July 2001 Sport News Headlines

Monday, July 16, 2001 - Web posted at 11:33:27 GMT

Senegal set up thrilling finale

JOHANNESBURG - Senegal striker El Hadji Ousseynou Diouf kept up his record of scoring key goals for his country on Saturday, as a 1-0 win over Morocco set up a three-way finish to the World Cup African group C qualifiers.

Diouf, from French clubs Lens, scored after 17 minutes in Dakar to put pay to Morocco's hopes of gaining the point they needed to win the group and become the third African side through to next year's finals in Japan and South Korea.

Instead, group leaders Morocco, who have now finished their qualifying campaign, will have to await the outcome of the last two matches in the group to know their fate.

Egypt and Senegal, both three points behind Morocco, will have to win away from home on the last weekend of qualifiers in a fortnight's time to stand any chance of going through, with the group's outcome likely to be determined on goal difference.

Egypt are now in pole position, helped by their 8-2 hammering of Namibia in Alexandra on Friday night.

They have a goal difference of plus nine, two goals more than Senegal.

Morocco's goal difference is plus five, meaning they will only qualify for the World Cup if both Egypt and Senegal fail to win in two weeks' time.

Egypt are away to bitter rivals Algeria in a match originally scheduled for July 27 but now likely to kick off at the same time as Senegal take on Namibia away in Windhoek on July 28.

George Weah returned to Liberia's line-up on Saturday after a short international 'retirement' to score the goal that puts them back in the lead in group B.

Liberia beat Sierra Leone 1-0 away in Freetown with Weah scoring 17 minutes from time.

He had been persuaded to return to the side by Liberian president Charles Taylor after retiring in the wake of the recriminations that followed Liberia's home defeat by Ghana in Monrovia on July 1.

Weah's house had been attacked by an angry mob and the players' bus stoned after the surprise defeat.

Liberia now lead Nigeria by two points but have completed their programme.

Nigeria must therefore win their final match at home to Ghana on July 28 in Lagos to go through to a third successive World Cup finals appearance.

Cameroon and South Africa, the two sides who qualified earlier this month, completed their qualifying campaign on Saturday by keeping up their unbeaten records.

African champions Cameroon drew 2-2 away in Zambia to end on 19 points in group A, while South Africa were 2-0 winners at home in Durban against Malawi to finish on 16 points in group E.

Yesterday Zimbabwe beat Burkina Faso 1-0 in an African Cup Qualifier game that had no more impact on either team than a friendly.

Neither of the teams had any chance to advance to the World Cup, as South Africa has already nabbed Group E's spot in the tournament.

Zimbabwe's midfielder Blessing Makunike scored the only goal in the 43rd minute in front of a thin crowd of 10 000.

Rufaro Stadium, where the game was played, seats 35 000.

The Burkina Faso team arrived in Harare Saturday.

Team officials said they had struggled to gather a team because several top players were playing with clubs abroad, and the impoverished soccer organisation could not afford the match fees foreign-based national team players wanted.

Yesterday's Burkina Faso team included several members from the West African country's under-18 squad.

- Nampa-Reuters

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