peter Wilson gave Liberia a 2-0 lead after eight minutes and, after Isaac Ngoma pulled one back on 61 minutes, Wilson restored the Lone Stars’ two-goal advantage 12 minutes later.
Earlier yesterday, already-qualified Egypt rounded off their campaign with a 2-1 win against Gabon in Alexandria to finish unbeaten in Group F.
Al Ahly midfielder, Mohamed Magdy put the Pharaohs ahead from the penalty spot in the fourth minute after Ahmed Yasser Rayyan was clipped by Denis Bouanga.
Clermont forward, Jim Allevinah scrambled in a cross to equalise nine minutes after the restart but Gabon defender, Johann Obiang deflected a through ball past his own keeper with 15 minutes remaining, and his own goal proved to be the winner.
The visitors finished with 10 men as Bouanga was sent off late on for a kick out at Mohamed Hamdy – his second bookable offence – giving Carlos Quieroz’s Egypt a fourth win in six matches.
Elsewhere Libya finished behind Gabon on goal difference following a 1-1 draw with Angola.
Sanad Al Warfali’s penalty gave the north Africans the lead four minutes into the second half after Yousef Karah was bundled over, but Angola striker Zini fired in a loose ball from seven yards out to net the leveller in Benghazi in the 81st minute.
In Cotonou, a second-half own goal from Malawi captain Limbikani Mzava gave Mozambique their first win of the campaign in Group D.
The defender headed a long ball over his goalkeeper from just outside the area and the result saw Malawi, who will feature at the Africa Cup of Nations in January, leapfrogged by their neighbours.
Mozambique finished the group campaign on four points, one more than the Flames.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has said that the Premier League leaders must win trophies if they were to be remembered like the “Invincibles” side that last won the title for the Gunners in 2004.
Arsene Wenger’s side romped to the title 22 years ago without losing a single league game.
Arsenal headede into last night’s clash at home to reigning champions Liverpool with a five-point lead at the top of the table after Manchester City and Aston Villa dropped points against Brighton and Hove Albion and Crystal Palace, respectively on Wednesday.
Arteta’s men, runners-up for the past three seasons, have two more points and four more goals than Wenger’s ‘Invincibles’ managed after 20 games.
But the Spaniard said those stats matter little unless Arsenal go on to win the league.
“No, because ‘the Invincibles’ won a lot,” Arteta told his pre-match press conference on whether his side can be considered better than Arsenal’s last title winners.
“They won consistently, and they created a history and a legacy, and we have to do that.”
The lone major piece of silverware won by Arsenal in six years under Arteta remains the 2020 FA Cup
“There are a lot of stats, but in the last two or three years we have managed more points and more goals than ever before. But at the end, we have to translate that to major trophies,” he added.
“Probably doing what we are doing now would have been enough (in 2004), but now it’s not, and we have to make the margins even bigger.”
Arsenal lost 1-0 to Liverpool at Anfield back in August in what was billed as an early showdown between title rivals.
The defending champions headed to the Emirates 14 points off the top after a difficult second season for Arne Slot, but Arteta insisted the Reds remain a superb side.
The Gunners were without sidelined defenders Riccardo Calafiori and Cristhian Mosquera but were“monitoring the load” on Kai Havertz as the Germany forward intensified his training while continuing to recover from a long-term leg injury.
Nigeria sharpshooters Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman will provide a stern test to the flawless record of Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane, a son of French football icon Zinedine Zidane, in the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals in Morocco.
Zidane is the only first-choice goalkeeper amongst the eight quarter-finalists to have kept a clean sheet in all of his tournament matches so far, but the task facing him in Marrakesh tomorrow will not be easy.
Former African player of the year award-winners Osimhen and Lookman have tormented defences during the tournament, scoring three goals each.
Zidane, 27, kept clean sheets in group matches against Sudan and Burkina Faso before being rested against Equatorial Guinea.
He was recalled for a last-16 clash with the Democratic Republic of Congo and once again was unbeaten during a dramatic extra-time victory.
Former Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane, his Spanish wife and another son have been among the crowds in each match Luca played for the Desert Foxes.
“It is special when your family come to watch,” said Luca Zidane, who began his career with Real Madrid B in 2016 and now plays for Spanish second-tier side Granada.
Born in France, Zidane represented his country of birth at five age-limit levels. Under FIFA rules he could also play for Spain or Algeria, where his grandparents were born.
Zidane chose Algeria, debuting in a 2026 World Cup qualifying victory over Uganda last November and, when an injury ruled first choice Alexis Guendoez out of the AFCON, he was promoted.
“I am proud to represent Algeria and play in the Africa Cup of Nations. It is a great experience,” he told reporters.
“I try to be myself, to build my career on my terms, step by step,” he said.
Algeria have been an AFCON bogey team for Nigeria, winning four and drawing two of nine meetings, including a 5-1 drubbing of the Super Eagles en route to winning the 1990 tournament at home. But the current Super Eagles appear to be in the mood to get this one over the Algerians.
The Desert Foxes have put successive group-stage exits behind them under Bosnian coach Vladimir Petkovic and substitute Adil Boulbina unleashed a thunderbolt to eliminate DR Congo.
Nigeria are the 12-goal leading scorers in Morocco with Osimhen, Lookman and Akor Adams forming a potent frontline.
But coach Eric Chelle will be concerned that the three-time champions have conceded four, the most among the eight title hopefuls.
Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner has said that the club would sell captain Marc Guehi this month if his asking price is met.
The England defender is out of contract in the summer and Manchester City have emerged as contenders to sign him during the January transfer window.
Palace blocked a proposed £35m move to Liverpool last summer but risk losing the 25-year-old for nothing at the end of the season.
City’s interest in Guehi has progressed following injuries to defenders Josko Gvardiol and Ruben Dias during Sunday’s draw against Chelsea.
“I’m not naive,” said Glasner, as reported by Tidesports source. “If a massive offer comes from City and Marc wants to do it, it will happen.”
Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid are among the European clubs to have shown an interest in signing Guehi on a free transfer, and he can sign a pre-contract agreement with an overseas club from this month.
“If you’re just valuing sports, everyone in the club will say Marc has to stay,” Glasner added. “The chairman will tell you the same. But it’s not one-dimensional. If you see the financial situation, it’s very important.
“If somebody comes, there will be a moment when the club says ‘now the financial issue is more important than the sports issue’.
“There will be a threshold where the club has to say it will happen, as long as Marc says ‘I want to leave’, because the final decision is always with the player.”
Guehi helped Palace finish 12th last season and win the FA Cup to qualify for Europe for the first time in the club’s history.
The Eagles then won the Community Shield in August, beating Premier League champions Liverpool on penalties, and are 14th in the table and through to the knockout phase play-offs in the Uefa Conference League.
“The chairman rejected many offers in the summer because we want to play a successful season and wanted to win the Community Shield,” Glasner added. “Therefore, Marc is important, and then he rejected the offer.
“The threshold at that time, the money we got offered was not above it. Maybe it was close, but it was not above.”