Chelsea star Didier Drogba scored a 70th-minute goal to help Ivory Coast beat Burkina Faso 3-2 in a World Cup qualifier Saturday.
Aristide Bance scored for Burkina Faso eight minutes later, but the hosts couldn't equalize to overcome Mamadou Tall's 53rd-minute own goal.
The loss cost Burkina Faso its perfect record in Group E. The Stallions fell three points behind the Elephants, who have nine points in three games.
Yaya Toure scored in the 14th for Ivory Coast before Jonathan Pitroapa tied it 13 minutes later.
Drogba was recently suspended for four club matches in Europe because of his outburst toward the referee after Chelsea was eliminated in the semifinals of the Champions League.
In other African qualifiers, Ghana beat Sudan 2-0, Tunisia and Nigeria remained unbeaten with a 0-0 tie, Morocco was held to a 0-0 draw by Togo, Algeria beat Zambia 2-0, and Cameroon's match at Gabon was postponed.
On Sunday, Mali hosts Benin and Guinea hosts Malawi.
Ghana stayed perfect at Omdurman, Sudan, with nine points from three games.
Matthew Amoah of Dutch team NAC Breda scored twice for Ghana to put the Black Stars up six points up on second-place Benin in Group D. Ghana beat the United States to advance out of the group stage in 2006 before losing 3-0 to Brazil.
The top team in each of the five groups qualifies for the 2010 tournament in South Africa.
In Rades, Tunisia, both teams failed to capitalize on a number of chances, leaving Tunisia with seven points, two ahead of Nigeria at the top of Group B.
Nigeria goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama saved a header by Saif Ghezal in the seventh minute, and Michael Eneramo missed a chance for the visitors following a cross from Peter Osaze Odemwingie in the 81st.
In the other Group B game, Kenya got a penalty from Parma's McDonald Mariaga in the 76th minute at Nairobi for a 2-1 win over Mozambique that gave the host its first points in qualifying.
In Rabat, Morocco, Mounir El Hamdaoui missed a penalty in the 32nd minute for the hosts, leaving them third with two points, one back of second-place Togo in Group A. El Hamdaoui led the Dutch league in scoring with 24 goals for champion AZ Alkmaar.
Togo was without suspended Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor.
Group leader Gabon's match with Cameroon was rescheduled for September due to the state funeral of dictator Omar Bongo. Gabon leads the group with six points, Cameroon has one.
Algeria beat host Zambia 2-0 in Chililabombwe on goals by Rangers defender Madjid Bougherra in the 20th minute and Rafik Saifi in the 65th. Algeria leads Group C.
