By Victor Kanayo
As countries jostle for places in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations tournament, Equatorial Guinea on Saturday stunned Tunisia 1-0 to pick their ticket.
The sweating victory scorched a disheartening evening for the African powerhouses.
It was the same day, South Africa subdued Morocco 2-1 in Johannesburg, a win that came after over 15 years of asking against the North Africans.
How Equatorial Guinea Scaled Through
Equatorial Guinea entered Saturday’s match requiring just a single point to secure their qualification for the AFCON which will be staged in Cote d’Ivoire between January and February 2023.
They joined Tunisia, who had already secured their place in the prestigious tournament.
South Africa vs Morocco battle
South Africa produced a captivating display to defeat Morocco.
The clash between these two qualified teams showcased the prowess of two African football giants.
Playing in front of their home crowd, South Africa took control of the game from the outset.
The Moroccans, perhaps fatigued after a demanding season that saw them reach the semi-final of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, struggled to impose their game against the resolute Bafana Bafana.
Same day, in the other Group J game played saw Botswana defeat Libya 1-0 at Francistown Stadium to give the home side their first win of the qualifying campaign.
The victory helped Botswana to leapfrog their opponents and move to third in the group but both sides have no chance of qualifying for the competition to be held in Cote d’Ivoire.