Togo won their second straight 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier when triumphing 2-0 in Djibouti but did so without star striker Emmanuel Adebayor.
South Sudan have achieved their first competitive victory since joining international football in 2012, beating Equatorial Guinea in their 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
Atak Lual scored the only goal of the game in the 52nd minute in Juba the to give his side an historic win.
South Sudan played their first official friendly against Uganda in July 2012.
It was only in 2011 that organised football was first played in South Sudan, after the country gained its independence from Sudan.
On another historic day, Liberia pulled off a shock 1-0 victory over Tunisia in Monrovia, as the country hosted its first international football match since the lifting of an ebola ban.
Francis Forkey Doe scored the goal 11 minutes from time in difficult, wet conditions, to give his country their first points in Group A. Togo lead the Group A standings after their victory in Djibouti on Friday.
South Africa have a big battle on their hands if they are to qualify for Gabon 2017, after a 3-1 defeat away to Mauritania.
Having been held to a draw by The Gambia in their first group M game, Bafana Bafana were under pressure to come away with a win.
They went behind after just six minutes through an Aly Abeid goal, and were then reduced to ten men when Siyabonga Zulu was sent off.
Thamsanqa Gabuza hit an equaliser for South Africa, but the hosts came back through Boubacar Beyguili and Moulaye Ahmed to seal a famous win.
Uganda edged to victory away to Comoros in Group D thanks to a single goal which came in the 25th minute.
Tonny Mawejje struck the decisive blow to lift the Cranes top of the table on a maximum six points from two games.
Uganda almost missed the tie because of financial difficulties but Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni provided $210,000 to cover the team’s travel costs.
In the group’s other tie, Botswana beat Burkina Faso 1-0.
Joel Mogorilosi scored five minutes after the interval and his side held on to the advantage over the 2013 beaten finalists to secure their first points.
Congo Brazzaville went top of Group E after a 4-2 victory away to Guinea Bissau.
Ferebory Dore scored all four Congo goals.
In Group J Seychelles took their first point after a 1-1 draw with visitors Ethiopia.
Nelson Laurence slotted home a 24th minute penalty to give the hosts a surprise lead which lasted half an hour. A strike by Tesfaye Seyoum restored parity and put Ethiopia top of the table from Algeria who travel to Lesotho on Sunday.
Burundi hoisted themselves from the bottom of Group K with a 2-0 win over visiting Niger. Fiston Abdul Razak grabbled the opener on 24 minutes and Papy Faty sealed the win with seven minutes of the tie remaining.
The result allowed Senegal top pull three points clear at the summit as they earned a 2-0 away win at Namibia. English Premier League stars Cheikhou Kouyate, of West Ham, and Southampton’s Sadio Mane got the goals.
Three-time African champions Nigeria were fortunate to earn a point away to Tanzania in Group G, just about keeping their opponents out in a 0-0 draw.
Stand-in goalkeeper Carl Ikeme of English side Wolves, in for the bereaved Victor Enyeama, was the outstanding player of the match.
Wakaso Mubarak scored an 85th-minute free-kick to give Ghana a 1-0 victory over Rwanda in Group H. The Black Stars were without striker Asamoah Gyan because of a knee injury but managed to ensure they have maximum points from their first two games.
Morocco maintained their winning start to Group F, with a 3-0 victory away to Sao Tome e Principe. Goals from Nordin Amrabat, Youssef El Arabi and Nabil Dirar sealed the victory for the North Africans.
Algeria scored twice in the last five minutes to secure a 3-1 victory away to Lesotho in their 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
Faouzi Ghoulam had put Africa’s top-ranked team ahead on 31 minutes but the hosts responded six minutes later through Ralekoti Mokhahlane.
On 85 minutes, El-Arbi Hilal Soudani restored Algeria’s lead and he made sure of the points with his second just before full-time.
Victory moves Algeria back to the top of Group J with a maximum six points, while pointless Lesotho are rooted to the bottom.
The reigning champions Ivory Coast kicked off the defence of their crown with a lacklustre 0-0 draw with Sierra Leone.
The match was played in the neutral venue of Port Harcourt in Nigeria as Sierra Leone is still banned from hosting international football because of the ebola outbreak.
It was a disappointing start to Michel Dussuyer’s reign as new Elephants’ coach.
His side felt the absence of a host of key players including skipper Yaya Toure who asked not to be picked whilst he considers his international future.
Zamalek striker Bosem Morsy hit a hat-trick for Egypt in their 5-1 victory away to Chad in Group G.
Morsy had put The Pharaohs 2-0 up inside the first 25 minutes before Chad came back through Ezechiel Ndouasel.
Mohamed Salah made it 3-1 to Egypt before half-time, with Mahmoud Kahraba adding a fourth for the visitors after the break.
Morsy completed his hat-trick in the 62nd minute to ensure Egypt went top of Group G.
Nigeria are two points behind after their 0-0 draw in Tanzania on Saturday.
Cameroon beat The Gambia 1-0 in Banjul to go top of Group M.
A 65th minute goal from FC Porto striker Vincent Aboubakar was the difference between the two sides.
The Indomitable Lions have won both their opening group games, and have a five point advantage over bottom side South Africa.
Zambia, champions in 2012, came from behind away to Kenya in Group E to claim a 2-1 win.
Michael Olunga’s 13th-minute strike gave the hosts a super start but they could hold their advantage for only 15 minutes, undone by a Winston Kalengo effort.
And Zambia completed their recovery through Collins Mbesuma who struck the winner three minutes before the interval.
There was no movement in the places in Group L as both games ended in draws.
Leaders Zimbabwe shared the points with Guinea as Knowledge Musona cancelled out Ibrahima Traore’s opener, while Swaziland and Malawi shared four goals in the group’s other game.
Louis Pithia’s goal gave Mauritius victory over Mozambique and their first points in Group H.
The midfielder’s 51st-minute effort gave the hosts a 1-0 victory which draws them level with second-placed Rwanda on three points.
Cape Verde needed an 89th minute goal from Ryan Mendes before beating Libya 2-1.
The match was played in Cairo on security grounds.
The result puts Cape Verde top of the group with Morocco. Both countries have maximum points from their two games.
In Group B Central African Republic scored twice in the first half – the opening goal came from the penalty spot – to see off visitors DR Congo 2-0.
The result puts them level on points with their opponents but the pair are one point off the lead after Angola drew 0-0 with Madagascar.
Results:
Saturday, Sept. 5
Liberia 1-0 Tunisia
South Sudan 1-0 Equatorial Guinea
Comoros 0-1 Uganda
Botswana 1-0 Burkina Faso
Guinea-Bissau 2-4 Congo
Sao Tome and Principe 0-3 Morocco
Tanzania 0-0 Nigeria
Rwanda 0-1 Ghana
Gabon 4-0 Sudan
Seychelles 1-1 Ethiopia
Burundi 2-0 Niger
Namibia 0-2 Senegal
Mauritania 3-1 South Africa
Sunday, Sept. 6
Sierra Leone 0-0 Ivory Coast
Madagascar 0-0 Angola
CAR 2-0 DR Congo
Mauritius 1-0 Mozambique
Swaziland 2-2 Malawi
Lesotho 1-3 Algeria
Zimbabwe 1-1 Guinea
Chad 1-5 Egypt
Kenya 1-2 Zambia
Benin 1-1 Mali
The Gambia 0-1 Cameroon
Libya 1-2 Cape Verde