An own goal handed Ethiopia a spot in the second round (group phase) of the 2022 African World Cup qualifiers as they held Lesotho to a 1-1 draw in Maseru on Sunday to qualify via the away-goal rule. Lesotho's Nkau Lerotholi scored in his own net in the 50th minute to give the visitors a second-half advantage. Six minutes later Tsepo Seturumane, scored the equalizer for the hosts but they couldn't grab the winner despite their pressure. Ethiopia are the first team to qualify from this preliminary round. The preliminary round of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, which takes place from 4 to 10 September, includes 28 teams who play 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, which will be played over two legs. The five winners of those ties will represent Africa at the 2022 World Cup. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)
