admin
last-minute goal from Guinea saw them draw their final qualifier 2-2 on Saturday.
Against the run of play, Ismael Bangoura gave Guinea the lead in the second half but Victor Obinna levelled.
Nigeria then went ahead as substitute Ike Uche scored, but Ibrahim Diallo struck with seconds remaining to knock out the Super Eagles who join African giants Cameroon and Egypt in failing to make it to the tournament hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.
“We want to apologise to all Nigerians. We have not qualified for the Nations Cup and we take responsibility as a team,” coach Samson Siasia said. “We did our best, we dominated the game, we created chances, but we failed to take our chances and we gave up a last minute goal.
“We understand the frustration of the fans because they love their team so much. But sometimes, football can be cruel.”
South Africa suffered heartbreak after thinking they were through following a 0-0 draw with Sierra Leone.
Bafana Bafana celebrated at the end of the game as Niger lost 3-0 to Egypt, but the record in Group G favoured Niger and they progress to the finals for the first time.
Egypt, the winners of the Nations Cup, were already out having lost three of their six games, but the other three teams finished on nine points each.
Instead of head-to-head record (which would have seen South Africa through), Caf used a mini-league between the three of them, of which Niger came top.
Meanwhile, Ghana maintained their unbeaten record in qualifying to finish three points ahead of opponents Sudan and claim top spot in Group I.
Al Ain striker Asamoah Gyan opened the scoring early on, before skipper John Mensah doubled the lead in the 21st minute to finish the game off.
Midfielder Isaac Vorsah was sent off for an off-the-ball incident after the break, but 10-man the Black Stars held on to record a 2-0 victory and seal their progress.
Tunisia had to rely on a huge stroke of luck, but qualified behind Botswana as they beat 10-man Togo 2-0 and Chad grabbed a last-minute 2-2 draw with Malawi.
Goals from Walid Hichri and Saber Khelifa gave the Carthage Eagles the best chance of making it to the finals – in a group that has two guaranteed qualifiers thanks to having five teams – but it was a last-gasp equaliser from Chad in N’Djamena that saw them progress.
Zimbabwe would have caused an upset to qualify if they have not lost 2-1 to Cape Verde.
Two quickfire goals saw the end of their hopes, despite Knowledge Musona’s late strike, but it was even worse as Mali were held 2-2 by Liberia.
The Warriors had needed group leaders Mali not to win and they will now rue their missed opportunity.
Angola made sure of their place as they beat Guinea-Bissau 2-0 thanks to goals from Manucho and Mateus.
However, they also needed to better the result of Uganda, which they did as the Ugandans were held to a 0-0 draw by Kenya in Kampala.
Zambia also sealed their place at the finals despite being held to a 0-0 draw by Libya in Chingola.
Libya needed to rely on their defensive efforts to keep the tie goalless, with 39-year-old goalkeeper Samir Aboud in excellent form, while Zambia also hit the woodwork twice.
A point was enough for Zambia though, while their North African rivals also go through as one of the best runners-up.
A number of games had no impact on qualifying, as the teams involved were already unable to seal a place in the final tournament. Mozambique beat minnows Comoros 3-0, while Ethiopia coach Tom Saintfiet picked up his first win for the country – 4-2 over Madagascar. Swaziland and Congo also played out a 0-0 draw.
In the last game of the day, Burkina Faso scored a late goal to draw 1-1 with Gambia in Banjul as they finished well on top of Group F, although doubt still hangs over their participation in the final tournament.
For the last automatic place, Algeria took on the Central African Republic yesterday, while Morocco also faced Tanzania in the same Group D.
Any one of the four teams could qualify, with Sudan also possible qualifiers as the second-best runners-up if the results fall their way.
Meanwhile, the South African Football Association has lodged an appeal with the Confederation of African Football regarding the outcome of qualification for the 2012 African Cup of Nations tournament to be held in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.
South Africa finished top of Group G on goal difference, followed by Sierra Leone and Niger – all tied on nine points, with Egypt in fourth place four points adrift.
But according to Caf rules, Bafana Bafana misses out while Niger proceeds to the finals next year. South Africa played to a goalless draw against Sierra Leone at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit, while Egypt defeated Niger 3-0.
In a letter addressed to Caf, Safa states: “We have noted that Caf has announced that Niger has qualified in our group, despite South Africa finishing on top of the group in terms of goal difference, which is the
universally recognised means of separating teams who are equal on points.
“We understand that you are using rule 14.1 to make your determination. However, we believe that the team finishing top of the log at the end of the competition is automatically determined at the end of 90 minutes play, and that the second place is determined by the other rules.
“We will lay out our objection more fully shortly, but in the meantime wish to signal that we intend to challenge this interpretation and application of the rules.”
Safa has taken legal opinion on the matter, and has found precedent where competition rules that are patently unfair have been overturned on appeal.
Addressing the team after the match, Safa president Kirsten Nematandani had this to say: “Do not despair, all is not lost. We believe we have a case and we will carry this fight all the way.
“If Caf’s rules are ambiguous then we need to challenge that and we are well within our rights to do so. In the meantime be positive, and leave everything in our hands.” – Soccernet.
Online Reporter