Algeria has become the second qualifier for the 2023 African Cup of Nations in football, which will be held in Ivory Coast early next year, after it renewed its victory over its host Niger 1-0 on Monday at Hamadi Al-Aqrabi Stadium in Rades, Tunisia, in the fourth round of Group Six competitions.
The Qatari Al-Sadd striker, Baghdad Bounedjah, scored the only goal of the match in the sixth minute, with a left-footed shot from inside the area, following a pass from Manchester City star captain Riyad Mahrez.
Algeria, defending champions in 1990 and 2019, beat Niger 2-1 on Thursday in the third round.
It is the fourth victory in a row for Algeria, which strengthened its position in the lead with 12 points, compared to two points for Niger, the third, by two points behind Tanzania, the second, which meets Uganda last (one point) on Tuesday.
Algeria joined its neighbor Morocco, who was the first to qualify without playing, taking advantage of its direct pursuers in Group Eleven, South Africa, and its host, Liberia, 2-2 on Friday.
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.
Ivory Coast, which is in Group H, qualified directly as the host country.
Nigeria regained its balance and lead in Group A when it beat its host, Guinea-Bissau, 1-0 in Bissau.
Nigeria owes its victory to French Nantes striker Moses Simon, who scored the only goal in the 30th minute from the penalty spot.
Nigeria repaid the debt to Guinea-Bissau, which had caused a heavy-caliber surprise on Friday by defeating the "Excellent Eagles" by the same result in Abuja.
Nigeria raised its tally to nine points, two points ahead of Guinea-Bissau and four points against Sierra Leone, which beat Sao Tome and Principe 2-0 on Sunday.
In the fifth group, Angola wasted an opportunity to restore consideration in front of its guest, Ghana, and fell into the trap of a 1-1 draw.
Angola advanced with a penalty kick scored by Reading striker Lucas Joao in the 51st minute, but Red Star Belgrade striker Osman Bockari equalized in the 72nd minute.
Ghana strengthened its position at the top of the group with eight points compared to five points for Angola, which fell to third place, two points behind its former partner, the Central African Republic, which renewed its victory over its guest, Madagascar, when it defeated it with two clean goals scored by Louis Mafuta in the 40th and 82nd minutes.
The Central African Republic defeated Madagascar in the last round, 3-0, on Thursday, in the third round.
In Group G, Congo revived its hopes of qualifying when it beat its host, South Sudan, with one goal scored by Gabriel Charpentier in the last minute.
Congo avenged its loss against South Sudan 1-2 on Thursday in the third round, and achieved its second victory in the qualifiers, to rise to second place with six points, three points behind leaders Mali, who will visit Gambia on Tuesday.
In Group D, Guinea continued its revival and achieved its third successive victory when it defeated its host, Ethiopia, 3-2.
Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita gave Guinea the lead in the fourth minute, and Kanan Marquinet equalized in the 34th minute, before Valencia's Spanish midfielder Alex Moreba restored the lead for the guests three minutes before the end of the first half (42), then French Paris FC striker Morgan scored. Gilavogue III (70).
Kikita Gemma pulled one back in the fifth minute of stoppage time.
Guinea alone topped the group with nine points, three points ahead of its former partner Egypt, which it defeated in the first round, 0-1, and is playing with its host Malawi on Tuesday.
Sudan revived its hopes of competing for the two Group I cards when it defeated its Gabonese guest, the leaders, 1-0.
Sudan owes its second victory in the qualifiers to midfielder Muhammad Al-Hajj Kumi Humaidan, with an acrobatic shot "on the fly" from inside the area, after a cross ball by Athar Al-Taher, who inhabited it to the left of goalkeeper Jean-Noel Amonum (65).
Sudan rehabilitated its loss against Gabon last Thursday in Libreville, and achieved its first victory in the second match led by its new Moroccan coach, Zaki Badou.
Sudan snatched second place temporarily from Mauritania, after raising its score to six points, one point behind Gabon, which suffered its first loss, compared to four points for the stationed, who receive the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Tuesday.