The first round of qualifiers for the 2004 African Nations Cup at the weekend provided several upsets, with previous champions Ghana and Egypt both losing away and World Cup finalists South Africa and Nigeria with only goalless draws.
Egypt travelled to Madagascar for their group 10 qualifier, confident of victory, but were foiled by a late goal from Menahely Ruphin, who went around the Egyptian goalkeeper before pushing the ball into the empty net.
After the game the Pharaohs complained about the refereeing, claiming that a first half goal that was disallowed for offside, should have stood.
A representative for the Egyptian FA said that his side dominated the game. ”The referee ruled out a perfect goal for us, but this the way African football is.”
In the Ugandan capital of Kampala, Ghana’s Black Stars were also made to rue a number of missed chances, as the home side scored with a low shot shortly after the re-start to win their group 13 match.
The star-studded visitors, who used a number of their European-based professionals in the match, pushed forward after going behind, but failed to beat Ugandan goalkeeper Abdul Salim, who was playing his first game for his country.
As both Egypt and Ghana play in groups with only three countries, their defeat is even bitterer, as only the first-placed team will qualify for the finals in Tunisia in two years.
South Africa and Nigeria, who disappointed at the World Cup finals a few weeks ago, failed to score, but still came away with good away draws that puts them into a strong position in group 11 and 1 respectively.
Bafana Bafana held 1992 champions Cote d’Ivoire, while the Super Eagles drew with Angola. In Luanda Nigerian captain Julius Aghahowa had the ball in the net only to be ruled offside.
World Cup surprise package Senegal, failed to impress in their group eight match in Lesotho, but did enough to return to West Africa with three points courtesy of Henri Camara’s only goal of the match in the first half.
The most emphatic victory of the weekend belonged to Benin, who slammed four goals past Tanzania in Cotonou in a group three match.
Guinea and Kenya came close to reaching Benin’s score. Guinea, who were playing their first competitive match following a forced two-year absence after being suspended by the world controlling body, Fifa, trounced Liberia 3-0 in Conakry in a group two match.
In Nairobi Kenya outplayed group five favourites Togo. John Barasa, Musa Otieno and Denis Oliech scored the goals in the second half for the home side.
Burkina Faso and Congo failed to score in Pointe Noire in group four, while African footballing minnows Botswana and Swaziland played to a disappointing goalless draw in a group nine match played in Gaborone.
In another meeting of minnows, the Cape Verde Islands overcame Mauritania 2-0 in Nouakchott through goals from Clavio Zenilo on the stroke of half-time and Antonio Duarte 15 minutes into the second half.
The victory sets Cape Verde, a group of Atlantic islands once ruled by Portugal, up for an unlikely top-of-the-table clash with Kenya next month.
In group six, Africa’s second worst ranked team, Seychelles, scored a rare international victory after beating Eritrea, while Zimbabwe, considered by many to be the best African country never to have qualified for the finals, showed their intention to make it this time around by beating Mali 1-0 in the other group match.
Locally-based player Lazarus Muhoni, who slotted in a Peter Ndlovu cross from close range in the 33rd minute, scored the only goal of the game in Harare.
In group seven, Sierra Leone and Morocco scored away victories. The West Africans won 3-1 in Equatorial Guinea, while Morocco won by the only goal of the match in Gabon.
In other matches Niger beat Ethiopia 3-1 in group two, while Algeria won 1-0 in Namibia in a group 12 match. – Sapa-DPA