2010 ACN /World Cup Qualifiers

Nigeria became the first side to make sure of a place in the final phase of the African qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup on Saturday.

The West Africans strode to a comfortable 2-0 win over Equatorial Guinea in Abuja to win Group Four with two more matches to go after South Africa and Sierra Leone drew 0-0 in Pretoria.

The victory kept up their winning run and elevated Nigeria to 12 points, out of the reach of the three other teams in the group.

Burkina Faso also kept up their 100 percent record in Group Nine, beating the Seychelles 4-1 in Ouagadougou and are almost certain to secure one of the 20 berths in the final phase of the qualifiers.

The 12 group winners and eight best placed runners-up advance from the first group phase, which will be completed in October.

Burkina Faso are not yet mathematically assured of top place in Group Nine after Tunisia beat Burundi 2-1 at home in Rades to stay three points adrift.

Issam Jomaa scored the winner in an uninspiring final match in charge for the veteran French coach Roger Lemerre, who departs after almost six years in charge and takes over as Morocco coach on 1 July.

He will inherit a Morocco side on top of Group Eight after they ended Rwanda's unbeaten run with a 2-0 home triumph in Casablanca.

Morocco lead the east African country on goal difference after a penalty from Youssef Safri and a debut international goal from Nabil El Zhar ensured a measure of revenge after Rwanda beat them 3-1 in Kigali last weekend.

Elsewhere, Samuel Eto'o grabbed a late winner to give Cameroon a 2-1 victory over Tanzania in their Group One game in Yaounde while Zambia needed a late minute penalty from captain Chris Katongo to beat Swaziland 1-0 in Chililabombwe for their first win in Group 11.

El Hadji Diouf scored for a second successive week to help Senegal beat Liberia 3-1 in Dakar to regain top place in Group Six, two points ahead of Algeria, who had beaten the Gambia 1-0 on Friday.

In Cairo, African champions Egypt took full revenge for their away loss to Malawi last week by defeating them 2-0 in the reverse fixture in Cairo on Sunday.

After losing to the Flames in the Group 12 match last week, the hosts bounced back in style with two goals from Emad Moteab.

The Egyptians now join DR Congo at the Group 12 summit, trailing only on goal difference.

DR Congo moved to the top of the group after strolling to an easy 5-1 win over Djibouti on Sunday.

Turkey-based striker Shabani Nonda grabbed a hat trick that helped the Simbas to the comfortable win in Kinshasa.

Ivory Coast confirmed themselves as the sole Group Seven leaders of the 2010 World Cup qualifiers after an emphatic 4-0 win over Botswana on Sunday.