Stockholm: Sweden claimed a precious 1-0 first leg victory over Italy in their World Cup play-off here, Friday leaving the four-time champions in danger of missing the tournament for the first time in 60 years.
Substitute Jakob Johansson grabbed the only goal of a scrappy game in the 61st minute with a low strike that found the corner with the aid of a big deflection.
Gian Piero Ventura’s Italy will need to respond in Monday’s return leg at the San Siro in Milan to avoid becoming only the second Azzurri outfit to fail to reach the finals. The last time Italy failed to reach the main World Cup was for the 1958 tournament in Sweden.
“We could have done better, of course, but there are still 90 minutes left to play,” Ventura, who took over from Antonio Conte after Euro 2016, said. “It was a tough, physical match that could have gone a different way if we scored first.”
Andrea Belotti shook off an injury to partner Ciro Immobile up front, but the away team struggled to pose a consistent attacking threat, as Ventura left in-form Napoli winger Lorenzo Insigne sitting on the bench until the 76th minute.
Both sides created early half chances, with Torino striker Belotti heading wide when he should have done better, and Ola Toivonen firing past the post at the other end just seconds later.
Italy suffered a blow when key midfielder Marco Verratti was handed a booking that ruled him out of Monday’s second leg for a lunging tackle on Marcus Berg.
Veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who will retire from international duty after the World Cup campaign, showed excellent pace off his line to claw the ball away from Toivonen, as neither team managed to carve out a clear-cut opportunity in a first half without an effort on target.
The visitors finally produced a shot in anger shortly after the break when Antonio Candreva fired a dipping shot which was punched away by home keeper Robin Olsen.
A scrappy game was never likely to be decided by a moment of brilliance, and it was a lucky break that gave Janne Andersson’s men the lead just after the hour mark.
Johansson latched onto Toivonen’s header from an Emil Krafth long throw to fire a shot that wrong-footed Buffon after spinning off Daniele de Rossi.
It was the perfect time for the AEK Athens midfielder to score his first international goal, having only come off the bench four minutes earlier. “It’s fantastic, I put my goal down to instinct. Great timing for my first international goal,” Johansson said.
Sakho, Sadio sink South Africa
Johannesburg: Strikers Diafra Sakho and Sadio Mane played key roles Friday as Senegal defeated South Africa 2-0 in a CAF qualification Group D game at Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, thus becoming the third African to do so after Nigeria and Egypt. This is the second time that Senegal have sealed a World Cup finals spot, the first coming in 2002 under the leadership of Aliou Cisse, who is now the coach of the side.
Senegal took the lead in the 12 minute when Sakho raced on to a Mane pass and side-footed the ball to the right of onrushing rival goalie Itumeleng Khune. Stung by an early goal, South Africa sought an equaliser and came close quite a few times but were denied by a strong Senegalese defence.
The two were again involved in a move that led to an own goal by South Africa’s Thamsanga Mkhize in the 38th minute. This time Sakho broke clear and crossed to Mane, whose shot was blocked by Khune only for the clearance to hit Mkhize and trickle back into the net.
“It was not an easy game for us, but we took the chances that came our way,” said Mane, who returned to Premier League action last Saturday after a hamstring injury.
In another match played on the day, Australia edged closer to a place in the World Cup finals after grinding out a hard-fought 0-0 away draw with Honduras in their Asia- CONCACAF play-off.
Australia striker Tomi Juric missed golden chances in each half as the Socceroos dominated a physical Honduras side without managing to find a precious away goal.
Nevertheless Ange Postecoglou’s men will return to Australia for Wednesday’s second leg confident of reaching a fourth consecutive World Cup after a controlled display in hot, humid conditions.
At a glance
Senegal 2 South Africa 0
Australia 0 Honduras 0
Agency France-Presse
