South Africa beat Sudan 2-1 last Saturday in their first match since the slaying of captain Senzo Meyiwa to reach the Africa Cup of Nations, where they were joined by Cameroun and Senegal.
Senegal joined Tunisia in qualifying from Group G after they stunned seven-time champions Egypt 1-0 in Cairo. Mame Biram Diouf scored the all-important goal after only eight minutes for Senegal.
They now have 10 points from five matches, a point behind leaders Tunisia, and they could still win the group on Wednesday, when they host bottom team Botswana.
Egypt now need to win in Tunisia to stand any chance of finishing as the best third-placed qualifier.
Islanders Cape Verde won Group F after they beat Niger 3-1. They now have 12 points from five matches, four points more than closest rivals Zambia, who they play away on Wednesday
South Africa top Group A with 11 points from five matches, meaning they will now not be under pressure when they visit Nigeria on Wednesday.
Ajax midfielder Thulani Serero scored his first international goal for South Africa in the 38th minute, when he slotted home a cut-back from inside the box to give Bafana Bafana the lead in Durban, the home city of Meyiwa.
Tokelo Rantie then doubled the advantage in the 53rd minute, when he dribbled his way past his markers before stabbing home past the Sudan goalkeeper.
Sudan pulled a goal back through Al Hilal forward Salah Ibrahim in the 77th minute from close range.
Defending champions Nigeria beat Congo Brazzaville 2-0 to revive their bid to qualify.
Second-half goals by Ikechukwu Uche and Aaron Samuel in Pointe-Noire boosted Nigeria's prospects of making it to Equatorial Guinea, who stepped in as hosts on Friday in place of barred Morocco.
Nigeria now have to beat South Africa in Uyo on Wednesday to ensure automatic qualification regardless of Congo's result in Sudan.
Cameroun edged past DR Congo 1-0 to claim Group D and a spot in the finals courtesy of a 71st-minute winner from Vincent Aboubakar in Yaounde.
Zambia pipped hosts Mozambique 1-0 in Maputo to qualify in Group F with table toppers Cape Verde, while Burkina Faso and Gabon qualified from Group C.
Burkina Faso beat Lesotho 1-0 in Maseru and Gabon held Angola to a goalless draw in Luanda.
Guinea blew open Group E after they trounced Togo 4-1 in Lome, and they now have to beat Uganda by more than a 2-0 scoreline in their final match at home on Wednesday to book their ticket to the finals.
Malawi revived their hopes of qualifying after they beat Mali 2-0 at the Kamuzu Banda Stadium in Blantyre in Group B.
On Wednesday, Mali host Algeria and Malawi are away in Ethiopia.
credit: AFP
