2010 World/Africa Cup qualifiers

Friday

Mauritania  0-1   Ethiopia

Yesterday

Rwanda      3-1   Morocco

Rwanda’s Amavubi Stars continued their impressive form by defeating Morocco 3-1 in group eight of the 2010 World/Africa Cup qualifiers played yesterday at Nyamirambo stadium.

Rwanda’s Amavubi Stars took the lead on the 14th minute when Said Abedi Makasi headed home a Patrick Mafisango free kick from the right flank to set the stadium alight whose crowd included His Excellency President Paul Kagame.

Labama Bokota Kamana extended the lead on 68th minute before Youssef Nasri scored from the free kick to give the Atlas Lions some hope of an equalizer on the 72nd minute.

However Amavubi’s captain Olivier Karekezi sealed Morocco’s fate with a 94th minute strike putting the game beyond the visitors’ reach. 

The game which was expected to end in Morocco’s favour according to the many prophets of doom saw Tucak Blanko’s team displaying sleek football thus dominating and securing maximum points to take over from Morocco as group eight leaders with nine points.

Amavubi Stars would have won the game by a bigger margin if the strikers had taken all the chances that where put to them.

Karekezi was the main culprit when he failed to slot home two clear cut chances that came his way in the first half. Though the visitors played their usual flowing game, the Wasps were determined to bag maximum points from the African giants with some impressive performance.

Jean-Claude Ndoli in goal for Rwanda denied Morocco a goal when he saved Abdessalam Benjelloun’s repeat penalty which initially had gone into the net on the 32nd minute.

Aloua Gaseruka brought down Youssef Nasri in the penalty area, a feat which the Cameroonian referee never hesitated to award a penalty for the visitors.

However, the visitors’ grabbed second half consolation from Nasri’s well taken free kick which left Ndoli stationed. Meanwhile, Rwanda’s Eric Gasana and Morocco’s Souffiane Alloudi were red carded for intended tackles.

Gasana hit out at Alloudi as the latter had stretched with an open boot forcing the centre referee Divine Evehe to send the duo off. A victory for Rwanda took them to the top of group eight standings with nine points from three fixtures played so far.

Morocco settles for second position with six points while Ethiopia comes third with three points after winning away in Mauritania 1-0 on Friday.

Mauritania remains at the foot of the group’s standings with no point.

Rwanda continues her hunt for a 2010 World/Africa Cup spot with a return leg away to Morocco in Casablanca next Sunday.

Elsewhere in the region, Uganda Cranes hammered Angola 3-1 in Kampala while Kenya defeated Zimbabwe 2-0 in Nairobi.

Ends