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AFP
Johannesburg
African football minnows Somalia were eliminated from 2022 World Cup qualifying Tuesday after a dramatic 3-1 loss to Zimbabwe in Harare.
Zimbabwe qualified for the second round 3-2 on aggregate thanks to a stoppage-time goal from star forward Khama Billiat, who plays for South African club Kaizer Chiefs.
Somalia, who have to play home matches in fellow east African country Djibouti because of an unstable security situation in Mogadishu, took a 1-0 lead into the first round second leg.
The victorious first leg team included Mohamud Ali, who combines playing sixth-tier football in England with working as a driving instructor in Manchester.
Somalia, the equal lowest ranked national team in Africa with Eritrea, had looked set to win a World Cup tie for the first time when they equalised in Harare with seven minutes remaining.
The goal from Omar Abdullah Mohamed gave the Somalis a 2-1 aggregate advantage and left Zimbabwe needing at least two goals to avoid a shock elimination.
Johannesburg
African football minnows Somalia were eliminated from 2022 World Cup qualifying Tuesday after a dramatic 3-1 loss to Zimbabwe in Harare.
Zimbabwe qualified for the second round 3-2 on aggregate thanks to a stoppage-time goal from star forward Khama Billiat, who plays for South African club Kaizer Chiefs.
Somalia, who have to play home matches in fellow east African country Djibouti because of an unstable security situation in Mogadishu, took a 1-0 lead into the first round second leg.
The victorious first leg team included Mohamud Ali, who combines playing sixth-tier football in England with working as a driving instructor in Manchester.
Somalia, the equal lowest ranked national team in Africa with Eritrea, had looked set to win a World Cup tie for the first time when they equalised in Harare with seven minutes remaining.
The goal from Omar Abdullah Mohamed gave the Somalis a 2-1 aggregate advantage and left Zimbabwe needing at least two goals to avoid a shock elimination.
