Senegal book World Cup ticket
Senegal sealed a return to the FIFA World Cup™ for the first time since their 2002 debut thanks to a 2-0 win over South Africa in World Cup qualifying African Group D.
Diafra Sakho scored the opener for the visitors in Polokwane, before a somewhat fortuitous Thamsanqa Mkhize own goal sealed the three points for the Lions of Teranga. The visitors are now five points ahead of nearest Group D challengers Burkina Faso with one game remaining.
Senegal stunned the world by beating World Cup holders France in their first ever game at the global finals in 2002, and if they are to produce performances to match that at Russia 2018, it is likely that Liverpool's Sadio Mane will be the catalyst.
Unsurprisingly, Mane was integral to the victory that booked their World Cup return, with a wonderfully incisive through ball teeing up Sakho for the opener, while he was involved in the tangle of bodies that led to the second.
2010 World Cup hosts South Africa played their part - and even dominated possession for spells - in a lively match, with Lebogang Manyama hitting the crossbar, but the second goal just before half-time knocked the wind out of their sails.
Head coach Aliou Cisse was the Senegalese captain during their 2002 debut, which saw them follow up that remarkable opening win against France to reach the quarter-finals. The former midfielder will be hoping he can inspire them to achieve similarly superlative heights next year in Russia.
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Source: FIFA
Retrieved from: http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/y=2017/m=11/news=senegal-book-world-cup-ticket-2919432.html
Sweden 1-0 Italy: Jakob Johansson scores only goal of first leg
Sweden grabbed a slender advantage from the first leg of their World Cup play-off against Italy after winning 1-0 in Stockholm on Friday.
Jakob Johansson scored the only goal of the game in the 61st minute, a heavily-deflected shot that wrong-footed Gianluigi Buffon.
Italy had the better of the second half but the closest they came to an equaliser was when Matteo Darmian struck the post with an effort from 25 yards.
Player ratings
Sweden: Olsen (6), Krafth (7), Granqvist (7), Lindelof (8), Augustinsson (7), Claesson (7), Ekdal (7), Larsson (6), Forsberg (6), Berg (6), Toivonen (6)
Subs: Johansson (7), Thelin (5), Svensson (5)
Italy: Buffon (6), Barzagli (6), Bonucci (6), Chiellini (6), Darmian (7), Verratti (6), De Rossi (5), Parolo (5), Candreva (5), Immobile (4), Belotti (4)
Subs: Eder (5), Insigne (5)
Man of the match: Victor Lindelof
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And if Italy can't find more of a cutting edge than they did in Stockholm then they will be missing out on their first World Cup since 1958.
After Andrea Belotti headed narrowly wide in a frantic start, the visitors created little and didn't test Sweden goalkeeper Robin Olsen.
With Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Jose Mourinho watching in the stands, Ola Toivonen dragged an early shot past the post for the hosts while Emil Forsberg fired over with a first-time effort.
Despite having more possession, Italy were indebted to Buffon for saving from Marcus Berg and then diving to scoop clear the loose ball late in the first half.
Italy started on the front foot after half-time but fell behind when Johansson's shot took a deflection off a defender and beat Buffon.
Darmian almost levelled when he hit the post with a powerful strike from 25 yards, but otherwise Italy lacked ideas as they failed to break down a solid Sweden defence.
The two sides meet in Milan on Monday, with the winner advancing to the World Cup in Russia next summer.
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Source: SkySports
Retrieved from: http://www.skysports.com/football/sweden-vs-italy/385571
