Ivory Coast reach finals

Ivory Coast qualified for the 2010 World Cup by drawing 1-1 in Malawi yesterday and Cameroon moved closer to joining them with a 3-0 triumph over Togo.

Chelsea striker Didier Drogba scored just 120 seconds after coming on in the second half to give the Ivorian 'Elephants' an unassailable seven-point advantage in Group E .

The visitors had been rocked midway through the second half at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre when Jacob Ngwira scored his first World Cup goal to put the 'Flames' ahead.

Bosnia-born Ivory Coast coach Vahid Halilhodzic responded by sending on Drogba to score the goal that took the cocoa-producing west African country into a second consecutive World Cup tournament.

Ivory Coast have 13 points, Burkina Faso six, Malawi four and Guinea three and attention now turns to who will finish second and third after the final fixtures next month and qualify for the 2010 African Nations Cup in Angola.

Resurgent Cameroon stayed top of Group A after outclassing shock 2006 qualifiers Togo in Yaounde while Gabon stayed one point adrift after beating Morocco 3-1 in Libreville.

Midfielder Geremi Njitap scored at the second attempt off a penalty to give the 'Indomitable Lions' a half-time advantage against Togolese opponents led by reigning African Footballer of the Year Emmanuel Adebayor.

But the Manchester City striker was substituted 15 minutes into the second half after goals from Jean Makoun and Achille Emana had given Cameroon a 3-0 cushion.

Makoun netted off a pass from Inter striker Samuel Eto'o, who dribbled past four defenders, and Emana beat overworked goalkeeper Kodjovi Obilale with a low drive.

A Cameroon side transformed by the mid-year arrival of French coach Paul le Guen have 10 points, Gabon nine, Togo five and Morocco three and the Lions cannot be overtaken if they triumph on November 14 in Rabat.

Asia/Oceania play-off first leg: Bahrain vs New Zealand 0-0.