JOHANNESBURG: Mohamed Ali Ben Romd­hane created the first goal and scored the second as Tunisia beat Gambia 2-1 on Sunday to maintain a perfect start in 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying.

Ali Abdi headed the rebound from a Ben Romdhane free-kick past goalkeeper Sheikh Sibi on 11 minutes in the first of 24 matchday two fixtures, with the rest set for Monday and Tuesday.

Gambia levelled within three minutes as Ali Sowe swivelled in a crowded goalmouth and fired past 20-year-old Amanallah Memmiche.

Hungary-based midfielder Ben Romdhane scored the winner on 75 minutes in the Group ‘A’ encounter, placing a pass from Raed Bouchniba into the corner of the net.

Victory for former champions Tunisia was predictable as they are 91 places above Gambia in the world rankings. They top the table with six points having edged Madagascar 1-0 three days ago.

Tunisia have competed at each edition of the biennial Cup of Nations since 1994, with their greatest achievement coming 10 years later when they hosted and won the tournament.

Officially a home fixture for Gambia, it was moved to Moroccan coastal city El Jadida, 96 kilometres (60 miles) south of Casablanca, as they do not have an international-standard stadium.

Published in Dawn, September 10th, 2024