Algeria is the second team to qualify after World Cup
semifinalist Morocco.
Bounedjah struck in the sixth minute, putting a shot in the
bottom right corner after he was played in by Riyad Mahrez. Algeria held firm
in a game played in Tunisia to improve its record to four wins from four in the
final qualifiers.
The race is on between Tanzania, Niger and Uganda to take
the other qualifying place in Group F alongside Algeria.
Morocco qualified last week without playing after South
Africa and Liberia drew 2-2 on Friday. That meant Morocco will definitely take
one of the top two places in Group K, which was reduced to a three-team and not
four-team group because Zimbabwe was disqualified from the qualifiers.
Morocco celebrated by beating Brazil 2-1 in a friendly on
Saturday.
Morocco made history last year in Qatar when it became the
first African team to reach the last four of the World Cup and will be
considered one of the favorites for the African Cup title next year. The North
African nation is enjoying a golden period after hosting FIFA’s Club World Cup
in February and being announced this month as part of a joint bid with Spain
and Portugal to stage the 2030 World Cup.
Its victory over Brazil was its first against the five-time
World Cup winner.
Defending champion Senegal is also top of its African Cup
qualifying group and on course to reach the final tournament following forward
Sadio Mané’s return to action with his country last week. Senegal can qualify
on Tuesday if it wins in Mozambique.
In other qualifiers on Monday, Nigeria gained revenge for a
surprise home loss to Guinea-Bissau on Friday by winning in Guinea-Bissau 1-0.
Moses Simon converted a penalty in the 30th minute to put Nigeria back on top
of Group A.
Angola and Ghana drew 1-1 and Ghana leads a tight Group E by
a point from Central African Republic, and three points from third-placed
Angola with two rounds of games to play.
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