Bougherra sends Algeria sky-high

Algeria and Ghana completed the five African qualifiers for next year’s World Cup, joining Nigeria, Cameroon and Ivory Coast in Brazil.

It is an identical lineup to Africa’s ambassadors at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Algeria did just enough to book their ticket to their fourth World Cup by beating Burkina Faso 1-0 to go through on the away goals’ rule after the first game ended 3-2 in favour of the west Africans.

It needed a scrambled effort in the 49th minute by skipper Madjid Bougherra for Algeria to book their flight to Brazil next year.

Burkina Faso, beaten finalists at this year’s Africa Cup of Nations, were resolute in defence, but offered very little going forward.

Despite losing 2-1 in Cairo, the Black Stars of Ghana qualified for a third successive World Cup, 7-3 on aggregate.

Egypt could, unsurprisingly, not overcome the 6-1 humiliation they suffered at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi last month.

The Pharaohs, who last appeared at the World Cup in 1990, scored through Amr Zaki and Mohamed Gedo in either half, before substitute Kevin-Prince Boateng pulled a goal back for Ghana late on.

The two legs were a huge disappointment for the seven-time African champions, whose American coach Bob Bradley is now expected to quit his post.

Ghana became only the third African team to reach the last eight of a World Cup four years ago, and they will again be fancied to do well in Brazil with the return of several of their top stars like Michael Essien, Kevin-Prince Boateng and the Ayew brothers, Andre and Jordan.