Togo fans are dreaming of a first-ever trip to the World Cup finals

Togo maintained their slender lead atop Group One of World Cup and Cup of Nations qualifying when drawing 2-2 with Senegal in Dakar on Saturday.

The valuable point gives Togo seventeen in the group, just one point above Zambia, who beat Mali 2-1 in Chililabombwe earlier in the day.

Senegal's Teranga Lions, who reached the quarter-finals of the last World Cup, lie third with fifteen points.

In Sunday's match, Congo beat Liberia 2-0 in Monrovia and so stay fourth in the group, five points behind the Senegalese who let a 2-1 lead slip in Dakar.

Togo's Hawks stunned the home crowd in the Leopold Songhor stadium after just ten minutes when Adekamni Olufade swooped to open the scoring.

The advantage was short-lived as the Senegalese turned an incident-packed first half around with two goals in nine minutes.

Mamadou Niang equalised for Senegal four minutes after Olufade's opener when he dribbled through Togo's normally iron defence and then Henri Camara fired past Hawks goalkeeper Kossi Agassa for a 2-1 lead.

With just seventeen minutes left, Sheyi Adebayor capitalised on an error in the Senegalese rearguard to find the back of the net from close range and so give Togo, a nation of just five million inhabitants, every chance of appearing in their first ever World Cup finals.

Group One table

Stephen Keshi's side, who were given little chance of qualifying before the Group One campaign began, will qualify for Germany next year if they can beat Liberia and Congo in their last two ties.

Meanwhile, Zambia edged Senegal into second place after the Chipolopolo ended Mali's hopes of reaching Egypt 2006.

Linos Chalwe opened the scoring for the home side after 25 minutes before Soumaila Coulibaly brought the Malians, semi-finalists at last year's Nations Cup, level late in the second half.

With just minutes left, Zambia's dangerous targetman Collins Mbesuma wrapped up all three points when he struck a dramatic late winner.

Mali, who have five points, trail third-placed Senegal by ten points and, with just two games left, can no longer qualify for the Nations Cup.

In Monrovia, Ngandzoua proved Congo's hero against Liberia as he scored goals in both halves to keep his team's slender Nations Cup hopes alive.