Morocco has become the first to qualify for the 2023 African Cup of Nations in football, which will be held in Ivory Coast early next year, taking advantage of its direct chasers South Africa and its host Liberia 2-2 on Friday in the third round of the eleventh qualifiers.
South Africa missed a victory within reach when it advanced with two clean goals scored by Burnley striker Lyle Foster (11 penalty kicks and 22), as the guests responded with a double through Tonya Tisdale (68) and a wonderful long-range missile shot by Mohamed Sangareh (90 + 1).
Morocco qualified to secure one of the first and second places from the group, which includes only three teams, after Zimbabwe was excluded by the International Federation of the Game (FIFA) due to government interference in the affairs of the local federation.
Morocco leads the group with six points, five points ahead of South Africa and Liberia, who meet on Tuesday in Morocco, which Liberia took as a home ground for not adopting its national stadium that does not conform to FIFA standards.
It has become impossible for both teams to collect six points together, as they are playing face to face in the fourth round, and each of them faces Morocco in the last two rounds. And their victory over Morocco in the fifth and sixth rounds.
Liverpool star Mohamed Salah restored balance to the Egyptian national team by leading it to a 2-0 victory over Malawi at the Air Defense Stadium in Cairo.
Salah gave Egypt the lead in the 20th minute, taking advantage of a pass from Mohamed Hamdi Ashraf, and making the second with a pass to German Wolfsburg striker Omar Marmoush at the edge of the area.
Leader Salah returned to the Pharaohs squad after missing the 2-0 defeat against Ethiopia in the second round, which was one of the reasons that precipitated the dismissal of coach Ehab Jalal, two months after he assumed the task, and the appointment of Portuguese Roy Vitoria.
Mohamed Abdel Moneim headed the crossbar from Ahmed Sayed's "Zizou" cross (8), and the latter hit a ball from close range that rebounded from the defense and prepared in front of Mustafa Mohamed, who shot it, and it rebounded from goalkeeper Charles Tom and was dispersed by the defense (9).
Muhammad Hani passed an elaborate cross, followed by Marmoush with his head, but goalkeeper Charles controlled it (66), and denied the crossbar, Mustafa Muhammad, a third goal, by returning his header from close range (85).
Egypt took the lead in Group D, with 6 points, with a direct confrontation difference from Guinea, which beat Ethiopia 2-0, scored by Francois Kamano (39) and Mohamed Bayo (73).
The Democratic Republic of the Congo regained its balance and achieved its first victory in the qualifiers when it defeated its guest, Mauritania, 3-1 in Lubumbashi, in Group Nine.
Mauritania received an early painful blow by expelling its striker, Idrissa Thiam (22), so the Democratic Republic of Congo took advantage of the numerical shortage and settled the first half with two goals scored by Gael Kakuta (37) and Cedric Bakambo (42).
French Valenciennes striker Ali Abeid brought the Al Mourabitoun team back into the game by reducing the difference (55), but Artur Masuaku restored it to its former state and secured the first victory for his country after two consecutive losses, by scoring the third goal (67).
The Congolese national team remained in last place with three points, on goal difference, behind Sudan, who lost 1-0 to Gabon on Thursday.
On the other hand, Mauritania suffered its first loss after a victory and a draw, so its score stuck at four points and failed to regain the lead from Gabon (7 points).
In Group F, Tanzania followed the example of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and achieved its first victory when it defeated its host Uganda 1-0, scored by Saudi Al-Qadisiyah striker Simon Masoufa (68).
Tanzania took advantage of Niger's loss against Algeria, the leader, with a full score (1-2) on Thursday, and took second place with 4 points, compared to two points for the latter.
Guinea-Bissau detonated a heavy-caliber surprise by defeating its host Nigeria 1-0 in Abuja in Group A.
Guinea-Bissau owes its victory to Troyes' French striker Mama Balde, who scored the only goal (29).
Nigeria's star-studded offensive line, especially the top scorer of Naples and the Italian League, Victor Osimhen, and Leicester City's English striker, Kelechi Iheanacho, were unable to dismantle the defensive bloc of Guinea-Bissau. The "Excellent Eagles" suffered the first loss after two consecutive victories, and its balance froze at six points, and it fell to second place, one point behind Guinea. Bissau, which took the lead.
Ivory Coast regained the top spot in Group Eight from Zambia by defeating its guest, Comoros, with three goals by Christian Kwame (29), Sebastien Haller (61) and Jean-Philippe Crasso (89) versus a goal by Ibrahim Youssef Juda (90).
Ivory Coast, which automatically qualifies as the host country for the continental wedding, raised its score to 7 points, one point ahead of Zambia, which beat Lesotho with the same result on Thursday, while Comoros stuck at three points in third place.
Mali achieved its third successive victory when it defeated its guest Gambia 2-0, scored by Kamuri Doumbia (3) and Adama Traoré (90 + 3 from a penalty kick), and consolidated its lead in Group G.
In turn, Burkina Faso achieved its third victory in a row when it defeated its guest, Togo, 1-0, scored by Tapsoba (88), and consolidated its lead in the second group.
Cape Verde tied negatively with Eswatini in the same group.
Defending champion Senegal honored its guest Mozambique by defeating it 5-1 in Group Twelve.
Senegal settled the match in its first half by scoring 4 goals, which were alternated by Youssef Sabali (9), captain Sadio Mane, who returned to the squad after he was absent from the World Cup in Qatar late last year (15), Eliman Ndiaye (32) and Boulay Dia (39).
Lourenco Vilanculos scored Mozambique's only goal (48), before Habib Diallo finished the festival (89).
It is the third successive win for Senegal.
Tunisia won the Arab summit against its neighbor Libya, with three clean goals scored by Youssef Al-Masakni (12), Ali Maaloul (21 from a penalty kick) and Haitham Al-Juweni (86).
Tunisia regained its balance after falling into a goalless draw against its host Botswana in the second round, strengthening its lead in Group X with seven points, one point ahead of Equatorial Guinea, which beat Botswana with two clean goals scored by Saul Cocu (20) and Federico Piccoro (66).
Botswana played with ten players since the 53rd minute, after its defender Tatu Kibue was sent off for receiving a second yellow card.
Cameroon fell into a tie trap in front of its host Namibia 1-1 in Group C.
Namibia was the first to score through Peter Salulil (26), and Nicholas Nkoulou equalized in the 73rd minute.
Cameroon, which missed Bayern Munich's top scorer Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting due to injury, raised its tally to 4 points in the lead, compared to two points for Namibia.