Surprise World Cup group leaders Togo, Côte d’Ivoire and Angola face awkward assignments this weekend as they pursue first appearances at the international football showpiece.
Togo are away to second-placed Senegal in Group 1, Côte d’Ivoire entertain resurgent Egypt in Group 3 and Angola visit second-placed Nigeria in Group 4 as the 10-round qualifying programme reaches the eighth series of fixtures.
Group 2 frontrunners South Africa host close challengers Ghana in another crucial clash while long-time Group 5 pacesetters Morocco play at mid-table Kenya.
Unbeaten in six cup matches, Nigerian coach Stephen Keshi takes the Togolese Hawks to Dakar with a two-point lead and a draw will keep the tiny west African nation on top even if third-placed Zambia win at home to Mali.
”Getting Togo to the World Cup is a big dream, but you have to think of reaching the sky if you want to get anywhere,” says the captain of the 1994 Nigeria World Cup squad.
Senegal provided the shock of the 2002 World Cup qualifiers, topping a pool including traditional giants Egypt and Morocco, and they went on to reach the quarter-finals with defending champions France among their victims.
But the departure of flamboyant French coach Bruno Metsu, the lengthy ban of star striker El Hadji Diouf and the sidelining of midfield conductor Khalilou Fadiga with a heart complaint left the Teranga Lions toothless at times.
A Senegalese side coached by French disciplinarian Guy Stephan are still the masters of their destiny, though, as wins over Togo, Zambia (away) and Mali (home) will seal first place and a passport to the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
Côte d’Ivoire have led more fancied Cameroon and Egypt since the second round, but a 0-0 draw in Libya this month saw their lead cut to two points over the Indomitable Lions with the Pharaohs a further point adrift.
After winning only two of five qualifiers, Egypt replaced Italian coach Marco Tardelli with local Hassan Shehata and the impact was immediate as Libya and Sudan suffered heavy losses in Cairo.
Now comes the acid test for Shehata as North African teams often battle amid vastly different conditions on and off the field in sub-Saharan Africa and Côte d’Ivoire possess a deadly strike force of Aruna Dindane and Didier Drogba.
Cameroon host Libya in Yaounde and should collect maximum points in their quest for a fifth consecutive appearance at the World Cup, a feat no African nation has achieved.
Angola and Nigeria have 14 points each with the former on top because their head-to-head record is superior thanks to an unexpected 1-0 victory in Luanda last year, courtesy of a late goal by Qatar-based Fabrice ”Akwa” Maieco.
Lucky to leave lowly Rwanda with a 1-1 draw in the previous round, the Nigerian Super Eagles have recalled the England-based duo of midfielder ”Jay-Jay” Okocha and striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni.
It is a pragmatic move by coach Christian Chukwu, who had earlier talked tough, but did a U-turn after a woeful showing in Kigali where a late equaliser from Inter Milan striker Obafemi Martins spared blushes.
Nigeria boast a 100% home record in the competition and should overcome goal-shy opponents who held Algeria and Gabon and lost to Zimbabwe in other away qualifiers.
South Africa will hope the absence of injured goalkeeper Hans Vonk will not lead to further misery as Ghana took advantage of his absence from the first meeting to fashion a surprisingly easy 3-0 triumph in Kumasi.
Raw replacement Moeneeb Josephs was badly exposed and this time English coach Stuart Baxter is set to choose more experienced Calvin Marlin from Pretoria-based SuperSport United.
Bafana Bafana (The Boys) also lack suspended striker Benni McCarthy, but there are timely returns after injury by Manchester United midfielder Quinton Fortune and Charlton Athletic striker Shaun Bartlett.
Midfielders Stephen Appiah of Italian champions Juventus and in-demand Michael Essien of French champions Lyon will play pivotal roles for the Black Stars, who have been preparing in Kenya for the high altitude of Johannesburg.
Star Kenya striker Dennis Oliech could face Morocco in Nairobi after reportedly abandoning plans to boycott the Harambee Stars over the alleged non-payment of travel expenses.
Morocco are the only unbeaten team among the 30 competing and with African Nations Cup title holders Tunisia just one point behind, the pressure is on Atlas Lions coach Badou Zaki to secure maximum points.
The five group winners qualify for the World Cup from June 9 to July 9 while the top three in each pool secure places at the African Nations Cup between January 20 and February 10 in Egypt. ‒ Sapa-AFP