Bad boy 'Mido' comes good for Egypt

Egypt clawed back into contention for a place at the 2004 African Nations Cup with a 1-0 win in Mauritius.

Champions a record-equalling four times, the Pharaohs faced elimination at the qualifying stage if they failed to collect maximum points on the Indian Ocean tourist paradise.

And the hero of the Group 10 triumph was 'bad boy' Ahmed 'Mido' Hossam, whose 43rd-minute header separated the teams in a match watched by just 800 invited spectators at a heavily guarded Port Louis stadium.

Fears of ethnic or religious clashes linked to the Iraq war prompted the drastic measure with only officials, footballers, sponsors and members of a youth academy permitted to attend.

Mauritius, beaten at home by surprise group leaders Madagascar last October, were first to threaten with Jimmy Cundasami firing over against the sluggish visitors.

Hossam, who clashed constantly with Ajax Amsterdam coach Ronald Koeman and officials of the Dutch club before being lent to Spanish outfit Celta Vigo a few months ago, went close with a header, as did Ahmed Hassan.

After Hossam broke the deadlock he almost added a second with a drive which was millimetres off target and Egypt comfortably contained the Mauritians to secure their first points.

Madagascar, who upset the Pharaohs 1-0 in Antananarivo last September, top the standings with six points followed by Egypt with three. Mauritius are set to remain pointless given that they have two away fixtures to come.

While Egypt still have much work to do if they want to be among the 16 qualifiers for the biennial African football showcase in Tunisia next January, two-time champions Nigeria are virtually there after a 1-0 win in Malawi.

It took the Super Eagles just 10 minutes to douse the Flames with striker John Utaka powering an Augustine 'Jay Jay' Okocha corner past Philip Nyasula and into the net at the near post.

Slow-moving Malawi defenders must shoulder the blame for a goal that left Nigeria top of Group 1 with four points and home fixtures against Angola and Malawi to come.

Okocha, fresh from scoring a stoppage-time winner for relegation-haunted English Premiership club Bolton against Tottenham this week, thought he had struck the target again midway through the opening half.

The long-serving midfielder, mobbed by autograph hunters since his arrival in Central Africa, flighted a long-range free kick into the net only to be pulled back by a Zambian referee who claimed he had not blown his whistle.

Unpreturbed, Nigeria comfortably contained opponents whose impressive approach work was undone by feeble finishing and the late introduction of veteran midfielder Ernest Mtawali had little effect.

Gabon and Kenya were the most convincing winners, scoring four goals each without reply at home to Equatorial Guinea and Mauritania respectively with Robert Mambo on target twice for the Harambee Stars in Nairobi.

Cape Verde came from behind to pip Togo 2-1 in Praia, Zambia triumphed 1-0 in Tanzania and the games between Rwanda and Uganda in Kigali and Sierra Leone and Morocco in Freetown ended goalless.