JOHANNESBURG: Tunisia captain Youssef Msakni starred in a 1-0 victory over Egypt on Monday that completed the first series of qualifiers for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.
The Qatar-based midfielder set up the only goal three minutes after half-time at the national stadium in Rades on the outskirts of Tunis.
Msakni intercepted a headed clearance and delivered a sublime through ball for Taha Yassine Khenissi to score from a tight angle.
The result confirmed the recent dominance of Tunisia over 2017 Cup of Nations runners-up Egypt having beaten them home and away in 2015 qualifying.
Tunisia top Group J with three points and Niger and Swaziland have one each after a 0-0 draw in Niamey at the weekend.
Musona bags treble
On Sunday, Knowledge Musona celebrated his first match as Zimbabwe captain with a sensational hat-trick in a 3-0 win over Liberia in Harare.
And it was all smiles for Ghana who crushed Ethiopia 5-0.
Musona’s heroics sent Zimbabwe to the top of Group G on goal difference from the Democratic Republic of Congo, who overcame neighbours Congo Brazzaville 3-1 in Kinshasa a day earlier. Belgium-based Musona became the first Zimbabwean since Peter Ndlovu in 2004 to score a hat-trick for the national team as limited and understrength Liberia were brushed aside.
A perfectly timed run to spring an offside trap put Musona one-on-one with goalkeeper Boison Wynney after 24 minutes and he scored easily. Kudakwashe Mahachi cut the ball back for Musona to slam in his second on 50 minutes and he completed his treble 13 minutes later with a close-range shot.
Ghana wasted no time taking control against Ethiopia in Kumasi. Veteran striker Asamoah Gyan nodded the four-time African champions into a 10th-minute lead and spectacular shots from John Boye and Ebenezer Ofori made it 3-0 by half-time.
Switzerland-based Raphael Dwamena bagged a second-half brace to complete the rout against Ethiopia. — AFP
Results of 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches:
Group D: At Cotonou: Benin 1 (Sessegnon 53) Gambia 0; At Blida, Algeria: Algeria 1 (Hanni 24) Togo 0; Group F: At Kumasi, Ghana: Ghana 5 (Gyan 10, Boye 14, E. Ofori 41, Dwamena 48, 59) Ethiopia 0; Group G: At Harare: Zimbabwe 3 (Musona 24, 50, 63) Liberia 0; Group H: At Bangui: Central African Republic 2 (Gourrier 70, Keita 90+3) Rwanda 1 (Sugira 90)
Group J: At Rades, Tunisia: Tunisia 1 (Khenissi 48) Egypt 0
Group L: At Praia: Cape Verde 0 Uganda 1 (Sserunkuma 83)
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