As Europe prepares to celebrate the 60th
anniversary of the Euros in the summer of 2020 with the competition spread
around the continent, the group stage reached its conclusion. Sweden received
their invitation to the party after a 2-0 victory in Romania while Eden Hazard
scored twice as Belgium cemented their superiority over Russia and top spot in
the football rankings brushing their hosts aside 4-1 in Saint Petersburg and the
Czechs ended their successful campaign with a disappointing 1-0 loss in
Bulgaria. Cristian Martinez scored twice for Andorra who enjoyed a rare point with
a 2-2 draw in Albania while France came from behind on home soil to get past
Moldova 2-1 thanks to a late penalty and Turkey drew blanks at home to Iceland.
Greece defeated their Armenian hosts 1-0 while Scotland picked up a 2-1 win in
Cyprus and Austria were stunned 1-0 in Latvia.
The World Cup qualifiers continued in Asia
where Suan Lam Mang scored twice for hosts Myanmar who got the better of
Tajikistan 4-3 for whom Manuchehr Dzalilov also netted twice, but the Tajikistanis
salvaged some pride with a 1-1 draw away to Kyrgyzstan days later. North Korea
were defeated 3-1 in Turkmenistan while Saudi Arabia were 3-2 winners in
Uzbekistan with the help of Salman Alfaraj and Thailand lost 2-1 in Malaysia.
Yemen had mixed fortunes in Bahrain where they beat Palestine 1-0 but lost 2-1
to Singapore 5 days later while Bahrain themselves drew 0-0 away to Hong Kong.
The shock of the month happened in the
Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers where Gambia triumphed 3-1 in Angola with
Assan Ceesay netting a brace for the visitors while Khama Billiat scored twice
as Zimbabwe won 2-1 in Zambia and Madagascar ran out 6-2 winners in Niger with Lalaïna
Nomenjanahary scoring a double for the Malagasy. Ethiopia celebrated a 2-1 win
over Ivory coast while Cameroon were held to a goalless draw at home to Cape
Verde and Morocco were 3-0 winners in Burundi. Togo were stunned 1-0 by their
visitors from Comoros before drawing 1-1 in Kenya while Guinea Bissau lost 3-0
in Congo and 10-man Sao Tome and Principe were beaten 4-0 in Sudan. Guinea drew
2-2 in Mali and in the CONCACAF Nations League the most noteworthy result was
the 1-0 defeat of Barbados to Saint Martin in Anguilla.