Namibia and Mozambique got a first leg advantage after claiming away wins in the first leg of the World Cup African qualifiers on Wednesday. Mozambique defeated Mauritius 1-0 in Anjalay thanks to UD Songo winger Stelio Ernesto, who scored the winner in the ninth minute of the game. The win will make Mozambique's mission easier in the second leg, set to be played at home on the 10th of this month. Meanwhile, Namibia eased past Eritrea 2-1 in Asmara. The Brave Warriors have to avoid loss when they host the Eritreans in the second leg on Tuesday to advance to the next round. On the same day, Djibouti claimed a 2-1 narrow win at home over Eswatini in a tough clash. Mahdi Mahabeh opened the scoring for the hosts after converting a penalty 10 minutes before the break, but Fanelo Mamba levelled the score 20 minutes later. With 15 minutes remaining, Abdi Hamza scored the winner, giving his side a precious win. Earlier in the day, Ethiopia were held to a goalless draw at home by Lesotho. The Ethiopians will have a tough mission in the second leg scheduled on Sunday. Tanzania played out an exciting 1-1 away draw with Burundi to boost their chances before playing the second leg at home on Sunday. The first round of the World Cup qualifiers included 28 teams who played over two legs. The 14 winners will join the continent's top 26 teams in the second round as the 40 teams will be drawn into 10 groups of four. The 10 group winners will qualify for the final knockout round, played over two legs. The five winners of those ties will represent the continent in the 2022 World Cup. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)
