UGANDA SPOIL ENYEAMA PARTY, BAFANA WIN

Nigeria goalkeeper and captain Vincent Enyeama had his 100-cap celebrations spoilt as visiting Uganda turned party-poopers with a 1-0 international friendly victory.

Farouk Miya, who plays for the Vipers club in Kampala, delivered the stinging blow nine minutes from time in the southern city of Uyo with a deflected close-range shot that looped into the net. Enyeama is the second Nigerian after retired former Everton defender Joseph Yobo to make 100 appearances for the Super Eagles. And he is the fourth African shot-stopper after Egyptians Essam El-Hadary, Nader El-Sayed and Ahmed Shobair to become an international centurion.

Enyeama plays for French Ligue 1 outfit Lille and the 32-year-old is widely regarded as the best current African goalkeeper. Nigeria are rebuilding after failing to qualify for the 2015 CAF Africa Cup of Nations and rarely threatened to score against the well-organised Ugandans also captained by their goalkeeper, Denis Onyango.

The big news before kickoff was Vincent Enyeama starting against the Cranes and earning his 100th cap -- the second Nigerian after Joseph Yobo to ever reach that milestone.

On six minutes, Nigeria had their first shot on target through Anthony Ujah but Ugandan goalkeeper Dennis Onyango saved well with the onrushing Ahmed failing to bury the rebound.

Goalscoring opportunities were few and few between early on in a first half lacking in genuine quality.

On 14 minutes, the Cranes almost opened the scoring but Jeffrey Massa’s free kick was deflected away for a corner.

Uganda continued to probe and in the 18th minute, Chima Akas’s fortuitous blocked almost resulted in an own goal.

Nigeria responded immediately when a decent passing moved freed Steven Ukoh whose rasping shot from outside the box warmed the palms of Onyango.

Massa continued to remain Uganda’s main goal threat early on. He fired in another powerful free kick from a tight angle in the 26th minute but saw his effort fly wide off the target.

Three minutes before the break, Onyango had to be alert to deny Musa a crack at goal as the CSKA man tried to make the most of a defensive error.

The Super Eagles revved the engine after the break. Watford attacker Odion Ighalo was played through by Musa in the 51st minute and after showing impressive upper body strength to create some space, he fired a weak shot which Onyango picked up easily.

Ighalo came close again three minutes later but failed to dance his way past the Ugandan defence before going down in a heap in the penalty area.

Daniel Amokachi rang the changes with Akeem Latifu and KAA Gent forward Moses Simon thrown into the fray.

Simon, playing from the left, began to create spaces with his pace and penetration and came close to scoring twice in a space of two minutes.

Both sides continued to trade chances, but eventually the visitors took the lead following a lightening break.

Miya was at the end of a sweeping team move and his goal-bound effort was deflected by Akeem Latifu past a stranded Enyeama who desperately tried to stop the ball from hitting the back of the net.

Aaron Samuel was thrown into the fray as a late substitute in place of the misfiring Ighalo, but the Cranes held out for a richly-deserved win.

South Africa, who host Nigeria on Sunday in another friendly, warmed up with a predictable 3-1 away victory over neighbours Swaziland. A Swazi club last month stunned South African opponents in an CAF tie, but there was to be no repeat at Somhlolo Stadium in Lobamba.

Thulani Hlatshwayo, skippering Bafana Bafana (The Boys) for the first time, and debutant Thabo Mnyamane scored early second-goals. Felix Badenhorst halved the deficit only for Mandla Masango to put the outcome beyond doubt with a third South African goal.

Gabon pipped Mali 4-3 in a thriller at Stade Pierre Basson in the northern French city of Beauvais with Bruno Ecuele Manga snatching the last-minute match-winner. Borussia Dortmund goal-poacher Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, runner-up to Côte d'Ivoire and Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure in the 2014 CAF Footballer of the Year poll, scored twice for Gabon. French coach Alain Giresse was in charge of Mali for the first time since rejoining the Eagles after a spell with Senegal. 

Porto striker Vincent Aboubakar poked a cut-back into the net on 36 minutes to earn Cameroon a 1-0 victory in Indonesia. Cameroon 1990 FIFA World Cup™ legend Roger Milla labelled the fixture "humiliating", saying the four-time African champions should be playing better quality opposition.

Burundi equalised twice to draw 2-2 in Mauritius and prevent French coach Didier Six celebrating his debut in charge of the Indian Ocean islanders with a victory. Andy Sophie put the Mauritians ahead on ten minutes and Burundi levelled through a penalty before Bruno Ravina restored the lead midway through the opening half.

A 2-0 home win for Botswana over fellow southern Africa nation Lesotho completed a six-friendly schedule designed to prepare teams for the June kick-off of the 2017 CAF Cup of Nations qualifiers.