JOHANNESBURG RIOTS supporters shamed Senegal this weekend as a 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Ivory Coast was abandoned late in the second half.
Fires were lit using waste within the 60,000-seater Stade Leopold Senghor in Dakar and stones, chairs and bottles hurled on the pitch while players, coaches, officials and visiting fans centrecircle coverage sought.
The fuse that anger at Senegalese signatories lit was a penalty converted by Ivory Coast Captain Didier Drogba 15 minutes from the time that gave the top ranked African nation a 2-0 lead on the night and a 6-2 aggregate advantage.
China-based Drogba, the older generation of Ivorian footballers in a ' Golden pursuit of the elusive Cup of Nations winners ' medals, also scored the opener hit a powerful free kick shortly after half time. After a 40 minute delay while security officials struggled to recover from the rest, the game was discontinued and the Ivory Coast are sure to be crowned with the band and a place on the tournament Cup of Nations in South Africa next January and February.
Confederation of African Football (CAF) officials made no immediate comment on the violence, but Senegal are definitely facing severe punishment with a number of options available.
These include forcing Senegal League games outside the country for a certain period and the ban on the country from some of the qualifiers for the premier African football tournament.
The disgraceful scenes in Dakar overshadowed a dramatic weekend of action with defending champions Zambia, Ghana, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria and Tunisia securing places with another eight up for grabs later Sunday.
Morocco scored twice in the minutes of the conclusion by Youssef el Arabi and Nordin Amrabat before a sell-out 45,000 Marrakech crowd to thrash 10-man Mozambique 4-0 and memories of a shock two-goal first leg loss exiled.
Promising Spainbased midfielder Abdelaziz Berrada broke the deadlock before half-time and Mozambique had Almiro Lobo Red Carded after conceding a penalty, which converted to the level of the Kharja Hocine teams draw on aggregate.
It took a 20-Kampala to separate from Zambia and Uganda on penalties with the visitors 9-8 to win when Patrick Ochan missed. The home team won the return match 1-0 through a Geoffrey Mass goal.
Ghana traveled to Malawi sitting on a two-goal cushion and the only purpose in Lilongwe snatched after only three minutes when end call up Afriyie Acquah his first international goal in his first start for the Black Stars scored.
Nigeria, one of several shock absentees from the 2012 Cup of Nations, is a ticket to Johannesburg in style by whipping Liberia 6-1 in Calabar with Chelsea teammates Victor Moses (two) and John Obi Mikel (a) made under the objectives.
Mali were equally impressive as a heavily weakened team prevailed 4-1 in Botswana to complete a total victory 7-1.
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