Struggle for WC survival hots up

JOHANNESBURG – The struggle for places in the final African qualifying phase for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa reaches a climax this weekend with 16 places up for grabs.

Mighty Cameroon and Nigeria and minnows Benin and Rwanda are certain to be among the 20 survivors, leaving a host of teams fighting to advance either as one the 12 group winners or best eight runners-up. Adding to the intrigue is the need after the final table to scrap results of second-placed teams against those finishing bottom in the four-team pools because two mini-leagues have been reduced to three challengers.Nations are likely to need at least six points to feature among the best runners-up and the Cape Verde Islands, Angola, Sierra Leone and Botswana could be the unlucky quartet who finish second but are eliminated.Amid all the uncertainty, South Africa cannot make it to the next stage and while guaranteed a World Cup place as hosts, they will miss the Nations Cup for the first time in 16 years.* Angola, shock qualifiers for the 2006 World Cup at the expense of Nigeria, are also in danger of missing the cut although they will be among the 16 Nations Cup qualifiers as hosts.* Leaders Cameroon cannot be caught and should conquer visiting Mauritius without much difficulty, but Cape Verde must win away against resurgent Tanzania to have a realistic change of taking a runners-up berth.* Guinea will top table if they demonstrate strength at home again by beating surprise pacesetters Kenya, who are also likely to advance.If Guinea lose, Zimbabwe could squeeze through by winning in Namibia.* Benin won a group expected to be dominated by Angola, who should prove too strong for Niger in Luanda and finish second while the only hope for Uganda is to defeat the leaders in Kampala and hope the Angolan Black Antelopes slip.* South Africa will complete a miserable campaign by finishing last if they lose away to equally disappointing Equatorial Guinea and although Sierra Leone have done superbly under trying conditions, a win in Nigeria seems unlikely.* An intriguing finale with leaders Libya, Gabon and 2006 World Cup qualifiers Ghana fighting for a top-two finish.Ghana should crush visiting Lesotho and Libya need a draw in Gabon to remain first and eliminate the central Africans.* Another thrilling climax in prospect with Gambia and Senegal just one point below Algeria, who are away to lowly Liberia while the other two contenders square off in Dakar in a pool set to provide two qualifiers.* Didier Drogba-less Ivory Coast should maintain a 100 per cent home record by overcoming Madagascar to finish first and allow Botswana to climb from last place into second if they complete a double over underachieving Mozambique.* Morocco and Rwanda are going through and the only issue to be resolved is who finishes first with the odds on the North Africans as they need only beat pointless Mauritania to top the table on goal difference.* Burkina Faso need a point in Burundi to emerge as start-to-finish leaders after kicking off with a shock win in Tunisia, who should also progress after completing their programnme at home to Seychelles.* Mali are favoured to win at home against Chad and progress while Sudan need a two-goal victory over Congo in their Omdurman ‘sauna’ to finish second and stand a good chance of being among qualifiers for third round.* Troubled Togo can make final 20 with Zambia if they overcome the handicap of playing a home fixture in neutral Ghana and defeat limited but spirited Swaziland, who shocked the 2006 World Cup qualifiers four months ago.* A bigger mismatch than six-time Nations Cup winners Egypt against perennial whipping boys Djibouti in Cairo is hard to imagine while Malawi and DR Congo meet in Blantyre with the victors almost certain to advance with the Pharaohs.- Nampa-AFPAdding to the intrigue is the need after the final table to scrap results of second-placed teams against those finishing bottom in the four-team pools because two mini-leagues have been reduced to three challengers.Nations are likely to need at least six points to feature among the best runners-up and the Cape Verde Islands, Angola, Sierra Leone and Botswana could be the unlucky quartet who finish second but are eliminated.Amid all the uncertainty, South Africa cannot make it to the next stage and while guaranteed a World Cup place as hosts, they will miss the Nations Cup for the first time in 16 years.* Angola, shock qualifiers for the 2006 World Cup at the expense of Nigeria, are also in danger of missing the cut although they will be among the 16 Nations Cup qualifiers as hosts.* Leaders Cameroon cannot be caught and should conquer visiting Mauritius without much difficulty, but Cape Verde must win away against resurgent Tanzania to have a realistic change of taking a runners-up berth.* Guinea will top table if they demonstrate strength at home again by beating surprise pacesetters Kenya, who are also likely to advance.If Guinea lose, Zimbabwe could squeeze through by winning in Namibia.* Benin won a group expected to be dominated by Angola, who should prove too strong for Niger in Luanda and finish second while the only hope for Uganda is to defeat the leaders in Kampala and hope the Angolan Black Antelopes slip.* South Africa will complete a miserable campaign by finishing last if they lose away to equally disappointing Equatorial Guinea and although Sierra Leone have done superbly under trying conditions, a win in Nigeria seems unlikely.* An intriguing finale with leaders Libya, Gabon and 2006 World Cup qualifiers Ghana fighting for a top-two finish.Ghana should crush visiting Lesotho and Libya need a draw in Gabon to remain first and eliminate the central Africans.* Another thrilling climax in prospect with Gambia and Senegal just one point below Algeria, who are away to lowly Liberia while the other two contenders square off in Dakar in a pool set to provide two qualifiers.* Didier Drogba-less Ivory Coast should maintain a 100 per cent home record by overcoming Madagascar to finish first and allow Botswana to climb from last place into second if they complete a double over underachieving Mozambique.* Morocco and Rwanda are going through and the only issue to be resolved is who finishes first with the odds on the North Africans as they need only beat pointless Mauritania to top the table on goal difference.* Burkina Faso need a point in Burundi to emerge as start-to-finish leaders after kicking off with a shock win in Tunisia, who should also progress after completing their programnme at home to Seychelles.* Mali are favoured to win at home against Chad and progress while Sudan need a two-goal victory over Congo in their Omdurman ‘sauna’ to finish second and stand a good chance of being among qualifiers for third round.* Troubled Togo can make final 20 with Zambia if they overcome the handicap of playing a home fixture in neutral Ghana and defeat limited but spirited Swaziland, who shocked the 2006 World Cup qualifiers four months ago.* A bigger mismatch than six-time Nations Cup winners Egypt against perennial whipping boys Djibouti in Cairo is hard to imagine while Malawi and DR Congo meet in Blantyre with the victors almost certain to advance with the Pharaohs.- Nampa-AFP