Djibouti defy odds, Zimbabwe survive scare and Rwanda set record

Djibouti triumphed unexpectedly, Zimbabwe survived a scare and Rwanda created a record as the first round of African qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar has concluded.

French coach Julien Mette was hired by Djibouti recently and promised to restore the "dignity" of a national team used to heavy losses.

It did not take him long to succeed as a 0-0 draw on Tuesday in eSwatini (formerly Swaziland) earned the "Shoremen of the Red Sea" a 2-1 aggregate victory.

Forcing a goalless draw in Manzini completed an amazing turnaround for the tiny Horn of Africa nation, who were crushed 8-1 overall by the then Swaziland in a 2018 World Cup eliminator.

"Officials did not speak to me about qualifying for the Africa Cup of Nations, the African Nations Championship or the World Cup," Mette told the FIFA website.

"All he (the president of the national football federation) wanted was to stop losing 5-0 and 6-0 and I said I would definitely bring him that dignity."
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