World Cup qualifiers - The African Mirror

Nov

2023

Morocco win but other heavyweights humbled in World Cup qualifiers

GHANA and South Africa both suffered embarrassing defeats in World Cup qualification while top contenders Cameroon, Guinea, Senegal and Zambia also found it tough on the road as they all dropped points. On a busy day of 15 matches across the continent, there were also wins for Burkina Faso, the Cape Verde Islands, Morocco, Namibia, Tunisia and Uganda. But it was the Comoros, with a population of around a million, and Rwanda ranked 140 in world football, who tore up the form book in beating Ghana and South Africa respectively. Ghana’s loss in Moroni was a harsh reminder of their…

Nov

2023

By MARK GLEESON

Ivory Coast win again in World Cup qualifiers as away teams hold sway

FOOTBALL

IVORY Coast's winning start to World Cup qualifying continued with a 2-0 victory over the Gambia as they were among five countries who had away success in group matches on Monday. Goals from Christian Kouame and Seko Fofana ensured success for the fancied Ivorians in Dar-es-Salaam, where Gambia hosted the game because their own stadia were not deemed fit enough to host international matches. Also victorious on the road were Equatorial Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Kenya and Madagascar while Mali were held to a surprise home draw as Africa’s preliminaries for the 2026 World Cup finals continued. The Ivorians, who will…

Apr

2022

By The African Mirror

Mali fire coach after World Cup disappointment

SPORT

MALI has fired coach Mohamed Magassouba after their failure to qualify for the World Cup, making him the second casualty this week after the completion of the qualifiers. The 64-year-old coach, who has been in charge of his country’s national team since 2017, was dismissed with all of his staff, the Malian Federation said. Mali was beaten 1-0 over two legs by Tunisia in their World Cup playoff this week, giving away a horror own goal in last Friday’s first leg in Bamako. It was the closest Mali had come to a first-ever World Cup finals appearance, but Magassouba’s firing…

Sep

2021

By The African Mirror

Repeat racism offenders should be kicked out of international football, says Bale

SPORT

WALES captain Gareth Bale has called for countries whose fans are repeat racism offenders to be banned from international football after reported abuse towards England's Raheem Sterling and Jude Bellingham against Hungary in Budapest on Thursday. Speaking ahead of his side's World Cup qualifier against Belarus on Sunday, the Real Madrid winger questioned the long investigations that habitually follow such incidents and demanded more immediate action. "I don't know the severity of what to do to but the easiest thing is ... whether you ban the fans from the stadium or if they keep repeatedly doing it, which seems to…

Mar

2021

By The African Mirror

COVID-19 chaos looms over World Cup qualifiers

SPORT

SIMON EVANS NEXT week's World Cup qualifying games in Europe and beyond are set to be heavily affected by clubs refusing to release players for international duty, COVID-19 quarantines and travel restrictions. Inter Milan announced on Thursday that all of their players will be pulled out of international duty after two more positive COVID-19 cases at the club. German Bundesliga clubs are unlikely to release Austrian players for their country's qualifier in Scotland on March 25 although the game is scheduled to go ahead with the visitors fielding a weakened side. French Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 clubs will not…