July 2001 Sport News Headlines

PORT HARCOURT - Nigeria claimed the fifth and final African region spot for the 2002 World Cup finals, beating Ghana 3-0 yesterday to join Cameroon, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia in next summer's tournament.

The five African teams join hosts South Korea and Japan and defending champion France in the finals.

Twenty-four more teams will also qualify, with 13 or 14 coming from Europe, four or five from South America, three from North America and the Caribbean, two or three from Asia and zero or one from Oceania.

Victor Agali scored the game-winning goal in just the first minute of the match, heading in a free kick from Austin Okocha to put the Super Eagles on their way to victory.

Tijani Babangida followed with two more first-half goals, scoring in the 18th and 33rd minutes.

Nigeria won Group B with 16 points, one more than Liberia, which was hoping for a Nigeria loss or draw to give the West African nation its first World Cup final berth.

Ghana is in third place in the group with 11 points, followed by Sudan with nine points and Sierra Leone with four.

In Tripoli on Friday, Libya managed a two-goal first-half lead, but Zambia struck back with four unanswered goals in the second half as the visitors won 4-2 in a meaningless African World Cup qualifying match.

Rather than it's first team, Libya fielded its Olympic team at the Athletic City Stadium.

Libya finished it's World Cup qualifying campaign in last place in Group A with just two points from eight matches.

Zambia will likely finish in third place with 11 points.

Cameroon has already clinched a World Cup berth by winning Group A.

Angola and Togo are also in the group.

On Saturday, Richard Choruma scored in the 78th minute as Zimbabwe beat Malawi 1-0 in a meaningless African World Cup soccer match.

Malawi had a goal by Wilfred Nyalugwe disallowed, disappointing the 35 000 fans.

Both team used reserve sides as Malawi was missing the services of at least seven regulars, including South Africa-based Patrick Mabedi, who scored the game-winning goal from the penalty spot against South Africa's Bafana Bafana in the Flames historic 1-0 win last week."

We know Malawians are still celebrating the Bafana team and would be disappointed by today's loss, but we were practising," Malawi's Danish coach Kim Splidsboel said.

Zimbabwe was also missing five of its professional players, including the deadly Mugeyi brothers.

Malawi meets Zimbabwe again in Blantyre on August 25 in a Cosafa semifinal match.

Zimbabwe finishes it's World Cup qualifying campaign in second place with 12 points in Group E while Malawi is last in the group with just one point.

South Africa has already clinched a World Cup berth by winning Group E. - Nampa-Sapa-AP

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