Minnows Namibia snatch victory and Nations Cup place

AFP - 8 September 2007 20:45

Uganda are on course for a first African Nations Cup appearance since 1978 after beating Niger 3-1 in Kampala Saturday. South Africa-based midfielder David Obua, seen here in action in March 2007, scored a hat-trick.

JOHANNESBURG (AFP) - Little Namibia snatched a place at the 2008 African Nations Cup after a sensational finish to Group 10 Saturday.

A last-minute goal by Muna Katupose earned the Brave Warriors a 3-2 win in Ethiopia and top spot after favoured Democratic Republic of Congo could only draw 1-1 at home against Libya.

Namibia climbed from third place before the final-round qualifiers to first with 10 points followed by DR Congo (nine), Libya (eight) and Ethiopia (six) in one of the most intriguing of the 12 mini-leagues.

Ivory Coast confirmed their entry into the 16-nation tournament scheduled for Ghana between January 20 and February 10 after forcing a 0-0 draw with Gabon in Libreville.

The Ivorian Elephants, runners-up to hosts Egypt in the 2006 edition of the biennial competition, topped Group 1 with 10 points while Gabon collected seven and Madagascar ended pointless.

Ranked 32nd out of 53 African countries, Namibia trailed twice in the stamina-sapping 2,400-metre altitude of Addis Ababa before grabbing only a second appearance at the showpiece of African football.

The Brave Warriors previously qualified in 1998, losing to Ivory Coast and South Africa and drawing with Angola, and a squad coached by Zambian Ben Bamfuchile were considered outsiders when the race to reach Ghana began.

Birhanu Bogale gave Ethiopia the lead on the stroke of half-time and Rudolph Bester levelled midway through the second half only for Salhadin Said to put the home team ahead again just 180 seconds later.

But Bester equalised after 81 minutes and Katupose became the hero of the south-west Africa country whose national team comprises footballers based in Namibia and neighbours Angola and South Africa.

Needing a win to secure a ninth consecutive visit to the Nations Cup, DR Congo went ahead just before half-time in Kinshasa when Shabani Nonda converted a penalty awarded for a foul on Mbala Mbuta.

But a Libyan team under new Tunisian coach Faouzi Benzarti equalised early in the second half as they sought a victory that would have taken them to Ghana as group winners.

After dominating the first half, Ivory Coast relied on a defence superbly marshalled by Kolo Toure of Arsenal to contain a Gabonese side needing an improbable six-goal triumph to go through on head-to-head records.