Riyad Mahrez scored twice as African champion Algeria romped to a 6-1 win over Niger to return to winning ways in World Cup Qualifying football. Egypt took the top spot in its group from Libya by winning 1-0.
Ivory Coast claimed the other most significant result of the day as Max-Alain Gradel thumped in a volley to give the team a 3-0 victory in Malawi.
Manchester City’s Mahrez opened the scoring for Algeria in the 27th minute in Blida but the other five Algerian goals came in the second-half, including Mahrez’s second from the penalty spot.
Islam Slimani also scored a late brace as the Algerians rebounded from a draw in their last qualifier in Burkina Faso.
Salah started for Eypt but it was Omar Marmoush’s goal just after half time that gave Egypt three points.
Cameroon is in a tussle with Ivory Coast to progress from group D and is a point behind after Bayern Munich’s Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting scored two headers in a 3-1 win over Mozambique.
The results: Group A: Algeria 6 (Mahrez 27, 60-pen, Feghouli 47, Souleymane 70-og, Slimani 76, 88) bt Niger 1 (Sosah 50); Djibouti 0 lost to Burkina Faso 4 (Tapsoba 45+1, 48, Kabore 50, Konate 59).
Group D: Cameroon 3 (Choupo-Moting 28, 51, Toko Ekambi 63) bt Mozambique 1 (Catamo 80); Malawi 0 lost to Ivory Coast 3 (Gradel 35, Sangare 85, Boga 90+5).
Group F: Egypt 1 (Marmoush 49) bt Libya 0; Angola 3 (Zini 25, Papel 56, Buatu 90+1) bt Gabon 1 (Meye 83).
Djibouti and Malawi staged home fixtures at neutral venue because their stadiums do not meet international standards.
