Comfortable passage for champions Cameroon as Burundi make history

Defending champions Cameroon, Burundi, Guinea-Bissau and Namibia secured 2019 Africa Cup of Nations places on Saturday, raising to 19 the number of qualifiers for the tournament.

The remaining five places will be filled Sunday with South Africa among 11 countries hoping to make it to the June 21-July 19 showpiece in Egypt.

Cameroon needed a draw from a Group B clash with the Comoros in Yaounde, but overwhelmed the Indian Ocean islanders 3-0 with captain Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting among the goals.

Burundi were another side needing a point and they sealed a first Cup of Nations appearance by drawing 1-1 at home in Group C against Gabon, whose survival hopes rested on winning.

Namibia celebrated wildly despite a 4-1 Group K hammering in Zambia as they pipped Mozambique on head-to-head records for a place at the expanded 24-nation tournament.

Mozambique were poised to qualify when leading 2-1 in Guinea-Bissau entering stoppage time only to be undone by sloppy defending which allowed the home side to snatch a 2-2 draw.

Egypt, Algeria, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, Tunisia and Uganda had qualified ahead of the final match day this weekend.

Angola joined them Friday when they edged Botswana 1-0 to pip 2017 bronze medallists Burkina Faso for a Group I place.

On Sunday, former champions South Africa must avoid defeat to qualify at the expense of Libya, whose home fixture has been moved to neighboring Tunisia for security reasons.

(CGTN)