CAIRO: Egypt, Nigeria and Senegal kicked off the African Cup of Nations qualifying tournament with wins Saturday. Nigeria, which failed to qualify for the 2006 World Cup, beat neighbor Niger 2-0 while Senegal topped Mozambique 2-0 and Egypt downed Burundi 4-1. South Africa, which will host the next World Cup in 2010, and is soon to be coached by former Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira, was held to a 0-0 draw by visiting Republic of Congo. Also Saturday, it was: Gabon 4, Madagascar 0; Mauritania 4, Botswana 0; Uganda 3, Lesotho 0; Kenya 1, Eritrea 2; Tanzania 2, Burkina Faso 1; and Morocco 2, Malawi 0. Forty-six teams have been divided into 12 groups. Each group winner and the best three runners-up from groups with four teams advance to join host Ghana in the final tournament in 2008. Egypt scored three goals in the first half of its match against Burundi. Mohammed Zidan scored the first goal in the fifth minute, and Hasan Abed Rabbu added another in the 28th. Mohammed Abu Zakariyah made it 3-0 for the defending champions in the 39th. Ahmad Hasan then scored from the penalty spot in the 52nd, but Burundi got its own spot kick in the 79th to make it 4-1. The Egyptian team wore black armbands for defender Mohammed Abdel Wahab, who died of a heart attack Thursday after collapsing on the field while practicing with his club Al Ahli. The 23-year-old defender had helped Egypt win its fifth African Cup of Nations title earlier this year. Yakubu Aiyegbeni and Christian Obodo scored a goal each for host Nigeria in Group 3. Aiyegbeni scored the opening goal in the 27th minute, but the Super Eagles didn t do much else in the first half. Obodo added the second in the 60th. Nigeria midfielder Mikel John Obi and striker Nwankwo Kanu came on as substitutes in the second half. Niger finished the match with 10 men after Osaze Odemwingie was red-carded for a foul. In the other Group 3 match, Geoffrey Massa scored two goals and David Obua added the other for host Uganda. Guirane Ndao scored for Senegal in the 61st minute, after Mozambique defender Fernando Paulo Matola had put Senegal in the lead in the 32nd with an own-goal. Ndao scored with a free kick from outside the penalty box. Matola inadvertently knocked a corner kick past his own goalkeeper. South Africa, playing under coach Pitso Mosimane until Parreira takes over, dominated its Group 11 opponent throughout. Congo only had two shots on goal, in the 80th and 81st minutes. The hosts had occasional opportunities but never looked likely to score against an organized defense. The best opportunity fell to Dillon Sheppard in the 53rd minute, but his long-range shot was saved Parreira led Brazil to its fourth World Cup title in 1994. Marouane Chamakh and Mbarek Boussoufa each scored for Morocco in its win over Malawi. Chamakh scored in the 53rd minute with his 10th goal in 31 international matches, and Boussoufa added the second in the 76th. Agencies.
