JOHANNESBURG: Benin and war-torn Sudan qualified for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations with 0-0 draws on Monday, while there was heartbreak for Rwanda as they shocked Nigeria 2-1 only to lose out.

Benin were in a three-way tussle for second place in Group ‘D’ with opponents Libya and Rwanda and a stalemate in Tripoli saw them pip Rwanda on their head-to-head record after both finished with eight points, three less than table-toppers Nigeria.

Benin owe their place in Morocco from December 21 next year to a superior goal difference. Last month, they trounced Rwanda 3-0 at home and lost 2-1 away.

Having changed eight of the team that drew with Benin last week, three-time African champions Nigeria had the upper hand over Rwanda during a goalless opening half in Uyo.

The deadlock was broken on 59 minutes when substitute Samuel Chukwueze evaded several Rwandans in a run from the centre circle before slamming the ball past goalkeeper Fiacre Ntwari.

Needing maximum points to have any chance of finishing second, Rwanda hit back with goals from Ange Mutsinzi and Innocent Nshuti in a three-minute burst.

Mutsinzi equalised on 72 minutes by heading past goalkeeper Maduka Okoye after a free-kick landed in the six-yard area.

Okoye had to pick the ball out of the net again soon after as Nshuti beat the Udinese goalkeeper at his near post with a low shot.

Nigeria brought on reigning African Player of the Year Victor Osimhen after falling behind, but the striker could not add to his two goals in earlier qualifiers.

Sudan needed one point from their last two Group ‘F’ fixtures to qualify behind Angola but made heavy work of it, losing 4-0 to Niger on Thursday before drawing with the Angolans in neutral Benghazi.

Niger had only slim hopes of overhauling Sudan but kept up the pressure as they condemned heavily fancied Ghana to last place in the group with a shock 2-1 win in Accra.

Ghana had already been eliminated after a horror campaign, ending run of 10 successive tournament appearances, and their woes continued as Ousseni Badamassi put Niger ahead at halftime, only for debutant Jeremia Afriyie to equalise.

Niger then got a shock second goal two minutes into stoppage time as Oumar Sako headed home from a free kick and Ghanas misery was complete when Mohammed Kudus missed a penalty.

Tunisia had already qualified but were toppled from first place in Group ‘A’ as the Gambia upset them with Abdoulie Ceesay netting a 17th minute winner in Tunis.

Tunisia had also lost their previous home qualifier to the tiny Comoros Islands, who took top spot when they beat fellow Indian Ocean islanders Madagascar 1-0.

Morocco’s Brahim Diaz scored a hat-trick in a resounding 7-0 win over Lesotho as the 2025 Cup of Nations hosts, who are also participating in the qualifiers, concluded their six Group ‘B’ fixtures with a 100% record and 26 goals with two conceded.

Published in Dawn, November 20th, 2024