Cameroon have failed to
qualify for the African Nations
Cup for the second successive
time after Cape Verde won
their play-off tie on Sunday.
- Sat: Riot hits Senegal
qualifier
Cape Verde held a 2-0 lead
going into the second leg in
Yaounde and took a huge
stride towards the finals in
South Africa, which begin in
January, when Heldon Nhuck
scored in the 12th minute to
provide a vital away goal.
That left Cameroon needing to
find four goals without reply,
and while Achille Emana levelled
the game on the night in the
22nd minute the Indomitable
Lions had to wait until four
minutes into stoppage time for
Mohammadou Idrissou to score
a second.
Four-times ANC champions
Cameroon won the match 2-1,
but Cape Verde were
victorious 3-2 on aggregate
and will compete at the African
Nations Cup finals for the first
time in their history.
Six years ago Cameroon were
ranked by FIFA as the 11th
best nation in world football,
today they have slumped to
their lowest-ever ranking of
71st. Cape Verde had already
climbed to an all-time high of
51st even before reaching
South Africa 2013.
Burkina Faso qualified thanks
to a dramatic 96th minute goal
from Alain Traore, earning a
3-1 win on the night, and 3-2
on aggregate, over Central
African Republic.
David Manga put Central
African Republic in front after
seven minutes in Ouagadougou,
and although Traore and a
Moumouni Dagano penalty
brought the tie level it was
Manga's away goal which
seemed set to prove the
difference.
But Traore had other ideas as
he scored deep into stoppage
time to deny the Wild Beasts,
ranked 49th in the world,
their first appearance at the
African Nations Cup.
Emmanuel Adebayor scored to
help ensure Togo will be at the
finals for the first time in
seven years after 3-2
aggregate win over Gabon.
Togo, who withdrew from the
2010 finals after their team
coach was attacked by
gunmen, drew the away leg
1-1 last month in which
Adebayor also scored.
Dove Wome and Adebayor put
Togo in control with a goal in
each half but they faced a
nervous last ten minutes when
Daniel Cousin pulled a goal
back. Togo held out to make it
to South Africa.
Two goals in the first seven
minutes from former
Manchester United striker
Manucho proved enough to
put Angola though on the
away goals rule against
Zimbabwe. The score was 3-3
on aggregate, meaning Djalma
Campos' goal in Harare last
month decided the tie.
Any hopes Libya had of
recovering from a 1-0 home
loss at the hands of Algeria
soon evaporated in Blida. El
Arbi Hillel Soudani put Algeria in
front on six minutes and
moments later Islam Slimani
doubled the lead. That put
Algeria 3-0 up on aggregate
and it was the end of the
scoring.
An 85th minute goal from
Issoufou Boubacar Garba
earned Niger a 2-1 aggregate
success over Guinea. Trailing
1-0 from the first leg, Chikoto
Mohamed levelled matters for
the Mena in the 74th minute
before the late goal completed
the turnaround.
It means Niger will be at their
second successive finals having
never qualified prior to 2012,
and are the lowest ranked
qualifiers at 137.
Ethiopia had to rely on the
away goals rule to oust Sudan.
After two late goals gave
Sudan a 5-3 edge last month,
Ethiopia had to wait for two
second half goals in the space
of three minutes from Adane
Girma and Saladin Said to level
the tie at 5-5, and they held
on in Addis Ababa.
Democratic Republic of Congo
completed the formalities of
their tie against Equatorial
Guinea. After winning the first
leg 4-0, they lost 2-1 in
Malabo but still advance 5-2
on aggregate. Javier Balboa
and Ben Konaté gave the
home side hope but as soon as
Trésor Mputu pulled one
back, claiming an away goal,
the tie was effectively over.
DR Congo were last at the
finals in 2006.
On Saturday, Ghana, Ivory
Coast (TBC), Mali, Morocco,
Nigeria, Tunisia and Zambia
qualified for South Africa 2013.

Game of football has changed and many African countries don't know it, is no longer about big names. Nigeria has started realizing, Cameroon is yet-sad