Adel Amrouche’s Tanzania One Point Away From AFCON, Rwanda Out

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 19 – Former Harambee Stars head coach Adel Amrouche is one point away from guiding Tanzania’s national team, Taifa Stars, to next year’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after edging out Niger 1-0 in Dar es Salaam on Sunday.

Simon Msuva scored the lone goal for Tanzania to cement their hold on second spot with seven points, three ahead of Uganda who were beaten 2-1 by already qualified Algeria in Douala.

The Tanzanians next face Algeria and if they pick a point, they will assure themselves of a place in Ivory Coast. Uganda must beat Niger by more than three goals in their final qualifier in September, and hope Tanzania lose by at least one goal for them to qualify.

At the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar, Msuva scored the winning goal for Amrouche’s side after 62 minutes when he tapped home from close range after Novatus Dismas did well on the left flank to cut in a low cross.

The Taifa Stars hang on till the final whistle, despite some pressure from Niger, who also needed a win to keep their qualification hopes alive.

Substitute Bochiba Koita came inches close to levelling at the death when he ran on to a low cross from the left, but was just a second late to tapping into an empty goalmouth.

Elsewhere in Douala, where Uganda are playing their home matches, a double from Mohamed El Amine Amoura gave Algeria their fifth straight victory in the qualifiers. Fahad Bayo scored Uganda’s consolation.

Amoura broke the deadlock three minutes to the break when he reacted fastest after Uganda keeper Salim Magoola spilled a shot from distance.

With a devastating counter attack, the Algerians made it 2-0 in the 66th minute when Amoura tapped home into an empty net off a Riyad Mahrez assist, the treble winner from Manchester City having just come on.

Uganda tried to find a response and they managed to halve the deficit in the 88th minute when Bayo tapped home from close range after Richard Basangwa had laboured on the right to slot in a low cross.

Meanwhile, Rwanda’s hopes of qualification have been dashed after they suffered a 2-0 home defeat to Mozambique. Rwanda went down to bottom of Group L with two points and no mathematical chance of second spot, now occupied by the Mozambicans with seven.

This article originally appeared on Capital News.

Photo: TFF.