adminThe failure to take all three points in Ndola saw Ghana going to the top of Group D after they beat Lesotho 2-0 in Maseru yesterday.
Ghana are now leading Group D with 12 points, Zambia are second with 11 while Sudan and Lesotho have two pioints each.
The Black Stars only need a draw against Zambia in September to advance to the final qualifying round.
On Saturday, Zambia opened the scoring after 70 minutes through Jacob Mulenga but Malik Mohammed replied two minutes later.
The destiny of the group will now be determined when Ghana host Zambia in the final weekend of group qualifying in September.
However, Zambia coach Herve Renard knows his side complicated their World Cup mission against the Sudanese.
“We are at this moment very frustrated,” he said after the match on Saturday.
“We did not show enough that we wanted to beat them in the first half and it was a bit better in the second half.
“We conceded one stupid corner and made one mistake during the game, then at the end it is 1-1 so we are unfortunate for that. It is our fault though.
“We do not have any excuse. We failed when we drew 1-1.”
Ghana, meanwhile, wrestled Group D of the 2014 World Cup qualifying in Africa from Zambia after finishing Lesotho 2-0 down south in Maseru yesterday.
FC Porto star Christian Atsu gave the West Africans the lead just before the break, and skipper Asamoah Gyan sealed the victory with his 35th international goal 15 minutes from time.
The win sees the Black Stars seize top spot in the group with 12 points, one more than Zambia who drew with Sudan in Ndola on Saturday.
Ghana just need a point from their final game against the Chipolopolo in September to win the group and qualify for the final play-offs.
Ten group winners from the second round will qualify for the play-offs where they will be drawn into five pairs, with the winners over two legs qualifying to represent the continent at the global showpiece next year.
Ghana boss Kwesi Appiah made three changes to the side that beat Sudan just over a week ago. He brought in Christian Atsu, Samuel Inkoom and Kwadwo Asamoah from the bench, this time, to start.
Lesotho dominated the first half while Ghana had control of large portions of the second.
Another talking point was Sulley Muntari’s unhappiness at being subbed in the later stages of the game, when he was clearly having a good run. Agyemang-Badu came on for the Milan ace.
He had earlier been lucky when a rash challenge was not spotted by Burundian ref Thierry Nkurunziza. He could have been sent off.
A powerful header from Christian Atsu settled the nerves of the Stars after an incessant period of Lesotho pressure.
The second half saw Ghana play better, with flank play from Kwadwo Asamoah more pronounced. Muntari was also pushed into a deeper role as Ghana move into a 4-3-2-1.
Gyan tried to hit a few good balls from range, as he had done in the first half, but the Lesotho goalie was up to the task. But Lesotho were hurt as ‘keeper Mohau Kuenane had to be subbed for a slight injury. Phasumane Kholuoe replaced him.
Dominic Adiyiah came on later for the rather quiet Boakye-Yiadom, as did Badu and Rashid Sumaila at the very end.
The win means that Ghana have never lost against the Basotho in six outings.
Meanwhile, Yaya Toure scored a brace in Cote d’lvoire’s 4-2 victory over Tanzania in a 2014 World Cup qualifier in Dar es Salam yesterday, a result which puts the Elephants into the final phase.
The hosts took the lead two minutes into the game with Amri Kiemba scoring, but the visitors equalised 11 minutes later through Lacina Traore.
On 35 minutes Toure made it 2-1 with a hard strike past Juma Kaseja. After tight marking of Mbwana Samata, his teammate at TP Mazembe Thomas Ulimwengu made no mistake, making it 2-2 on 35 minutes.
As the game seemed destined for a 2-2 draw after the first half, Ivory Coast got a penalty after Giovani was brought down. Toure made no mistake, sending the Tanzanian goalkeeper the wrong way.
The visitors came back hungry for more goals in the second half, dominating play. The hosts also pushed forward with good home support, but to no avail.
Substitute Winfred Bony netted late after three minutes of added time had been showed to give Ivory Coast a 4-2 victory.
Egypt also secured their place in the knockout stage of the 2014 Fifa World Cup qualifiers when they defeated Mozambique 1-0 at the Estadio da Machava in Maputo yesterday afternoon.
Mohamed Salah scored the only goal of the match in the 40th minute to help the Pharaohs maintain their perfect record of five consecutive wins.
The FC Basle continued with his impressive scoring form after netting a hat-trick against Zimbabwe last weekend.
The result leaves Bob Bradley’s side at the top of the table with 15 points, eight points ahead of Guinea, who played their fifth fixture against Zimbabwe last night.
Egypt are looking to return to the World Cup for the first time since 1990 after failing to qualify for the last four editions.
Their final group match will be at home against Guinea in September.
Elsewhere, Botswana won their first match in Group A when beating Central African Republic 3-2 on home soil in a clash that was high on drama but which has little impact on the table.
Playing in the south-eastern city Lobatse, Central African Republic made the brighter start as Nicaise Ozingoni fired home after 33 minutes.
The advantage only lasted eight minutes however as Jerome Ramatlhakwane levelled the scores from the penalty spot moments after Ali Calvin Tolmbaye was dismissed for the visitors.
Despite being down to ten men, Central African Republic regained the lead when Ozingoni grabbed his second of the game five minutes into the second half.
As Botswana struggled to find a way through, it looked as though the visitors might hold on for their first ever away win in World Cup qualifying – which would have come against the only team they have ever beaten in the competition.
Such hopes were shattered though when Mogakolodi Ngele equalised for the hosts after 74 minutes, before Ofentse Nato struck a winner just four minutes from time.
Botswana climb off the bottom of Group A, with their four points now one better than CAR.
Togo were, meanwhile, eliminated from World Cup qualifying by Libya as the hosts won 2-0 in Tripoli on Friday to extend their lead at the top of Group I.
The victory takes the Libyans to nine points, three more than a Cameroon side who played in DR Congo yesterday.
A penalty from Faisal Saleh after seven minutes, followed by an own goal from Komlan Amewou 11 minutes later, condemned the Togolese to defeat. The 2006 World Cup qualifiers have four points but just one match left. The West Africans’ preparations for the match were overshadowed by a desire to move the fixture to a neutral venue after at least 30 people died in clashes on the streets of Benghazi last weekend.
The eastern city was originally intended to host the match but although Fifa switched the match to the capital, the world governing body denied Togo’s request to take the match outside of Libya.
Two players – Alaixys Romao and Jonathan Ayite – withdrew from the squad, citing both security concerns and a desire to avoid a similar scenario to the tragic attack on the Togolese ahead of the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations. Two members of the delegation died when ambushed by separatist rebels in the stage of Cabinda, with Romao saying he did not “want (his) family to live with stress again.” — BBC Sport.
Online Reporter