Sudan outplay African champs Zambia in World Cup

Posted Sunday, June 03, 2012 by YAHOO Sport

African champions Zambia lost in Sudan, Ivory Coast made a winning start under a new coach, and Senegal overcame two shocks to defeat Liberia in 2014 World Cup qualifiers Saturday.

Zambia swept aside Sudan in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals with France-born coach Herve Renard saying the losers played "sleep-inducing" football.

But the Sudanese Falcons were wide awake for the Group D clash in sweltering Khartoum, dominating from the kick-off to the final whistle with second-half goals from Mohamed Tahir and Saifeldin Ali securing a 2-0 victory.

Renard, reportedly being paid 100,000 dollars a month with the goal of taking Chipolopolo (Copper Bullets) to the World Cup finals for the first time, had premonitions before flying to Khartoum.

"I'm really sure we are not the best team in Africa ... there are some teams that are stronger than us and we know that ... we have to be very, very good to go to the World Cup," he told the BBC before matchday one across Africa.

And it does not get any easier for Zambia, who edged Ivory Coast on penalties to win the African title, with a June 9 home fixture against Ghana, who humiliated Lesotho 7-0 Friday in a match interrupted by a power failure.

Former France international Sabri Lamouchi, put in charge of Ivory Coast this week despite no coaching experience, saw the Elephants overcome 10-man Tanzania 2-0 in Group C match via goals from Salomon Kalou and Didier Drogba.

Chelsea Champions League hero Drogba, who blazed a penalty over in regulation time of the final against Zambia, struck a free kick against the woodwork in Abidjan and scored the second goal after Aggrey Morris was red carded.

Senegal, who went to the 2012 Cup of Nations as third favourites only to lose all three group games, conceded a second-minute goal against Liberia in Dakar and Newcastle United sharpshooter Papiss Demba Cisse missed a penalty.

But the Teranga Lions lowered the blood pressure of caretaker coach Joseph Koto by levelling through Ibrahima Balde before half-time and late goals from Dame Ndoye and Sadio Mane delivered a 3-1 Group J success.

Morocco, another country to make an unexpected first round exit from the Cup of Nations in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, drew 1-1 in Gambia with Houssine Kharja equalising after Abdou Jammeh struck early for the Scorpions.

Tunisia fought back to beat Equatorial Guinea 3-1 in Monastir, Sierra Leone defeated Cape Verde Islands more convincingly than the 2-1 Freetown scoreline suggests and Burkina Faso were held 0-0 in Ouagadougou by Congo Brazzaville.