Algeria inch closer to play-off wallop Djibouti 4-0

African champions Algeria will only need a point from their last match against second placed Burkina Faso to book a slot in the play-off round of the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers after beating Djibouti 4-0 in their penultimate group match on Friday.

The result sees Les Fennecs move to 13 points on top of Group A, two ahead of Burkina Faso who dropped two points after a 1-1 home draw with Niger.

In Cairo, on the venue they clinched their African title in 2019, Algeria were determined to wrap up qualification to the next round.

Three first half goals from Youcef Bellaili, Said Benrahma and Soufiane Feghouli got them going.

Bellaili scored in the 29th minute, just a minute after missing a penalty. The midfielder raced on to a flicked ball from Baghdad Bounedjah before shooting past the keeper inside the box.

They waited till the 40th minute to score the second when Bounedjah won the ball at the edge of the box before sending Benrahma through. The forward took a low shot into the net.

Two minutes later they made it 3-0 when Feghouli finished off with a powerful shot that the Djibouti keeper failed to hold.

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The Algerians waited till the 86th minute to seal the victory with the fourth goal, Slimani heading home after the keeper had spilled Benrahma’s powerful drive.

Elsewhere, it was a game of penalties as Niger held Burkina Faso to a 1-1 draw.

Niger went ahead in the 34th minute through Youssef Oumanou’s penalty before Issoufou Dayo equalized in similar fashion 10 minutes after the break.