Uganda for AFCON 2017 at last. Break 38-year-old drought

Uganda have qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time since 1978 after beating Comoros yesterday.

Their 1-0 victory secured their place at next year's finals in Gabon as one of the two best group runners-up.

Group D rivals Burkina Faso also qualified with a late 2-1 victory over Botswana to ensure they finished top of the table.

Burkina Faso earned 13 points from their six group games.

Uganda also reached 13 points, thanks to a 35th-minute winner by  Farouk Miya in Kampala, but they finished in second place because of a inferior head-to-head record against Burkina Faso.

However, it was enough to send the Cranes to the finals for the first time for 38 years. Some Ugandan players raised their arms and others sank to their knees at the end of the match.

Uganda's last appearance at the Nations Cup ended in a runners-up spot when they lost to Ghana in the final.

Title-holders Cote d’Ivoire cleared a header off their goal-line in stoppage time to hang on to a 1-1 draw with Sierra Leone last Saturday to squeeze into the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations finals.

Jonathan Kodjia scored via a bicycle kick after 35 minutes for the Ivorians before a sell-out 25 000 crowd in Bouake but Kei Kamara equalised on 67 minutes with a glancing header following a free-kick.

It was Kamara, back after a self-imposed one-year exile having accused Sierra Leone officials of disrespecting him, who almost took his country to the finals after a 20-year absence.

Sierra Leone were awarded a corner five minutes into stoppage time but a far-post Kamara header was cleared off the line.

Algeria, Cameroun, Egypt, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Morocco, Senegal and Zimbabwe secured places ahead of the final round and hosts Gabon are automatic participants as hosts.