JOHANNESBURG -- A missed penalty from Adel
Sellimi could prove costly for Tunisia who were held to a 1-1
draw by the Ivory Coast in their African World Cup group D
qualifier on Sunday.
The result kept Tunisia three points clear at the top of the
standings but handed the initiative in the group to the
Ivorians, who have a game in hand and two remaining home
matches.
Sellimi missed a spotkick 20 minutes from time after the
home side had fought back from the shock of conceding an early
goal to Ibrahima Bakayoko who plays for Olympique Marseille.
Bakayoko's 33rd minute goal, his eighth of the qualifying
campaign, was cancelled out soon after halftime by Ziad Jaziri.
Sellimi's miserable evening ended prematurely when he was
sent off along with Ivory Coast defender Blaise Kouadio Kouassi
in the last five minutes.
Tunisia next play Congo-Brazzaville at home on June 30 and
then conclude their campaign a fortnight later with a tough tie
in Kinshasa against the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Ivorians play Madagascar at home on July 1 and then
travel to Pointe Noire to meet Congo-Brazzaville on July 15.
The Ivory Coast are unbeaten in three away matches in the
group. Their campaign ends at home to the Democratic Republic of
Congo in Abidjan on July 29.
Only the group winner qualifies for the World Cup in Japan
and South Korea next year.
The Tunisians have qualified twice before but the Ivory
Coast have never been to the World Cup finals.
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