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Aurier shows class as Ivory Coast overwhelm Niger to qualify

 

Tottenham Hotspur full-back Serge Aurier scored once and created the other two goals as the Ivory Coast swept aside Niger 3-0 Friday to secure 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification.

Morocco also booked a place at the tournament in Cameroon next January, raising to 16 the number of confirmed qualifiers for the 24-team event.

The other eight places will be up for grabs from Saturday, when matchday 5 concludes, until the closing matchday 6 fixtures on Tuesday.

Aurier was among four Premier League stars in the Ivorian line-up and he put the two-time African champions ahead on 25 minutes in a Niamey stadium empty because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The defender then set up Max Gradel to double the lead nine minutes later and killed off any hopes of a Nigerien comeback with the assist as Wilfried Kanon netted on the hour.

Securing maximum points in the heart of west Africa assured the Ivory Coast a top-two finish in Group K, leaving Ethiopia and Madagascar to fight for the other place.

Ethiopia hold a two-point advantage over surprise 2019 quarter-finalists Madagascar but have a tough last fixture, away to the Ivorians, while their rivals host Niger

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Morocco, whose lone Cup of Nations triumph came 45 years ago, were assured of qualification before drawing 0-0 with Mauritania in Nouakchott after Burundi and the Central African Republic drew 2-2 in Bujumbura.

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