Teary: A Taifa Stars fan reacts after Algeria scored the equaliser during their 2018 World Cup first leg qualifying match at the National Stadium yesterday. They drew 2-2. More pictures on page 39. PHOTO |OMAR FUNGO.
What you need to know:
Elias Maguli put the host ahead in the 44th minute with TP Mazembe hot-shot Mbwana Samatta doubling Taifa Stars lead after the break with a goal in the 55th minute.
Dar es Salaam. Taifa Stars missed a chance to take a giant lead into the second leg of the 2018 World Cup qualifier after playing out a 2-2 draw against Algeria at the National Stadium yesterday.
Elias Maguli put the host ahead in the 44th minute with TP Mazembe hot-shot Mbwana Samatta doubling Taifa Stars lead after the break with a goal in the 55th minute.
However, Islam Slimani had other ideas preventing his team from falling to a humiliating defeat to a country lying 109 places below them in the Fifa rankings.
He pulled one back in the 72nd minute, and made it 2-2 three minutes later. The Charles Mkwasa-coached team will now have to record a win in Algiers on Tuesday or force a 3-3 draw to sail through to the group stage of the qualifiers for the finals, which will be held in Russia.
Considering Stars history when playing in North African countries, the odds are heavily stacked against them, for they have never won a game there. The home side dominated Algeria for long spells of the game and had several clear-cut chances to further increase that lead but poor precision in the area cost them.
Samatta, who is currently among the continent’s top strikers, went too close to opening the scoring as early as in the second minute when he missed a sitter.
His TP Mazembe strike partner Thomas Ulimwengu delivered a fine pass in the Algeria box, but Samatta with the goalkeeper at his mercy could not score. Stars continued to dictate the pace of the game with Algeria employing a defensive strategy, but Maguli, the leading striker in the domestic league lately, repaid Mkwasa’s faith in him with a powerful header that gave the Algerian goalie no chance.
Enjoying a boisterous support from the stands, Stars doubled their advantage in the 55th minute through Samatta who outwitted Algeria defenders. After the goal, Stars looked more likely to add a third, but after substitutions from both sides, the home team conceded in the 72nd minute and before they regrouped, Slimani salvaged a point for Algeria.
In other matches, Congo Brazzaville also came from behind to defeat Ethiopia 4-3 in the first leg of their World Cup qualifier in Addis Ababa.
Getaneh Kebede put the hosts into the lead in the 41st minute only for Thievy Bifouma to hit an equalizer three minutes later. Fabrice N’Guessi Ondama made it 2-1 to the guest after the break, scoring in the 63rd minute.
The Congolese seemed to be racing away with a big victory, with Delvin N’Dinga making it 3-1 after 75 minutes, and then Hardy Binguila adding another for the visitors six minutes later, to make it 4-1.
But Ethiopia almost secured an unlikely draw with a late comeback. First Dawit Fikadu scored in the 82nd minute to take the scoreline to 4-2, and then Shimeles Bekele Godo make it 4-3 with a goal deep into stoppage time. Congo held on for a 4-3 victory, and will take that advantage back to Brazzaville when they host Ethiopia in the second leg.
