adminJOHANNESBURG. — Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of Congo, Togo, Tunisia and Uganda on Sunday filled the final five 2017 African Cup of Nations places that were up for grabs.
They will join Algeria, Cameroon, Egypt, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Mali, Morocco, Senegal, Zimbabwe, all of whom qualified before the final round, and hosts Gabon at the tournament next January.
On a dramatic final day of qualifying, Togo scored five goals, DR Congo and Tunisia four each and Burkina Faso won with a goal nine minutes into stoppage time.
But no celebrations could match those of Uganda, whose last of five appearances at the African football show-piece was in 1978, when they finished runners-up to hosts Ghana.
Tunisia won Group A by trouncing Liberia 4-1 in Monastir with a Wahbi Khazri goal after only five minutes setting the tone.
Liberian Mark Paye cut the deficit to 2-1 on 71 minutes only for the Carthage Eagles to respond with two more goals in the following six minutes.
Togo hammered whipping boys Djibouti 5-0 in Lome in the same mini-league to claim one of two places reserved for the runners-up with the most points.
The Togolese shared second place in the runners-up standings with Benin and Ethiopia, but had a vastly superior goal difference. — AFP.
Online Reporter