Ivory Coast, Senegal edge closer to booking World Cup berths

CAPE TOWN :An avalanche of goals for the Ivory Coast and Senegal on Friday put both on the brink of World Cup qualification, which they can secure with home success in their last group matches next week to advance to next year’s finals in North America.

African champions Ivory Coast beat the Seychelles 7-0 away to stay one point ahead of Gabon in the Group F standings and they will qualify if they win their final game at home to Kenya on Tuesday.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored all four goals for Gabon, before being sent off, as they came from behind to beat the Gambia 4-3 in a thrill-a-minute affair in Nairobi that kept alive their hopes.

Senegal maintained their two-point advantage in Group B over the Democratic Republic of Congo as both teams won away from home in their penultimate fixtures.

Senegal beat South Sudan 5-0 in Juba while the Congolese recorded a 1-0 triumph in Togo. Senegal will qualify for a third successive World Cup if they beat neighbours Mauritania at home in Dakar on Tuesday.

Ismaila Sarr gave Senegal a 29th-minute lead as Iliman Ndiaye delivered a cross to the back post from the right flank and the Everton winger was also the provider for Sadio Mane to score early in the second half.

Sarr then scored his second goal while Nicolas Jackson and Pape Cherif Ndiaye also found the net.

Cedric Bakambu broke away after an interception in the seventh minute to win the game for DR Congo in Lome, moving them to 19 points, two behind Senegal.

The Congolese complete their campaign at home against Sudan on Tuesday and, should they fail to overhaul Senegal, will be aiming to finish as one of the best four runners-up from the nine qualifying groups to go into an African playoff in November.

That offers a chance to