JOHANNESBURG: Mohamed Salah had his say this time as Egypt beat Sadio Mane’s Senegal 1-0 in the first leg of their World Cup playoff on Friday.

Salah’s early shot in Cairo cannoned off the crossbar, hit Senegal defender Saliou Ciss and went in to give Egypt a slim advantage over the newly crowned African champions to take to the second leg in Senegal on Tuesday.

The Salah-Mane international rivalry continued six weeks after the Liverpool team-mates met in the final of the African Cup of Nations in Cameroon. Then, Mane hit the winning penalty in a shootout to give Senegal their first major title as Salah watched on helpless.

Egypt started the playoff at breakneck speed at Cairo International Stadium and the own goal from Ciss came in the fourth minute. Salah sprinted away after it went in and was mobbed in celebration by just about every player from the Egypt bench.

There was redemption of sorts for Algeria, too.

The Algerians returned to the same stadium where they were dumped out of the African Cup in the group stage as defending champions to clinch a crucial 1-0 away win over Cameroon in the first leg of their playoff.

Striker Islam Slimani scored with a header in the first half at Japoma Stadium in Douala, justifying his promotion to the starting lineup. Cameroon goalkeeper Andr Onana got a hand to the header but pushed it only onto the crossbar and watched the ball drop into the goal behind him.

Cameroon were playing their first game under new coach and former national captain Rigobert Song, who was brought in to replace Toni Conceicao despite Conceicao leading Cameroon to a fairly impressive third place at the African Cup.

The debut didn’t go according to plan for Song, and Cameroon must come from behind in the second leg in Blida to reach the World Cup in Qatar and extend their African record to eight World Cup appearances. Algeria hardly ever lose at home.

The playoffs will decide the five African teams to play at the World Cup in Qatar and could erase those painful African Cup memories for Egypt and Algeria.

Nigeria had to settle for a 0-0 draw in Ghana after VAR overruled a decision to award the visitors a late penalty. A review found that Ghana midfielder Iddrisu Baba was fouled before he handled.

Ghana came closest to breaking the deadlock with Nigerian goalkeeper Francis Uzoho pulling off a superb save to deny Fatahu Ishaku in the first half.

Tunisia claimed a crucial 1-0 away win over Mali in scorching hot Bamako to give it the advantage in their tie.

That victory came largely thanks to a dire personal performance from Mali defender Moussa Sissako, who gave Tunisia their winner with a calamitous own goal in the 36th minute. Sissako’s attempted pass back was nowhere near goalkeeper Ibrahim Mounkoro and bounced over the goal-line as Sissako watched his error with hands on head.

Sissako then made Mali’s task almost impossible when he was sent off four minutes later.

Tarik Tissoudali scored a brilliant equaliser as Morocco moved closer to a sixth World Cup appearance by drawing 1-1 with the Democratic Republic of Congo in Kinshasa.

A move that began with a superb slide tackle by Moroccan defender Romain Saiss ended with Tissoudali rifling the ball into the net on 76 minutes.

Yoane Wissa had given DR Congo a 12th-minute lead, sprinting down the wing, cutting inside and unleashing a shot from just outside the box that brushed Saiss and beat goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.

With away goals counting double if teams tie on aggregate, a 0-0 draw in Casablanca would take Morocco to Qatar.

Published in Dawn, March 27th, 2022