A RECORD 48 African nations have been accepted for the 2002 World Cup qualifying draw in Japan on December 7, the organisers said on Tuesday.
Only Gabon, ranked 14 in Africa by world controlling body FIFA, and minnows Benin, Niger and Guinea Bissau are missing. The deadline for entries is November 30.
Gabon played in the previous three qualifying competitions with little success, but their surprise absence is more likely cash related than any fear of another early exit.
The national championship was suspended several months ago by club owners when the government refused to allocate $325000 to fund the competition.
Benin are in the midst of restructuring their football activities, Niger have not entered continental or world championships for several years and Guinea Bissau are recovering from a civil war.
The previous best African entry was 36 for the 1998 qualifiers, up from 28 in 1994 and 21 in 1990, when the continent made its biggest impact with Roger Milla-inspired Cameroon reaching the quarter-finals.
Qualifying matches begin on March 1 and must be completed by November 11 2001. The 32-nation finals kick off in South Korea on June 1 2002 and end on June 30 in Japan.