Agencies

Goiania, March 28:

Brazil beat visiting Peru 1-0 in World Cup qualifying on Sunday, and a qualifier at Mali was stopped when fans rioted following a go-ahead goal by Togo in the 90th minute. At Goiania, the World Cup champions struggled to get past Peru’s tight defensive scheme and outshot Peru by only 13-8. Kaka scored in the 73rd minute off a pass from Ronaldo. In South America’s other game, Ecuador rallied to beat visiting Paraguay 5-2, getting two goals each from Edison Mendez and Antonio Valencia. Paraguay had taken a 2-0 lead on Jose Cardoza’s penalty kick in the ninth minute and Salvador Cabanas’ goal in the 14th. Argentina (7-1-4), which won 2-1 on Saturday at Bolivia, leads South American qualifying with 25 points, two ahead of Brazil (6-1-5). Ecuador (6-5-1) is third with 19 points, followed by Paraguay (4-4-4) with 16 and Uruguay (4-5-3) with 15. The top four nations qualify for the 2006 tournament in Germany, and the No 5 team goes to a playoff. The US lost 2-1 at Mexico, where it dropped to 0-22-1. The Americans play on Wednesday against Guatemala.

At Bamako, Mali, fans blocked a main road with flaming tires, and smashed car windows after invading the field. Police fired tear gas as protesters descended on the capital’s main African Unity Avenue and screamed about the play of Mali’s top players. Fans at the packed 70,000-seat stadium saw Mali take the lead on Soumaila Coulibaly’s goal in the 12th minute. But Salifou Mustapha tied the score in the 83rd minute, and Kader Koubadia put Togo ahead 2-1 in the 90th. Police fired tear gas at dozens of angry fans who ran onto the field after the goal. State television cut its live transmission just after police fired the gas canisters.

Thousands of fans, joined by residents who were not at the match, marched to the city centre, setting up barricades of burning tires and throwing rocks and stones at traffic lights, billboards and vehicles. The window of Bamako’s biggest bakery, the Patisserie Almandine, was smashed and the store was looted. One man was eating a cream cake as he carted a chair away on his head. Cell phones, money and cameras were stolen from passers-by. In another qualifier, Achille Webo scored in the 90th minute to give Cameroon a 2-1 win over Sudan. At Yaounde, Geremi Njitap gave Cameroon the lead in the 20th minute from a free kick, but Mugaid Hamed tied it in the 40th. Didier Drogba scored two goals and Bonaventure Kalou added another as Ivory Coast beat Benin 3-0. Ivory Coast leads with 15 points, four ahead of Cameroon. In other games, it was Congo 1, Ghana 1; Egypt 4, Libya 1; Algeria 0, Rwanda 1; and Zimbabwe 2, Angola 0.