WORLD CUP 2018 QUALIFIERS - GROUP STAGE - 1ST MATCHES - so far

WORLD CUP 2018 QUALIFIERS
1st matches

Ivory Coast and DR Congo recorded opening group wins in 2018 World Cup qualifiers across Africa on Saturday, as South Africa conceded a late equaliser in Burkina Faso.

Ivory Coast beat Mali 3:1 to go top of Group C after Gabon and Morocco had earlier drawn 0:0.

Gervinho scored Ivory Coast's third goal against Mali

Gervinho

DR Congo thrashed Libya in Group A, winning 4:0 in Kinshasa with Dieumerci Mbokani scoring twice.

Burkina Faso hit a late equaliser to draw 1:1 with South Africa in Group D.

African qualifiers for 2018 World Cup - Friday fixtures 

Group E
▪ Ghana vs Uganda 0:0

African qualifiers for 2018 World Cup - Saturday fixtures 

Group A
▪ DR Congo vs Libya 4:0
Group C
▪ Gabon vs Morocco 0:0 
▪ Ivory Coast vs Mali 3:1 
Group D
▪ Burkina Faso vs South Africa 1:1 
▪ Senegal vs Cape Verde 2:0

The reigning African champions, Ivory Coast, took on Mali in Group C in Bouake with a largely new generation of players in the post Toure-brothers era.

The hosts were put under pressure after just 18 minutes when Sambou Yatabare scored to give Mali a 1:0 lead.

It took eight minutes for Ivory Coast to level the match, with Aston Villa forward Jonathan Kodjia scoring an equaliser.

Five minutes later, the Ivorians went 2:1 up after Mali's Salif Coulibaly struck into his own net.

Ivory Coast took a commanding 3:1 lead in the 34th minute when Gervinho, one of the few existing members of Ivory Coast's so-called "golden generation" volleyed in to put his side top of Group C, above Gabon and Morocco who drew 0:0 in Franceville earlier.

Gabon, hosts of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, were left frustrated by Morocco at home.

They looked to their Borussia Dortmund talisman, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, to conjure up a winner and he came closest to scoring in the 68th minute, only to see his header cleared off the line by Moroccan goalkeeper, Munir.

Gabon forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

In Group A, the Democratic Republic of Congo looked in firm control as they convincingly beat Libya 4:0.

Dieumerci Mbokani got the first of his two goals in the sixth minute with Jonathan Bolingi adding a second on the stroke of half-time.

Mbokani grabbed his second after 56 minutes to make it 3:0 to DR Congo, with substitute Ndombe Mubele adding a fourth late on for the hosts.

Tunisia host Guinea in the other Group A game on Sunday.

In other 2018 World Cup qualifying matches on Saturday, Burkina Faso missed two penalties but did manage to grab an injury-time equaliser as they drew 1:1 with South Africa in their Group D match in Ouagadougou.

Jonathan Pitroipa had the chance to put Burkina Faso 1:0 up in the 10th minute from the penalty spot, but South African goalkeeper Itumeleng 

Khune saved the spot-kick to keep his team in the match.

It remained 0:0 until the 80th minute when South Africa took the lead through Dean Furman against the run of play.

Burkina Faso got a second penalty of the game with Alain Traore stepping up to take it, but he missed from the spot.

South Africa and their coach Shakes Mashaba were denied a victory when Banou Diawara scored in the 91st minute for Burkina Faso to make it 1:1.

Senegal was hosting Cape Verde in the late Group D match on Saturday night in Dakar. 

Senegal beat Cape Verde 2:0.

On Friday , the group phase of African World Cup qualifiers kicked off with Uganda holding Ghana to a 0:0 draw in Tamale in the opening game of Group E.

The other Group E match of the weekend takes place on Sunday, with Congo Brazzaville hosting Egypt.

Both matches in Group B - seen as the toughest of the five groups - are scheduled for Sunday with Zambia facing Nigeria in Ndola and Algeria playing Cameroon in Blida.

Only the five group winners will qualify for Russia 2018 from Africa.