World Cup 2018 QUALIFIERS - AFRICA - 1st ROUND - 1st leg - all results

WORLD CUP 2018 QUALIFIERS
1st round / 1st leg
Region: Africa
Date: 2015

Wednesday's ties

• Seychelles vs Burundi 0:1 
• Tanzania vs Malawi 2:0 
• South Sudan vs Mauritania 1:1
• Comoros vs Lesotho 0:0 
• Mauritius vs Kenya 2:5 
 

Thursday's ties

• Sao Tome e Principe vs Ethiopia 1:0 
• Liberia vs Guinea-Bissau 1:1 
 

Friday's ties

• Somalia vs Niger 0:2
• Djibouti vs Swaziland 0:6
• The Gambia vs Namibia 1:1

Saturday's ties

• CAR vs Madagascar 0:3 
• Eritrea vs Botswana 0:2 
• Chad vs Sierra Leone 1:0 

South Sudan earn World Cup debut draw after interruption.

South Sudan earned a draw in the their first appearance in a World Cup qualifying match, which resumed on Thursday after rain forced an abandonment on Wednesday.

The 2018 preliminary round first-leg qualifier at home to Mauritania had been called off after only 10 minutes because of the extreme weather conditions, with the score at 1:1.

The remaining 80 minutes of the game were played out on Thursday morning, with neither side able to add to the scoreline.

South Sudan managed to mark their historic appearance by scoring their first World Cup goal - the honour going to Dominic Abui Pretino, who struck on five minutes to cancel out Boubacar Bagili's third-minute opener.

The sides will meet for the second leg in Nouakchott on Tuesday 13 October.

South Sudan joined international football only in 2012, a year after the country became independent from Sudan, and in September they achieved their first competitive win - beating Equatorial Guinea 1:0 in a 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.

On Wednesday, Comoros avoided defeat for the first time in World Cup competition by playing out a stalemate with Lesotho in the first leg of their tie.

The 0:0 draw ended a run of four losses in their previous World Cup matches since they they first entered qualification for football's biggest tournament in 2007.

Comoros had gone into the game off the back of two defeats in their opening two games in the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

But they shut out their visitors, who had goalkeeper Kuenane sent off after 84 minutes, to make history at at the Stade de Moroni and begin their campaign in a positive note.

Burundi have taken the advantage in their tie with Seychelles, earning a 1:0 away win in the first leg of their tie.

Fiston Abdul Razak scored the winner after 15 minutes and his side, who last won in the competition in 2008, will now be considered the favourites to reach the next round.

Also in a good position are Tanzania, who recorded a 2:0 home win over Malawi.

The hosts struck twice in the space of four first-half minutes, Mbwana Samata breaking the deadlock on 18 minutes and Thomas Ulimwengu doubling their advantage.

Victory continues Tanzania's improved form of this year since former national team star Charles Boniface Mkwasa replaced Mart Nooij from the Netherlands as coach.

Kenya proved too strong for Mauritius in Belle Vue, racing into a commanding lead against their hosts and then seeing off a fightback to win 5:2.

The Harambee Stars opened the scoring on 18 minutes when Johanna Omolo struck his first of the match and further efforts by Ajub Masika and Shakava put them 3:0 up well with less than hour played.

Mauritius responded well, however, and clawed two goals back through Sophie, who converted from the penalty spot, and captain Jonathan Bru.

But any hopes they had of salvaging a point were ended when Omolo hit his second goal of the game with eight minutes left and Michael Olunga completed the scoring to put Kenya firmly in control of the tie.

Only five African nations will make it to the 2018 World Cup finals in Russia, after going through two knockout rounds and a group stage.

Sao Tome e Principe have stunned visitors Ethiopia with a 1:0 win in the first leg of their preliminary round qualifier for the 2018 World Cup.

Luis Leal, who plays for Portuguese top flight side Belenenses, scored the only goal of the game in the 87th minute for the team ranked 193rd in the latest Fifa rankings.

The second leg is due to be played in Addis Ababa on Sunday with the overall winners progressing to play Congo Brazzaville in the next round in November.

In Thursday's other tie Liberia and Guinea-Bissau drew 1:1 in Monrovia.

The Lone Star's plan to attack their visitors looked to be working when one of their four attackers, William Jebor scored from the penalty spot after 36 minutes.

However the visitors scored a vital away goal in the 63rd minute through Malado Reld Anido who headed after the Liberian goalkeeper failed to deal with an easy long-range effort.

The mistake ensured the first ever official meeting between the two nations ended 1:1.

It leaves the tie evenly poised going into next Tuesday's second leg in Bissau, the aggregate winners advance to face the current Africa Cup of Nations holders Ivory Coast next month.

Portuguese coach Paulo Torres is in charge of Guinea-Bissau for both legs of the tie despite a four-match ban for "offensive language and insults toward the referee" in Zambia four months ago.

The suspension applies to Cup of Nations qualifiers, but not World Cup eliminators.

Niger have taken take command of their 2018 World Cup preliminary round qualifier against Somalia by winning Friday's first leg 2:0.

Moussa Maazou struck both goals in the space of four minutes in the second half.

The first came on 58 minutes and the striker, who plays for Chinese side Changchun Yatai, completed the scoring from the penalty spot on 62 minutes.

Somalia had to 'host' their home tie on neutral territory - in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia - because of the long-standing conflict in the horn of Africa.

Coach James Magala felt his side played well despite the defeat but was unhappy with their lack of accuracy in front of goal.

"We conceded two goals but we created about five chances ourselves.

But when you don't score at this level you get punished," he told BBC Sport.

"We will have to go into the next leg looking for goals."

Swaziland are on the verge of qualification after hammering Djibouti 6:0, with their home leg of the tie to come on Tuesday.

Djibouti kept the visitors at bay until stoppage time at the end of the first half when Mthunzi Mkhontfo became the first of six different Swaziland scorers.

After the break Swaziland took full control, with Sabelo Ndzinisa, Muzi Dlamini, Sandile Hlatjwako, Tony Tsabedze and Mxolisi Lukhele all grabbing a goal each.

In the late kick-off on Friday, The Gambia came from behind to salvage a 1:1 draw at home to Namibia.

Petrus Shitembi put Namibia ahead after 64 minutes, with an away goal which could prove vital after the two legs.

But the hosts gave themselves hope ahead of the away leg with an equaliser from Demba Savage 14 minutes later.

The Gambia's Swansea City winger Modou Barrow did not play and will not feature in the away leg either because he wants to concentrate on his career at the English Premier League side having only just returned there form a loan spell at Blackburn.

There has been speculation that the 22-year-old asked not to be included in the squad over the selection of Omar Jagne.

Barrow said: "I am 100% disappointed with the claims that I rejected the call-ups over Omar Jagne. This is false and meant to tarnish my image."

The 13 winners of the two-legged preliminary round ties advance to the second round, where they will be joined by the 27 seeded countries.

The teams have already been drawn into ties, which will be played on a home-and-away basis. 

The 20 winners advance to the group phase, where they will be drawn into five groups of four teams each, with the winners of the groups advancing to the finals.

The 13 winners of the two-legged preliminary round ties advance to the second round, where they will be joined by the 27 seeded countries.

The teams have already been drawn into ties, which will be played on a home-and-away basis. 

The 20 winners advance to the group phase, where they will be drawn into five groups of four teams each, with the winners of the groups advancing to the finals.