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NewsDay

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Africa Cup of Nations: Egypt out, Senegal qualify

Sport
Reigning African champions Egypt cannot qualify for the finals of the Africa Cup of Nations next year. The Pharaohs are bottom of their group with only two points from five games and were beaten 2-1 by Sierra Leone. But Senegal have secured their place in the finals with a fine 2-0 win over DR Congo […]

Reigning African champions Egypt cannot qualify for the finals of the Africa Cup of Nations next year.

The Pharaohs are bottom of their group with only two points from five games and were beaten 2-1 by Sierra Leone.

But Senegal have secured their place in the finals with a fine 2-0 win over DR Congo in Dakar.

Elsewhere, Libya claimed an impressive 1-0 win over Mozambique. Malawi and Tunisia drew 0-0 and Cameroon and Ivory Coast both scored five goals unanswered.

All the details of the day’s action are rounded up below.

Egypt were already struggling to make it to the finals, but their defeat by Sierra Leone means they cannot make it out of Group G.

A team of Under-23 players, bolstered by veteran captain Ahmed Hassan, went behind to the home team in Freetown through Sherrif Suma’s early goal.

The Pharaohs pulled one back thanks to Mohsen Maruwan and going into stoppage time it was tied at 1-1, but then Sierra Leone were awarded a penalty and Mohamed Bangura stepped up to earn a victory for the Leone Stars which gives them a continued chance of making it to the finals.

Senegal are through to the finals in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon next year after a strong performance in Dakar to beat DR Congo 2-0 on Saturday.

Two goals for Moussa Sow secured them an unassailable lead at the top of Group E on 13 points, five clear of Cameroon in second place.

Cameroon took their time to get going against Mauritius in Yaounde — the game was a remarkable 0-0 at halftime.

But the Indomitable Lions banged in five goals in the second half — including a brace from Eric Choupa-Moting — to take them to eight points in the table.

That means they still have a chance of going through as one of the best runners-up — but it is a slim one.

Libya have continued their qualifying campaign despite all the troubles facing their country.

Their game against Mozambique was moved to Cairo and played behind closed doors — and the Libyans have kept their campaign on track with a 1-0 win.

Rabiyah Lafi got the only goal of the game and the result means that they will qualify if they beat Zambia in their final pool match next month.

The Libyan team were wearing a new national team strip, sang a new national anthem and played under the flag of the rebel National Transitional Council.

Elsewhere on Saturday, Tanzania and Algeria drew 1-1 in Dar-es-Salaam in Group D — a result which leaves both sides still well behind the joint group leaders Morocco and Central African Republic.

Kenya left it late to beat Guinea Bissau in Group J — it was 1-1 going into stoppage time at the end of their match when Denis Oliech stepped up with a dramatic winner.

The Harambee Stars are now second in their group with seven points, behind Uganda.

Malawi have the edge in the race towards the automatic qualification spot for second place in Group K.

The Flames were held to a 0-0 draw by Tunisia on Saturday, a result which leaves them tied on 11 points each behind the already qualified Botswana.

But with head-to-head results counting in the event of a tie, Malawi’s two away goals in their 2-2 draw in Tunis would put them ahead. —BBC Sport