Weah reaches fresh heights with Liberia

George Weah's new coaching career reached a peak in Accra on Sunday as he led Liberia to a famous 3-1 win over Ghana in the African zone World Cup qualifiers.

The weekend's set of 10 matches also enhanced the reputation of some of the continent's high profile strikers as Cameroon, Nigeria, South Africa and the Ivory Coast all kept on course for the 2002 finals in Japan and South Korea. But Weah overshadowed his contemporaries as Liberia moved level on six points with group B leaders Nigeria, who hold top spot on goal difference.

The former world Footballer of the Year has been player-coach for his country for the past year and played his customary deep midfield role as the Lone Stars snatched victory with a late penalty from Oliver Makor and a last-minute goal by Musa Shannon, the Portuguese-based defender.

"I'm very pleased, we won the game with our counter attacks," Weah told radio reporters after the match. Liberia joined Nigeria at the top of the group standings, leaving Ghana's high hopes of a first-ever World Cup finals appearance in tatters.

Three other players from struggling French club Marseille featured in wins over the weekend. A hat-trick by Ibrahima Bakayoko steered Ivory Coast to a 3-1 win away at Madagascar on Saturday and took to six his own tally of World Cup goals in this qualifying campaign. But the Ivorians still trail Tunisia in group D after the north Africans scored an invaluable 2-1 away win at Congo in Pointe Noire on Sunday. Djamel Benmadi scored Algeria's goal in a narrow win over Namibia in group C on Friday while Pierre Issa, who is headed from Marseille to Chelsea in England on loan, featured in South Africa's 1-0 win over Burkina Faso in Rustenburg on Saturday.

KANU RETURNS Nwankwo Kanu marked his return to the Nigerian side with a goal from the penalty spot in a 3-0 triumph over Sudan in Port Harcourt on Saturday. The Arsenal striker had been at odds with the Nigerian Football Association after refusing to play in last year's Olympic Games. Kanu's return was overshadowed somewhat by two goals for Victor Agali, taking his tally to three in two international appearances after scoring on his debut for Nigeria two weeks ago. African Footballer of the Year Patrick Mboma scored his fifth goal of the qualifying campaign as Cameroon kept up their 100 percent record in group A with a 2-0 win at Togo. It was a second away win for the Indomitable Lions, playing a first match under new coach Jean-Paul Akono, and put them five points ahead in the group. "We had a difficult game but achieved our objective. But there are still a lot of games to play. Luckily the players are determined to qualify," he said.

Morocco held Egypt to a vital goalless draw in Cairo in the key group C tie as the striking form of the world's most capped international Hossam Hassan continued to desert him. Hassan was replaced in the second half of his 155th international, wich proved to be a game of few chances for either side.

Guinea had their 100 percent record in group E ended at home when Malawi converted a second-half penalty for a surprise 1-1 draw. They lead South Africa by a point but have played one match more.