Tanzania Crush Uganda To Qualify For AFCON In 39 Years

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania- Tanzania thumped rivals Uganda 3-0 in Dar es Salaam on Sunday to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals for the first time in 39 years.

Goals by Simon Msuva (21st minute), Erasto Nyoni (51st) and Aggrey Morris (57th) ensured Taifa Stars secured the needed victory to join Uganda Cranes who had already booked a berth for the continental showpiece to be staged in Cairo, Egypt on June 21 to July 19, 2019.

Uganda finished top of Group L standings with 13 points while Tanzania ended the qualifying process with eight. Lesotho, who drew 0-0 with Cape Verde on the day, finished third with six as the latter ended at the bottom with five.

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Elsewhere, defending champions Cameroon, Burundi, Guinea-Bissau and Namibia secured 2019 Africa Cup of Nations places on Saturday.

Cameroon needed a draw from a Group B clash with the Comoros in Yaounde, but overwhelmed the Indian Ocean islanders 3-0 with captain Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting among the goals.

Burundi were another side needing a point and they sealed a first Cup of Nations appearance by drawing 1-1 at home in Group C against Gabon, whose survival hopes rested on winning.

Namibia celebrated wildly despite a 4-1 Group K hammering in Zambia as they pipped Mozambique on head-to-head records for a place at the expanded 24-nation tournament.

Mozambique were poised to qualify when leading 2-1 in Guinea-Bissau entering stoppage time only to be undone by sloppy defending which allowed the home side to snatch a 2-2 draw.

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Egypt, Algeria, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, Tunisia and Uganda had qualified ahead of the final matchday this weekend.

Angola joined them Friday when they edged Botswana 1-0 to pip 2017 bronze medallists Burkina Faso for a Group I place.

After Paris Saint-Germain forward Choupo-Moting had given five-time champions Cameroon a half-time lead, Christian Bassogog and Clinton Njie netted in the second half.

Cameroon were the original 2019 hosts, which would have guaranteed them a place, but they fell behind with preparations and Egypt took over.

Cedric Amissi put Burundi ahead on 75 minutes only for Omar Ngandu to concede an own-goal soon after, creating a tense finish as Gabon sought a second goal and qualification.

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But the Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang-captained visitors could not unlock the Burundian defence in Bujumbura and bowed out two years after hosting the Cup of Nations.

Mozambique came from behind in Bissau to equalise through Stanley Ratifo and Nelson Divrassone thought his goal with one minute remaining would be the match winner.

But a Mozambican defender clumsily headed a Guinea-Bissau free-kick against his post and Frederic Mendy reacted quickest to tap in the rebound.

That left Namibia as possibly the happiest 4-1 losers in African football history as they finished level on points with Mozambique, who they beat home and away last October.

Ivory Coast, Ghana, Mali and Senegal won matches that had no bearing on qualification and Niger fought back to draw 1-1 with record seven-time African champions Egypt.

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