Tunisia and Morocco have joined Nigeria as Africa’s representatives at next year’s World Cup in Russia. Tunisia played a goalless draw at home against neighbours Libya on Saturday to book a place in Russia. .

Morocco qualified for the finals for the first time in two decades after securing a vital win over Cote d’Ivoire in their last World Cup qualifier.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that goals from defenders Nabil Dirar and Medhi Benatia handed Morocco a 2-0 away win in Abidjan.

Morocco needed only a draw in their last group game to finish top of the Group C standings in the African preliminaries, ahead of the Ivorians, who had to win to clinch a fourth successive World Cup finals appearance.

But after weathering an early storm, including a potential penalty call, Morocco scored two goals in the space of five minutes to put themselves on their way to the finals, in which they last appeared in 1998, in France.

Tunisia finished on 14 points in Group A of the African preliminaries, one ahead of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The central Africans fell short in spite of a 3-1 win over Guinea in Kinshasa at the same time.

Unbeaten Tunisia, who have been to four previous World Cup finals, are the first African country to win a game at the finals in 1978.