Shortly before the continental cups kicked off in Europe, Oceania and the Americas, World Cup qualifiers were played in Africa, Asia and the Caribbeans.
In Africa Mauritania suffered a 2-0 defeat at home to Sudan while Ghana scored a last-minute 2-1 winner in Mali and South Sudan earned a 1-1 draw in Togo. Guinea, who had celebrated a 2-1 victory away to Algeria, lost 1-0 to a last-minute Mozambican penalty in Morocco while in South Africa, Lesotho put 2 past Zimbabwe and Rayan Raveloson scored both goals in Madagascar’s 2-1 win over Comoros. Vincent Aboubakar scored twice as Cameroon brushed their visitors from Cape Verde aside 4-1 while Benin upset Nigeria 2-1 in South Africa who were held to a goalless draw by Kenya in Malawi and Djibouti drew 1-1 with Ethiopia in Morocco.
In Asia Yemen, who had held their Bahraini hosts to a goalless draw, needed a stoppage-time goal to draw 2-2 with Nepal in Saudi Arabia and there were draws in Saudi Arabia where Qatar fired blanks against Afghanistan and in Oman where Kyrgyzstan picked up a 1-1 draw while Syria lost 1-0 to North Korea in Laos.
In the Caribbeans, Trinidad and Tobago could only draw 2-2 at home to Grenada for whom Myles Hippolyte netted twice while El Salvador failed to find the net against their visitor from Puerto Rico and Cayman Islands celebrated a 1-0 win at home to Antigua and Barbuda.
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