By Mark Gleeson
CAPE TOWN (Reuters) -Tunisia completed their World Cup qualifying campaign without conceding a goal as they beat Namibia 3-0 in their final Group H game on Monday.
They ended the campaign unbeaten with nine wins from their 10 games, scoring 22 goals to reach next year’s tournament.
A first-half penalty in Tunis converted by Ali El Abdi was followed by second-half strikes from Hannibal Mejbri and captain Ferjani Sassi.
Namibia finished second in the group despite the defeat, their third in the last four qualifiers.
But they do not have enough points to finish as one of the best four group runners-up, who will advance to a playoff next month.
They were 13 points adrift of Tunisia, who had already secured their place in the finals.
Liberia finished third in the group after a 1-1 draw at Equatorial Guinea, who were fielding a new-look team and with a new coach after a player strike meant they did not travel for last week’s qualifier in Malawi.
Federico Bikoro put Equatorial Guinea ahead but Nicholas Andrews equalised for Liberia, both inside the first half hour in Malabo.
A 62nd-minute penalty from Portuguese-based striker Ronald Lumungo earned Sao Tome e Principe their first points of the campaign as they edged Malawi 1-0.
It ended a run of 18 winless matches for the tiny island nation, who are 195th in the world rankings.
The match was played in Sousse, Tunisia because Sao Tome did not have a venue up to international standards.
South Sudan, who sacked French coach Nicolas Dupuis after losing 5-0 at home to Senegal on Friday, finished their group schedule with a goalless draw in Juba against Togo.
Later on Monday, Cape Verde will become the second smallest country to qualify for a World Cup if they beat Eswatini at home.
(Editing by Ed Osmond)
