Celtic star suffers late World Cup pain as ex-Rangers duo shimmer and Hibs players have mixed fortunes

The Swedes thought they had started their Group B campaign with a win after Arsenal striker Victor Gyokores fired them 2-1 ahead towards the end of the second half. However, the Slovenians levelled in stoppage time through Zan Vipotnik to earn a share of the spoils in Ljubljana.

Nygren came on in the 66th minute to win his fifth cap and will hope for more game-time when the Swedes travel to Kosovo on Monday. They already trail Switzerland by two points, who began the qualification campaign with an emphatic 4-0 win over the Kosovans.

In Group L, former Rangers winger Vaclav Cerny was on the scoresheet as he netted in stoppage time to help Czech Republic win 2-0 away at Montenegro. Last season’s loanee Cerny signed for Besiktas last summer and the Czechs sit top of their group, which also contains Croatia, by three points having played five matches.

Dundee United defender Iure Iovu was an unused substitute as Moldova lost 4-0 at home to Israel in Chisinau. They remain bottom of Group I with no points after four games.

In Africa, Hibs defender Jordan Obita played the full 90 minutes for Uganda as they kept their hopes of reaching the World Cup alive with a 4-0 win over Mozambique in Kampala. They sit second in Group G, six points behind leaders Algeria. St Johnstone striker Uche Ikpeazu came on as a late substitute.

Ikpeazu’s clubmate Adama Sidibeh led the line for Gambia in their 3-1 win over Kenya in Nairobi. He laid on assist for Musa Barrow in their Group F triumph, although they cannot catch runaway duo Ivory Coast and Gabon in Group F.

Congo maintain hopes of reaching World Cup

Hibs defender Rocky Bushiri was an unused substitute for DR Congo as they won 4-1 away at South Sudan. Cedric Bakambu scored a double and Yoane Wissa, fresh from his move to Newcastle United from Brentford, was also on target in Juba. The Congolese are one point clear of Senegal with three games to go, and they take on the Senegalese on Monday at home.

In the same Group B, Hibs’ record signing Thibault Klidje started for Togo as they lost 2-0 away at Mauritania in Nouadhibou. They now cannot qualify for the World Cup.

In Group E, former Rangers striker Hamza Igamane came off the bench to score his first goal for his country in a 5-0 win over Niger in Rabat. Igamane, who left the Ibrox side last week for Lille and netted twice on his debut for Les Dogues, also provided a late assist. Morocco will qualify for the World Cup on Monday if they win away at Zambia.

Current Rangers defender Nasser Djiga was an unused sub as Burkina Faso won 6-0 away at Djibouti in Bissau. They remain in second place in Group A, five points behind Egypt.

It was not such a good afternoon for Motherwell forward Tawanda Maswanhise as his Zimbabwe side lost 1-0 to Benin in Group C. They now sit bottom of their pool and are all but eliminated.

Aberdeen winger Nicolas Milanovic won his first cap for Australia as they defeated New Zealand at GIO Stadium in Canberra. The 23-year-old came on in 73rd minute as the Socceroos prevailed in a friendly match thanks to a late goal from Max Balard, another debutant.

Hibs striker Martin Boyle started in attack - his clubmate Jack Iredale was an unused sub - for Australia in a match that was refereed by Scottish official Don Robertson. Motherwell forward Elijah Just was picked for New Zealand.

In the Central American World Cup qualification phase, St Mirren centre-half Richard King played the full match for Jamaica as they started their Group B campaign with a 4-0 win away at Bermuda in Hamilton.