According to reports, fans started pushing and shoving to try to get into the stadium, and fans were crushed when a wall gave way 40 minutes before the start of the game.
The game drew a crowd of 35,000 Ivorian fans who came to watch European-based stars Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou, Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Eboue, among others. Ivory Coast won, 5-0.
Gabon created the biggest surprise on Day 1 of the final round of qualifying with a 2-1 win over Morocco in Casablanca. The loss was the first for the Lions of Atlas at home in a World Cup qualifier since 1981. In another Group A upset, Togo beat Cameroon, 1-0.
Group A
Togo 1 (Adebayor 11) Cameroon 0
Morocco 1 (al-Hamdaoui 84) Gabon 2 (Aubameyang 34, Meye 45)
Standings: Gabon, Togo 3 points; Morocco, Cameroon 0.
Group B
Kenya 1 (Oliech 69) Tunisia 2 (Jemal 6, Jomaa 71)
Mozambique 0 Nigeria 0
Standings: Tunisia 3 points; Mozambique, Nigeria 1; Kenya 0.
Group C
Rwanda 0 Algeria 0
Egypt 1 (Zaki 26) Zambia 1 (Kasonde 56)
Standings: Algeria, Rwanda, Egypt, Zambia 1 point.
Group D
Sudan 1 (al-Tahir 24) Mali 1 (Kanoute 20)
Ghana 1 (Tagoe 1) Benin 0.
Standings: Ghana 3 points; Mali, Sudan 1; Benin 0.
Group E
Burkina Faso 4 (Kere 22, Traore 29, Dagano pen. 54, 72) Guinea 2 (Feindouno pen. 67, Sylla 90)
Ivory Coast 5 (Koffi 1, Drogba pen. 6, 27, S.Kalou 59, B.Kone 71) Malawi 0
Standings: Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso 3 points; Guinea 0, Malawi.
No comments yet.
