Former World Cup qualifiers Togo scraped into the second phase of the 2014 African elimination competition with a 1-0 win over Guinea Bissau in Lome on Tuesday.
A “Sparrow Hawks” team boosted by the return of star striker Emmanuel Adebayor could not have wished for a better start after a drawn first leg on Friday as Serge Gakpe scored in the second minute.
Gakpe also netted in the 1-1 Bissau stalemate and the visitors must have feared the worst having conceded three goals on a previous World Cup visit to Togo 11 years ago.
However, gangling Adebayor could not score to complete a fairytale return from the international wilderness.
He quit playing for his country after the squad was ambushed entering Angola from Congo Brazzaville ahead of last year’s Africa Cup of Nations, with an official and a coach killed and a reserve goalkeeper seriously injured.
Having received assurances last week from officials that his security concerns would be addressed, Adebayor said he was available.
Former France star Didier Six will hope that clinching a place in Group I with Cameroon, Libya and the Democratic Republic of the Congo can secure him a permanent contract to coach Togo.
Six, a 57-year-old with limited coaching experience, helped hosts France win the 1984 European championship and his club career included spells at Aston Villa, VfB Stuttgart and Galatasaray.
DR Congo, who in 1974 became the first sub-Saharan African country to play at the World Cup, advanced with much greater ease than Togo as they swamped minnows Swaziland 5-1 in Kinshasa after leading by two goals from the first leg.
Mabi Mputu, a recent returnee after a 12-month ban for chasing and kicking a referee, and Kaluyituka Dioko bagged a brace each, while Ilunga Diba also scored for the Leopards.
Tanzania and Lesotho won the closest encounters of a round involving the lower-ranked teams on the continent, with the top 28 receiving byes into the mini-league second phase.
An early second-half goal from Mahamat Labo earned Chad a shock 1-0 victory over Tanzania in Dar es Salaam, but the Taifa Stars squeezed through on away goals after winning 2-1 in N’Djamena.
Burundi snatched a 2-1 win over Lesotho in Bujumbura when Yamin Ndikumana converted an 88th--minute penalty after Bokang Mothoana gave the visitors a first-half lead, swiftly canceled by Cedric Amissi.
Lesotho also advanced on away goals and enter one of the toughest second-round groups against 2010 World Cup quarter-finalists Ghana and 2012 Cup of Nations qualifiers Zambia and Sudan.
Kenya, Namibia, Mozambique, Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda and Congo Brazzaville also advanced.
Inter on Sunday were given a letoff when they snatched a late 1-1 derby draw with AC Milan, while league leaders SSC Napoli were held by a late goal at AS Roma. Reigning champions Inter remain three points behind Napoli, who looked to be heading five clear as they led in Rome until Angelino volleyed in a stunning leveler in the first minute of stoppage-time. Angelino’s strike gave even more significance to Stefan de Vrij’s last-gasp equalizer at the San Siro. The defender forced home Nicola Zalewski’s knockdown just as it looked like Tijjani Reijnders’ opener would be enough for Milan. “I can
Santiago Castro on Tuesday had an immediate impact off the bench as he scored the goal to send Bologna into the Coppa Italia semi-finals for the first time in 26 years. Bologna won 1-0 against last year’s runners-up, Atalanta BC, and are to play either holders Juventus or Empoli in the final four. Juventus are to host Empoli in their quarter-final on Feb. 26. The last time Bologna reached the semi-finals was in 1999, when they lost 4-2 to ACF Fiorentina. There were chances for both sides in a high-tempo match in Bergamo, but it was Bologna who broke the deadlock 10 minutes from
After nearly six years away from the NBA, New Taipei Kings player Jeremy Lin (林書豪) is set to participate in the 2025 NBA All-Star Weekend’s Rising Stars mini-tournament as the coach of Team G League. The NBA announced Monday (U.S. time) that the Taiwanese-American player will join a trio of Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famers – Tim Hardaway Sr., Chris Mullin, and Mitch Richmond – as honorary coaches for four teams featuring 28 rising talents. "See you soon in the Bay," Lin wrote in an Instagram story sharing the news. As the All-Star Weekend will take place at
The former interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani on Thursday was sentenced to nearly five years in prison for bank and tax fraud after he stole nearly US$17 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers player’s bank account. Ippei Mizuhara, who was supposed to bridge the gap between the Japanese athlete and his English-speaking teammates and fans, was sentenced in federal court in Santa Ana to four years and nine months after pleading guilty last year. He was ordered to pay US$18 million in restitution, with nearly US$17 million going to Ohtani and the remainder to the US Internal Revenue Service. He was
RSS