African champs join SA & Tanzania in claiming victories

by Staff Reporter

Saturday Nov 18, 2023. 22:47

Reigning African champions Senegal joined South Africa and Tanzania in claiming wins in Saturday’s 2026 World Cup Qualifying action in the CAF region.

Senegal claimed the biggest win of the day, cruising to an easy 4-0 triumph over South Sudan at the Olympic Stadium in Diamniadio on Saturday evening.

The Teranga Lions completely dominated the encounter, with Sadio Mane (two), Pape Sarr and Lamine Camara sharing the goals, though the reigning African champions could have racked up a far more emphatic score line had they been truly ruthless in the final third.

In the early evening, Tanzania joined Zambia at the top of Group E with a 1-0 away win over Niger at Stade de Marrakesh. Midfielder Charles M’Mombwa scored the only goal of the game 11 minutes into the second half.

The day’s first match, at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, saw South Africa claim a 2-1 home win over Benin in Group C.

A first Bafana Bafana goal in more than two years for Percy Tau and a maiden strike for the national team from Khuliso Mudau saw Hugo Broos’s side to victory, though it was a nervy final quarter in a game they otherwise dominated, thanks to Steve Mounie’s goal for the Cheetahs.

The African qualifiers will continue on Sunday 19 November with five matches across the continent, headlined by heavyweights Algeria, Nigeria and Egypt tackling Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Sierra Leone respectively.

African WCQ results, Saturday 18 November

South Africa 2-1 Benin

Niger 0-1 Tanzania

Senegal 4-0 South Sudan