Johannesburg - Algeria are just one point away from qualifying for the World Cup finals in South Africa next year after securing a 3-1 victory at home against Rwanda on Sunday. With one game to go in the African qualifying campaign, the Desert Foxes have a three point lead over Egypt in Group C.
The Pharoahs, who won 1-0 in Zambia on Saturday, can still qualify for the finals if they beat their Northern African rivals by two- clear goals in Cairo in the final match in November.
A 2-0 victory for Egypt in that game would see both countries finishing with the same number of points, the same goal difference and the same number of goals scored. Egypt would then qualify by virtue of having scored one goal more away from home.
Algeria struggled at home in the Mustapha Tchaker Stadium in Blida more than was expected at first and fell behind in the 20th minute when Mafisango Mutesa scored for Rwanda.
It took the home side just two minutes to equalize though as Italian-based striker Abdelkader Ghezzal found an equalizer. There was more to cheer about for the home side as Portsmouth defender Nadir Belhadj gave the Algerians the lead in first-half injury time.
Although Algeria was attempting to do something for their goal difference in the second half, they had to wait until the eighth minute of injury time in the second half before Wolfsburg midfielder Karim Ziani converted a penalty to make the final score 3-1.
In Group B, Nigeria and Tunisia will take the race to South Africa down to the last game after both registering 1-0 victories in their penultimate matches.
Nigeria's Super Eagles needed a last-gasp goal from substitute Victor Obinna to beat a resilient Mozambique side 1-0, while Tunisia secured a 1-0 victory against Kenya.
In the National Stadium in Abuja, the home fans thought that their hopes of still qualifying for South Africa were all but gone when the Inter Milan striker, who is on loan to Spanish La Liga side Malaga, found the winner three minutes into injury time.
Tunisia had a much easier game as Lens player Issam Jomaa opened the scoring in the first minute. Although it was to remain the only goal of the game, it kept the North Africans in the driving seat for first place in the group.
Ahead of the final game in November, Tunisia, who are away to Mozambique in their last game, lead the group with 11 points from Nigeria, who have to travel to Kenya, who have nine.
Already qualified Ghana slumped to their first defeat in Group D on Sunday as they were beaten 1-0 in Cotonou by Benin, for whom Mohammed Aoudou scored in injury time.
The result keeps the Black Stars on 12 points, while Benin are third in the group on seven points - one less than Mali, who beat Sudan 1-0 through Fredric Kanoute's 89th minute goal.
Sudan ended the game with nine men after Saaed Balla and Amin Sami were sent off.
In another match on Sunday Burkina Faso managed a 2-1 victory against Guinea in Group E, where the Ivory Coast on Saturday became the third African side to qualify for the finals after the hosts South Africa and Ghana after securing the point they needed in a 1-1 draw in Blantyre against Malawi.
Cameroon also took a giant step toward South Africa with a 3-0 victory against Togo on Saturday. The win sees the Indomitable Lions on 10 points in Group A, one more than second-placed Gabon.
The five group winners qualify for the World Cup finals, while the top three from each group qualify for the finals of next year's African Nations Cup in Angola.
