Egypt and Algeria have caused a major upset to Senegal and Cameroon respectively during the 2022 World Cup play-off first leg.
Prolific Liverpool scorer Mohamed Salah was the architect of the only goal as Egypt edged Senegal 1-0 in Cairo on Friday in a World Cup play-off first leg.
Salah turned inside the box and slammed the ball against the crossbar with the rebound hitting Senegal defender Saliou Ciss and rolling into the net.
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The eagerly awaited clash was a repeat of the Africa Cup of Nations final last month, which Senegal won 4-2 on penalties in Cameroon after 120 goalless minutes.
Also, Veteran forward Islam Slimani scored five minutes before half-time to give Algeria a 1-0 win over Cameroon in Douala on Friday in the first leg of a World Cup play-off.
Slimani soared in a crowded goalmouth to powerfully head a Youcef Belaili free-kick past goalkeeper Andre Onana into the roof of the net.
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Even 11 minutes of added time could not bring Cameroon an equaliser and they must now win in Blida on Tuesday to avoid missing successive World Cup tournaments.
Earlier in the day, Tarik Tissoudali scored a brilliant equaliser as Morocco moved closer to a sixth World Cup appearance by drawing 1-1 with the Democratic Republic of Congo in Kinshasa on Friday.
A move that began with a superb slide tackle by Moroccan defender Romain Saiss ended with Tissoudali rifling the ball into the net on 76 minutes in the first leg of their play-off.
Yoane Wissa had given DR Congo a 12th-minute lead, sprinting down the wing, cutting inside, and unleashing a shot from just outside the box that brushed Saiss and beat goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.
With away goals counting double if teams finish level on aggregate, a 0-0 draw in Casablanca on Tuesday would take Morocco to the World Cup in Qatar.
Morocco were unsettled after falling behind and Cedric Bakambu and Dieumerci Mbokani wasted chances to put the Congolese further ahead lead on a gloomy and windy evening.
The visitors squandered an early second-half chance to equalise when Ryan Mmaee blazed a penalty over the crossbar.
DR Congo were reduced to 10 men with five minutes remaining when Ngonda Muzinga was sent off after being yellow-carded twice. He will miss the return match.
Meanwhile, Nigeria had to settle for a 0-0 draw in Ghana on Friday after VAR overruled a decision to award the visitors a penalty in the first leg of a World Cup play-off.
A review of the decision in the closing stages of the West African showdown in Kumasi found that Ghana midfielder Iddrisu Baba was fouled before he handled the ball.
Ghana came closest to breaking the deadlock with Nigerian goalkeeper Francis Uzoho pulling off a superb save to deny Fatahu Ishaku in the first half.
The second leg of the game will take place in Abuja on Tuesday.
