JOHANNESBURG: Ivory Coast threw away an early lead and lost 2-1 to Ethiopia on Tuesday to join a list of former champions struggling early in qualifying for the 2021 African Cup of Nations.

The two-time African champions took the lead in the fourth minute with a goal by captain Serge Aurier but conceded twice in 10 minutes in the first half in an early blow to its hopes of making the African Cup in Cameroon.

Goals by Ethiopia’s Surafel Dagnachew and Shimelis Bekele dropped Ivory Coast out of the qualifying places after two of six games in the final group stage.

Madagascar, who only made their Cup of Nations debut at this year’s tournament, leads Group ‘K’ ahead of Ethiopia after a 6-2 win in Niger, its biggest victory in qualifying.

Zimbabwe won 2-1 in Zambia thanks to a brace by star midfielder Khama Billiat. Zambia, another former champions, have lost two out of two to sit bottom of Group ‘H’.

Ivory Coast are not the only big team struggling, with seven-time champions Egypt winless after two games and clearly missing the influence of injured forward Mohamed Salah.

Salah sat out both of Egypt’s first two qualifying games, last Thursday and on Monday, with an ankle injury.

Egypt are the most successful team in African Cup history but began this campaign by drawing 1-1 at home to Kenya and then being held 0-0 away to Comoros, the Indian Ocean island which has never qualified for the continental championship.

Ivory Coast, 95 places higher than Ethiopia in the world rankings, made a great start with Tottenham Hotspur defender Aurier knocking in a rebound after Max Gradels free kick had been parried into his path by home goalkeeper Abel Mamo.

Yet Ethiopia were level on 16 minutes as Dagnachew’s free kick was deflected in off the wall, before Bekele shrugged off two defenders, and a shout for handball, to score the winner midway through the opening period.

Madagascar were 4-1 up at halftime thanks to a brace by Lalaina Nomenj­anahary, and goals from Anicet (penalty) and Andria. Paulin Voavy and Jerome Mombris added two more in the second period.

Niger had taken an early lead through Amadou Wonkoye before being stung by six unanswered goals. Yusif Moussa grabbed a late consolation for them.

Zimbabwe star Billiat answered critics of his recent international form by scoring both goals their win over neighbours Zambia in Lusaka.

Patson Daka had equalised for the Zambians in the opening period, but Billiat profited from a defensive lapse to net the winner 10 minutes from fulltime.

Noussair Mazraoui scored a first ever goal for Morocco as they eased to a 3-0 victory in Burundi, with Youssef En-Nesyri and Achraf Hakimi netting the others. The other match in Group ‘E’ saw Mauritania claim a 2-0 home win over Central African Republic as Moctar El Hacen and Diallo Guidileye scored.

Elsewhere, Group ‘J’ pacesetters Tunisia edged Equatorial Guinea 1-0 in Malabo with former Premier League forward Wahbi Khazri scoring the lone goal 16 minutes from time. Libya rose from last to second in the same section by shading Tanzania 2-1 with giant Anis Saltou snatching the 81st-minute winner in a match moved to Tunisia for security reasons.

Published in Dawn, November 21st, 2019