Downpour spoils South Sudan World Cup debut

Officials hope to resume play Thursday morning at the national stadium in the capital city of the youngest African nation, which gained independence from Sudan four years ago.

South Sudanese supporters last month celebrated a first victory for the national football team -- 1-0 at home to Equatorial Guinea in a 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.

That success raised hopes that their World Cup debut, in the first leg of a first-round eliminator against rivals 55 places higher on the world rankings, could bring more success.

But a capacity crowd packed into the rudimentary Juba stadium on a grey East African afternoon were silenced after just three minutes when Boubacar Bagili scored for the Mauritanians.

The gloom lasted only two minutes, though, before Dominic Abui Pretino equalised, sparking wild celebrations as the weather worsened.

The match officials abandoned play soon after with no sign of the downpour ending.

Tanzania beat Malawi 2-0 in Dar es Salaam, Burundi edged the Seychelles 1-0 in Roche Caiman and Comoros and Lesotho drew 0-0 in Moroni in other first legs.

Mbwana Samata and Thomas Ulimwengu transferred to Tanzania their good form with CAF Champions League finalists TP Mazembe from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Samata put the Taifa Stars ahead after 19 minutes off a pass from Ulimwengu, who scored the second goal four minutes later at the Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium.

The slow-starting Malawians came closest to scoring before Samata darted on to a pass across the box and pushed the ball past onrushing goalkeeper Simplex Nthala.

A surprise returnee to the national team after a lengthy ban, Nthala gifted the second goal to Tanzania by spilling a low cross.

He was spared the embarrassment of an own-goal, however, when Ulimwengu raced in to poke the ball over the line.

Ulimwengu and Samata, who scored three of the four goals that took Mazembe past Al Merrikh of Sudan in a Champions League semi-final this month, had second-half chances to increase the lead.

The woodwork foiled a far-post Ulimwengu header and Samata shot weakly from close range in stoppage time with only Nthala to beat.

Fiston Abdul Razak from South African club Mamelodi Sundowns scored after 15 minutes to bring Burundi success in the Seychelles.

Lesotho survived the late red-carding of goalkeeper Mohau Kuenane, leaving Comoros still seeking a first World Cup win after four consecutive losses in two previous attempts. 

Sao Tome e Principe host Ethiopia and Liberia have home advantage over Guinea-Bissau Thursday when the qualifiers continue.

Kenya led by three goals in Mauritius, then conceded twice before finishing strongly for a 5-2 win that all but assured qualification for the second knockout round during November.

Johanna Omolo bagged a brace for the Harambee Stars, who scored five goals in a World Cup qualifier for the first time at the 65th attempt.