2022 World Cup: Ivory Coast beats Malawi and remains on pole

Ivorian Gervinho.

AFP / FRANCOIS WALSCHAERTS

Text by: David Kalfa Follow

2 min

The Ivory Coast team beat Malawi 2-1 in Group D of the African qualifiers for the 2022 FIFA World Cup on October 11, 2021 in Cotonou (Benin).

Thanks to this short success, the Ivorians (10 points) are at the top of the standings ahead of the Cameroonians (9 points) before the last two days scheduled between November 11 and 16.

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It is indeed a duel between Côte d'Ivoire and Cameroon which we will attend in the qualifiers for the

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The Ivorians dismissed the Malawians three hours after the Cameroonians did the same with the Mozambicans on October 11, 2021.

Defeated respectively by the Elephants and the Indomitable Lions, Malawi and Mozambique are indeed out of the race to win first place in Group D, synonymous with a ticket for the last round of these African qualifiers.

A Serge Aurier in great difficulty

Malawi, however, could have left Cotonou - where the Ivorians were forced into exile for lack of an approved stadium - with a better result.

Because, if Nicolas Pépé opened the scoring in the 2nd minute thanks to poor control by Charles Petro (1-0), Patrice Beaumelle's players also multiplied the failures.

Especially their captain, Serge Aurier, replaced at the break.

The defender - lacking competition because without a club until his very recent signing at Villarreal - lost a ball in the axis.

This allowed Khuda Muyaba to equalize with a low cross strike (1-1, 20th).

The right side then almost dribbled his own goalkeeper Sylvain Gbohouo but prevented the Flames from doubling the save in front of his goal line (38 ').

A providential penalty

Far from being imperial, the West Africans got away with it in the second period thanks to a penalty signaled by the linesman for a foul on Gervinho.

In or outside the opponent's penalty area?

Franck Kessié does not ask himself a question and sends the ball into the left skylight: 2-1, 66th.

This result allows the Ivorian selection to regain the lead of Group D with 10 points, just ahead of Cameroon (9 points), before receiving the Mozambicans (5th day) and moving to the Cameroonians (6th day) in November.

A (RE) READ: 2022 World Cup: Africa qualifying schedule and results

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2022 World Cup: Cameroon still beats Mozambique in qualifying