- FIFA World Cup 2022 Qualifiers
- Group E: Mali 1-0 Rwanda
- Group H: Senegal 2-0 Togo
- Group I: Guinea Bissau 1-1 Guinea
Mali is top of Group E in the ongoing first phase of the 2021 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
This followed a slim 1-0 win over Rwanda Amavubi Stars at Stade d’Agadir in Morocco on Wednesday, September 1.
Adam Traore scored the all-important goal in the 19th minute of the game.
This happened after a miscommunication between defender Bryan Ngwabije and goalkeeper Emery Mvuyekure.
Mali missed the opportunity to double the scores after Yannick Mukunzi brought down Moussa Djénépo in the penalty area but Mvuyekure saved the resultant kick.
Amavubi played much better in the second half but failed to find the net after Mashami replaced Bryan Ngwabije with striker Lague Byiringiro.
Meanwhile, East African neighbors Uganda and Kenya face-off in the other Group E encounter at the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi on Thursday, 2nd September 2021.
Uganda Cranes will then host Mali on Monday, 6th September 2021 at the St Mary’s Stadium, Kitende.
Only one team from each group will qualify for the third round fixtures as forty national teams vying for ten available places.
Meanwhile, Senegal’s Téranga Lions secured a 2-0 victory over the Togo Hawks on Wednesday at the Lat-Dior stadium in Thiès city.
Sadio Mané and Abdou Diallo scored in the group H duel.
Elsewhere, the Djurtus of Guinea-Bissau and the Syli National of Guinea shared the spoils, 1 all in Group I in Mauritania since the 24-Setembro Estadio Nacional was not approved.
François Kamano’s 7th-minute opener for Guinea was neutralized by Joseph Mendes’ 46th-minute equalizer.