Wild finishing restricted dominant Nigeria to a 2-1 victory over Congo Brazzaville at the weekend in a dramatic 2016 Rio Olympic Games football qualifier.

Villain-cum-hero Junior Ajayi scored both goals for the Nigerian ‘Dream Team’ early in the second half before a capacity 40,000 crowd in south-east city Port Harcourt.

But Moise Nkounkou snatched a potentially crucial away goal on 66 minutes to leave the third-round tie on a knife edge.

Celebrated France-born Congo coach Claude Le Roy is hoping to take a team to the Olympics for the first time after a success-filled career with various African countries.

In other first legs, Algeria defeated Sierra Leone 2-0, Morocco edged Tunisia 1-0 and Zimbabwe and South Africa drew 1-1 in a competition restricted to under-23 footballers.

A combination of woeful shooting, brave defending and excellent goalkeeping by Congolese giant Christoffer Mafoumbi kept the Port Harcourt match goalless until half-time.

Ajayi was guilty of the worst miss, blazing over from close range at a stadium named after Adokiye Amiesimaka, a retired Nigerian football star who was among the crowd.

But the striker atoned three minutes after half-time when he poked a loose ball into the net after Mafoumbi failed to grasp a low Godwin Saviour cross.

Rattled Congo were two goals behind six minutes later as Ajayi sneaked unnoticed into the six-yard box and nodded home a cross after Etor Daniel beat out-of-position Mafoumbi to the ball.

Nigeria attacked relentlessly, seeking more goals and a tie-clinching lead ahead of the early August return match in Atlantic city Pointe-Noire.

They had a legitimate penalty appeal for hand-ball rejected by the Kenyan referee and Congolese Junior Makiesse was lucky to escape with a yellow card after a horrific foot-up foul.

Congo halved the deficit against the run of play as Nigerian goalkeeper Daniel Emmanuel cleared the ball with his leg and Nkounkou dashed in to score.

Zimbabwe were fortunate to escape with a draw after South Africa created more chances on an artificial Rufaro Stadium pitch in Harare.

Keegan Dolly gave the visitors a 67th-minute lead that was cancelled when Walter Musona converted a penalty seven minutes from time.

Abdelhakim Amokrane scored twice within 21 minutes of the kick-off as Algeria achieved a convincing victory over Sierra Leone at Stade Mustapha Tchaker in Blida near Algiers.

Far superior Morocco pipped Tunisia in Rabat thanks to an Achraf Bencherki penalty on the stroke of half-time at Stade Moulay Hassan.

The seven third-round winners advance to a November 28-December 12 tournament with hosts Senegal and the top-three finishers qualifying for the Rio Olympics.