OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Monday 11.50am.
ALGERIA, Congo and Cote d’Ivoire clinched places at the 2000 African Nations Cup on Sunday after the final qualifying matches.
A 2-0 win over Uganda in Annaba enabled Algeria to finish runners-up behind Tunisia in Group 7, but it was close as only a one goal difference separated them from Liberia.
Cote d’Ivoire won Group 3 despite being held 0-0 in Abidjan by Mali, who missed out on second place by one point after Congo trounced Namibia 3-0 in Pointe-Noire.
Hamid Merakchi scored in each half to raise his cup goal tally to four and earn 1990 champions Algeria three points against consistently poor travellers Uganda.
Liberia ended the five-match winning run of Tunisia through late goals from Oliver Makor and former World, European and African Footballer of the Year George Weah.
However, the Annaba scoreline meant the Lone Stars needed a four-goal win before a capacity 30000 crowd in Monrovia to snatch the second qualifying place from the Desert Warriors.
Zambia confirmed their supremacy in Group 6 with a 1-0 win against the Democratic Republic of Congo in Kinshasa, where Andrew Sinkala converted a penalty kick one minute into the second half.
The Congolese looked set to equalise in injury time when awarded a spot kick only for goalkeeper Davies Phiri to make a spectacular save from Makuntima Makiadi.
Mauritius came from behind twice to draw 2-2 with Gabon in a Group 4 clash switched to the Indian Ocean island of Reunion after seven Mauritians died in recent football-related violence.
Yvon Nzaboutamba and Theodore Ngue-Nguema put the West Africans ahead before 100 spectators and goals by Tony Francois and Christopher Perle secured third place for Mauritius behind South Africa and Gabon. — AFP