Karl Toko Ekambi scored a 124th-minute winner as Cameroon sensationally booked their place at the World Cup in Qatar with a 2-1 victory over hosts Algeria in their playoff tie at the Stade Mustapha Tchaker on Tuesday night.
Algeria looked to have booked their place when Ahmed Touba netted with three minutes remaining at the end of extra-time, but as Cameroon pushed everyone forward for the final play of the game, Toko Ekambi latched onto a headed pass from Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui to net a most unlikely winner.
The victory on the away goals rule, following a 2-2 aggregate draw, seals an eighth World Cup finals appearance for the Indomitable Lions and follows a 1-0 win for Algeria in the first leg on Friday that left them heavy favourites to advance.
It seals a disastrous few months for the north African side who were dumped out of the Africa Cup of Nations finals, ironically played in Cameroon, in the first round in January as they gave up the title they won in 2019.
But the night was Cameroon’s to celebrate after Eric Choupo-Moting had given them the lead in the first half, a goal which took the tie to extra time. His strike came via a mistake from Algeria goalkeeper Rais M’Bolhi, who dropped the ball under pressure from his own teammate at a corner and Choupo-Moting reacted quickest to turn the loose ball into the net.
It was a goal that rocked the hosts, who were unable to find their usual fluency and snatched at the chances that came their way.
Morocco and Tunisia also booked their places in the finals on a frantic night of play-off action. Azzedine Ounahi scored twice as Morocco trounced the Democratic Republic of Congo 4-1 in Casablanca to reach the finals for a sixth time.
Tarik Tissoudali and Paris Saint-Germain full-back Achraf Hakimi also netted for the Atlas Lions, who qualified 5-2 on aggregate after the first leg finished 1-1 in Kinshasa. The outclassed Congolese Leopards trailed by four goals before Ben Malango snatched a consolation goal 13 minutes from time.
Tunisia secured their place in Qatar despite being held 0-0 at home by Mali in the second leg of a play-off. A pre-match warning by Tunisia coach Jalel Kadri to his team that the return match would be even tougher than the first leg in Bamako last Friday proved spot on. Having built a 1-0 lead in Mali through a Moussa Sissako own-goal, Tunisia were unable to build on their aggregate advantage and only scraped through.