Johannesburg — A three-goal blitz enabled Ivory Coast to whip Mali 3-1 Saturday in World Cup qualifying while Burkina Faso snatched a dramatic 1-1 draw with South Africa after wasting two penalties.
Democratic Republic of Congo thrashed Libya 4-0, Senegal overcame Cape Verde 2-0 and Gabon and Morocco drew 0-0 in other matchday 1 African clashes.
Sambou Yatabare stunned reigning African champion Ivory Coast by racing on to a long pass and chipping the ball over slow-reacting goalkeeper Sylvain Gbohouo for an early lead in Bouake.
But the Ivorians responded by laying siege to the Mali goalmouth and Jonathan Kodjia and Gervinho scored in a dazzling nine-minute spell during which Salif Coulibaly conceded an own-goal.
Kodjia, a recent recruit by English second-tier club Aston Villa, leveled on 25 minutes by slamming the ball past goalkeeper Oumar Sissoko from outside the box.
Rattled Mali fell behind when Coulibaly turned a low cross into his net five minutes later and China-based Gervinho fired the third goal from just inside the penalty area.
It was a great start for three-time World Cup qualifiers Ivory Coast in Group C, especially as likely closest rival Morocco was held 0-0 by 2017 Africa Cup of Nations hosts Gabon in Franceville.
Jonathan Pitroipa had an early penalty saved by Itumeleng Khune and Alain Traore blazed another spot-kick over before Banou Diawara snatched a stoppage-time draw for Burkina Faso in Group D.
Dean Furman put three-time World Cup participant South Africa ahead on 80 minutes, rifling a low shot through a crowd of players and past goalkeeper Herve Kouakou Koffi after a corner was not cleared.
When Traore failed to equalise from his penalty a minute before the end of regular time in front of a 40,000 Ouagadougou crowd, the hosts seemed doomed.
However, South Africa failed to deal with a bicycle kick in the first minute of additional time and Diawara got a touch that diverted the ball past Khune.
