DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania
Morocco made a winning start to their 2026 World Cup qualifying but several African heavyweights endured humbling results on Tuesday.
Hakim Ziyech scored a sublime
40-yard drive as the Atlas Lions defeated 10-man Tanzania 2-0 on to launch
their bid to reach the 2026 World Cup.
However, the likes of Ghana,
South Africa and Cameroon dropped points. Ghana and South Africa stumbled to
damaging defeats against the Comoros and Rwanda respectively.
Ziyech lit up a dominant
Moroccan display by firing home a dipping long-range strike on 28 minutes in
Dar es Salaam. An own goal made it 2-0 after the break.
Tanzania's task was then made
harder when Novatus Miroshi saw red for a second yellow midway through the
second period.
The Atlas Lions ultimately
cruised but Zambia suffered a shock 2-1 loss away to Niger in the same group as
veteran coach Avram Grant tasted his first defeat in charge of Chipolopolo.
In a huge upset, Myziane
Maolida's strike condemned Ghana to a 1-0 loss away to the Comoros. It was
salty memories for the Black Stars after the tiny nation also beat them at
AFCON 2021.
South Africa then crashed 2-0
to lowly Rwanda on a sodden pitch in Butare as the hosts scored twice inside 15
minutes.
Quickfire first-half goals
from Innocent Nshuti and Gilbert Mugisha earned the narrow victory as South
Africa struggled to adapt.
But Guinea fell 1-0 to
Botswana while Uganda edged Somalia by the same scoreline.
Dango Ouattara and Bertrand
Traore struck in Burkina Faso's 3-0 victory away to Ethiopia. Tunisia also won
1-0 in Malawi thanks to Youssef Msakni's late penalty.
There were also away draws for
African giants Cameroon and Senegal against Libya and Togo respectively on a
mixed night for the continent's heavyweights.Senegal moved top of Group B
despite the goalless stalemate away in Togo.
With only nine direct World
Cup spots available, dropping early points could prove pivotal in a brutal
qualifying marathon ahead.
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