CAPE TOWN: Botswana, Mozambique and Tanzania claimed the final berths in next year’s African Cup of Nations finals as the qualifying competition played to an exciting conclusion on Tuesday.

Botswana pulled off a shock 1-1 draw away against Egypt to make sure of the point they needed to qualify for the second time while Tanzania edged Guinea 1-0 at home in Dar-es-Salaam.

Mozambique needed to avoid defeat away in their Lusophone derby against Guinea Bissau to go through but secured a surprise 2-1 win to qualify for a second successive tournament.

The other 21 places had been taken before the final 13 qualifiers were played on Tuesday, and four-time winners Ghana will be the shock absentees after finishing last in Group ‘F’.

Botswana needed a point away in Cairo but were not given much chance in their last Group ‘C’ fixture. However, Omaatla Kebatho put them ahead after only eight minutes as he capitalised on poor defending.

Egypt, who rested Mohamed Salah for this international window, were level seven minutes later through Mahmoud Trezeguet but Botswana held firm.

Mauritania would have qualified had Egypt won after they beat the Cape Verde Islands 1-0 at home but finished a point behind Botswana.

Mozambique bounced back after a home loss to Group ‘I’ winners Mali by winning in Bissau thanks to goals from Bruno Langa and Stanley Ratifo.

Langa scored with a long-range drive and Beto levelled close to half-time when his header exposed a Mozambican weakness when defending set-pieces.

Another headed goal following a corner, this time from Ratifo, put Mozambique ahead again and they retained the lead to achieve back-to-back AFCON qualifications for only the second time.

Nene Dorgeles from Austrian club Salzburg scored a hat-trick as Mali trounced Eswatini 6-0 in Bamako to top the table with 14 points. Mozambique had 11, Guinea-Bissau five and Eswatini two.

Tanzania’s meeting with Guinea was a straight shootout for second place in Group ‘H’ with the hosts needing a win and Guinea a draw.

Tanzanian veteran Simon Msuva got the games only goal in the 61st minute to put his country into the finals for a fourth time.

In the same group, bottom team Ethiopia shocked 2024 AFCON semi-finalists the Democratic Republic of Congo 2-1 in Kinshasa with Mohammednur Nasir snatching a 96th-minute winner.

DR Congo accumulated 12 points, Tanzania 10, Guinea nine and Ethiopia four.

Published in Dawn, November 21st, 2024