Saiss played the full 90 minutes in Morocco’s crucial victory over Gabon. A 3-0 success put them top of their qualifying group, knowing a draw in their final game against Ivory Coast will see them book a World Cup place.
Saiss' fellow midfielder, N’Diaye was an unused substitute as Senegal put themselves in a great position to reach Russia. A 2-0 win over Cape Verde lifted them top of their group with a game in hand on the two teams below them.
However, there was less positive news for Prince Oniangue, who featured for Congo in their latest qualifying defeat. A 2-1 reverse at Egypt left them with just one point from five matches, while victory took Egypt to Russia.
Qualification for the Under-21 European Championships took a dent for Portugal on Tuesday, as they were beaten 3-1 in Bosnia, despite Ruben Neves and Diogo Jota playing the full 90 minutes.
Meanwhile, Republic of Ireland’s Under-21s continued the positive feeling around the county with four points from their latest two qualifiers. A 0-0 draw with Norway last Thursday was followed up with a comprehensive 4-0 success over Israel. Connor Ronan featured as a substitute in the Norway stalemate.
Finally, Morgan Gibbs-White is enjoying himself away with the England Under-17s currently, where victories over Chile and Mexico have seen them qualify for the last 16 of the Under-17s World Cup with a game to go. The defender came off the bench in both wins and will hope for more minutes during the final group game against Iraq on Saturday.
