(Football news) Egypt edged Senegal 1-0 in the first leg of the World Cup playoffs at the Cairo International Stadium. It was a rematch between the two sides after the finals of the African Cup of Nations finals and Mohamed Salah scored the only goal of the match after beating the offside trap and hitting the bar with the rebound bouncing off Senegal defender Saliou Ciss's knee and going into the back of the net in the 4th minute.

A capacity of 75,000 were at the stadium to witness this blockbuster clash and Senegal will still consider themselves favourites to win the second leg despite a 1-0 deficit and advance to the World Cup in Qatar. As expected, Sadio Mane was at the heart of Senegal’s attack and had a brilliant opportunity eight minutes before half-time to level the score but slipped at the vital moment, resulting in his shot going wide. 

Senegal continued to press and push for an equaliser until the final whistle but were kept at bay by some desperate defending by the Egyptians. The tie hangs in the balance and Senegal will not only have to score a goal but also ensure they keep a clean sheet as the away goal rule is still applicable in African football, despite it being removed from European competitions properly. 

Meanwhile, Ghana and Nigeria played out in the first leg of the World Cup playoff on Friday, leaving the tie open for the second leg on Tuesday. The match didn’t have enough quality from either side as a number of mistakes and poor decision making made it an uneventful watch. Ghana had more possession and chances but weren’t clinical in their finishing. They tested the Nigerian goalkeeper Francis Uzoho only twice, a shot by Issahaku Fatawu in the 33rd minute and Mohammed Kudus in the 71st minute.

Nigeria’s best opportunity came through Moses Simon 10 minutes at the start of the second half but couldn’t convert the chance. They were awarded a penalty with 15 minutes left Idrissu Baba Mohamed handled the ball after being tripped but VAR intervened and handed Ghana a freekick. The match ended as it began and it remains to be seen  which side would take the advantage in the second leg.

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