Nigeria's World Cup qualifying hopes dealt major late blow; Egypt, Morocco move closer

Nigeria conceded a last-minute goal in a major blow to its World Cup qualifying hopes on Tuesday, when Egypt and Morocco all but booked their places at next year's tournament.

Zizo’s goal was enough for unbeaten Egypt's 1-0 win over Sierra Leone in Cairo, while Morocco looks assured of qualifying with a nine-point lead over its rivals after a 2-0 win over Tanzania.

Real Madrid’s Brahim Díaz scored a penalty after Nayef Aguerd broke the deadlock on a rebound for Morocco’s fifth win from five games in Group E.

Zizo struck just before the break for Egypt to maintain a five-point lead over Burkina Faso, which had defeated Guinea-Bissau 2-1 on Monday in Group A.

Zimbabwe’s Tawanda Chirewa scored in the final minute to silence the home fans in Uyo, Nigeria as the visitors claimed a 1-1 draw.

Nigeria star Victor Osimhen put the Super Eagles on course to claim just their second win in Group C after Friday’s 2-0 victory over Rwanda had rekindled Nigeria's qualification hopes.

But the 21-year-old Chirewa, a late substitute, equalized in the 90th to earn Zimbabwe's draw.

Meanwhile, South Africa defeated Benin 2-0 to consolidate the top spot. Bafana Bafana leads with 13 points from six rounds, five clear of Rwanda (which drew with Lesotho 1-1) and Benin. Nigeria stayed fourth in the group with just seven points.

Only the nine group winners secure automatic qualification. The four best-placed runners-up will compete to be the African contender in FIFA's six-country playoff for the last two qualification spots at the World Cup next year in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Wolfsburg forward Mohammed Amoura scored a hat trick as Algeria defeated Mozambique 5-1 to open a three-point lead over the visitors in Group G. Guinea's qualification hopes are all but over after a 1-0 loss to Uganda, the team's third defeat leaving it eight points behind Algeria in fifth.

Cape Verde remained top of Group D with a 2-1 win in Angola, though Cameroon responded with Vincent Aboubakar scoring twice in a 3-1 win over Libya. Cape Verde stayed a point ahead of Cameroon.

Sudan lost control of Group B with David Sebit scoring in stoppage time to earn South Sudan a 1-1 draw.

It allowed both Congo and Senegal to take advantage, which they did with 2-0 wins over Mauritania and Togo, respectively.

Congo moved top of Group B on 13 points, one ahead of unbeaten Senegal and Sudan. Sudan dropped to third on goal difference.

Ghana moved atop Group I by scoring a total of eight goals in back-to-back wins over Chad and Madagascar, helping ease the disappointment of failing to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations in November.

Otto Addo’s team eased to a 5-0 rout of Chad in Accra on Friday, then enjoyed a 3-0 win over Madagascar on Monday to seize control of the group.

Comoros, the surprise early leader, stayed three points behind Ghana on Tuesday with a 1-0 win over Chad.

Ivory Coast needed goalkeeper Yahia Fofana at his best as it held on for a 1-0 win over Gambia on Monday to stay a point above Gabon atop Group F.

Sébastien Haller’s early goal was enough for the Elephants to win in Abidjan, keeping the team top after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had scored twice for Gabon to beat Kenya 2-1.

Ivory Coast, the reigning Africa Cup champion, had previously beaten Burundi 1-0 in Morocco on Friday, while Gabon had a 3-0 win over the Seychelles on Thursday.

Tunisia consolidated top spot in Group H on Monday with two late goals to beat Malawi 2-0.

Four rounds of qualifiers remain.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Morocco's Brahim Díaz celebrates after scoring the second goal during the World Cup group E qualifying soccer match between Morocco and Tanzania at the Stade municipal d'Oujda, Morocco, Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (AP Photo)

Morocco's Brahim Díaz celebrates after scoring the second goal during the World Cup group E qualifying soccer match between Morocco and Tanzania at the Stade municipal d'Oujda, Morocco, Tuesday March 25, 2025. (AP Photo)

Morocco's national team pose for a group photo ahead of Group E qualifying soccer match between Morocco and Tanzania at the Oujda municipal stadium, Morocco, Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (AP Photo)

Morocco's Nayef Aguerd celebrates after scoring the first goal during the World Cup group E qualifying soccer match between Morocco and Tanzania at the Stade municipal d'Oujda, Morocco, Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (AP Photo)

Morocco's El Khannouss Bilal, center, challenges Tanzania's Novatus Dismas Miroshi during the World Cup group E qualifying soccer match between Morocco and Tanzania at the Stade municipal d'Oujda, Morocco, Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (AP Photo)

Tanzania's Mudathiri Yahya Abbas, right, is challenged by Morocco's El Khannouss Bilal during the World Cup group E qualifying soccer match between Morocco and Tanzania at the Stade municipal d'Oujda, Morocco, Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (AP Photo)

Morocco's Saibari Ismael attempts a shot during the World Cup group E qualifying soccer match between Morocco and Tanzania at the Stade municipal d'Oujda, Morocco, Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (AP Photo)

Morocco's Brahim Díaz celebrates after scoring the second goal during the World Cup group E qualifying soccer match between Morocco and Tanzania at the Stade municipal d'Oujda, Morocco, Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (AP Photo)

Egypt's Mohamed Eldemerdash, left, challenges Sierra Leone's Alhassan Koroma during a World Cup 2026 qualifying soccer match at Cairo International Stadium, Egypt, Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)

Egypt's Omar Marmoush, passes through Sierra Leone's players during a World Cup 2026 qualifying soccer match at Cairo International Stadium, Egypt, Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)

Egypt's Mohamed Salah, center, and Omar Marmoush, right, celebrate with their team after they score at Sierra Leone's during a World Cup 2026 qualifying soccer match at Cairo International Stadium, Egypt, Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)

Egypt's Abdallah Mostafa, right, jumps for the ball with Sierra Leone's Kawara Momdh during a World Cup 2026 qualifying soccer match at Cairo International Stadium, Egypt, Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)

Egypt's Hassan Mahmoud, right, challenges for the ball with Sierra Leone's goalkeeper Sesay during a World Cup 2026 qualifying soccer match at Cairo International Stadium, Egypt, Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran wants to negotiate with Washington after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic over its bloody crackdown on protesters, a move coming as activists said Monday the death toll in the nationwide demonstrations rose to at least 544.

Iran had no immediate reaction to the news, which came after the foreign minister of Oman — long an interlocutor between Washington and Tehran — traveled to Iran this weekend. It also remains unclear just what Iran could promise, particularly as Trump has set strict demands over its nuclear program and its ballistic missile arsenal, which Tehran insists is crucial for its national defense.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, speaking to foreign diplomats in Tehran, insisted “the situation has come under total control” in fiery remarks that blamed Israel and the U.S. for the violence, without offering evidence.

“That’s why the demonstrations turned violent and bloody to give an excuse to the American president to intervene,” Araghchi said, in comments carried by the Qatar-funded Al Jazeera satellite news network. Al Jazeera has been allowed to report from inside the country live despite the internet being shut off.

Meanwhile Monday, Iran called for pro-government demonstrators to head to the streets in support of the theocracy, a show of force after days of protests directly challenging the rule of 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian state television aired chants from the crowd, who shouted “Death to America!” and “Death to Israel!”

Trump and his national security team have been weighing a range of potential responses against Iran including cyberattacks and direct strikes by the U.S. or Israel, according to two people familiar with internal White House discussions who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

“The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday night. Asked about Iran’s threats of retaliation, he said: “If they do that, we will hit them at levels that they’ve never been hit before.”

Trump said that his administration was in talks to set up a meeting with Tehran, but cautioned that he may have to act first as reports of the death toll in Iran mount and the government continues to arrest protesters.

“I think they’re tired of being beat up by the United States,” Trump said. “Iran wants to negotiate.”

He added: “The meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what’s happening before the meeting. But a meeting is being set up. Iran called, they want to negotiate.”

Iran through country's parliamentary speaker warned Sunday that the U.S. military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America uses force to protect demonstrators.

More than 10,600 people also have been detained over the two weeks of protests, said the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate in previous unrest in recent years and gave the death toll. It relies on supporters in Iran crosschecking information. It said 496 of the dead were protesters and 48 were with security forces.

With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the toll. Iran’s government has not offered overall casualty figures.

Those abroad fear the information blackout is emboldening hard-liners within Iran’s security services to launch a bloody crackdown. Protesters flooded the streets in the country’s capital and its second-largest city on Saturday night into Sunday morning. Online videos purported to show more demonstrations Sunday night into Monday, with a Tehran official acknowledging them in state media.

In Tehran, a witness told the AP that the streets of the capital empty at the sunset call to prayers each night. By the Isha, or nighttime prayer, the streets are deserted.

Part of that stems from the fear of getting caught in the crackdown. Police sent the public a text message that warned: “Given the presence of terrorist groups and armed individuals in some gatherings last night and their plans to cause death, and the firm decision to not tolerate any appeasement and to deal decisively with the rioters, families are strongly advised to take care of their youth and teenagers.”

Another text, which claimed to come from the intelligence arm of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, also directly warned people not to take part in demonstrations.

“Dear parents, in view of the enemy’s plan to increase the level of naked violence and the decision to kill people, ... refrain from being on the streets and gathering in places involved in violence, and inform your children about the consequences of cooperating with terrorist mercenaries, which is an example of treason against the country,” the text warned.

The witness spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity due to the ongoing crackdown.

The demonstrations began Dec. 28 over the collapse of the Iranian rial currency, which trades at over 1.4 million to $1, as the country’s economy is squeezed by international sanctions in part levied over its nuclear program. The protests intensified and grew into calls directly challenging Iran’s theocracy.

Nikhinson reported from aboard Air Force One.

In this frame grab from video obtained by the AP outside Iran, a masked demonstrator holds a picture of Iran's Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi during a protest in Tehran, Iran, Friday, January. 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)

In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran shows protesters taking to the streets despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026.(UGC via AP)

In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran showed protesters once again taking to the streets of Tehran despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world in Tehran, Iran, Saturday Jan. 10, 2026. (UGC via AP)