23 nations fight for 11 CAF berths

Tiny Lesotho could make cut

Lowly ranked Burundi and Lesotho are among 23 countries chasing 11 places at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations tournament during the final qualifying round in March. The penultimate series of matches at the weekend ended with 13 countries, including first-time qualifiers Mauritania, securing places and former champions Zambia eliminated. Burundi need a point at home against fellow contenders Gabon; while Lesotho require a win in Cape Verde to be certain of reaching the finals of the newly expanded 24-nation tournament in Cameroon. The Burundian Swallows are ranked 40th and Lesotho Crocodiles 43rd of 54 African football nations. While Burundi are on the rise with six-goal Fiston Abdul Razak the joint leading scorer in qualifying, Gabon have been struggling with the team’s star, PierreEmerick Aubameyang missing matches.

The Arsenal striker did not travel to South Sudan because he was unhappy with the state of the chartered plane, and an injury ruled him out of the weekend home loss to Mali. Benin are better placed than Togo and Gambia in a three-way fight between the west African teams to join 1990 champions Algeria at the finals.

Only a win will suffice for Libya, while SA need one point when the teams clash to determine who goes through along with three-time champions Nigeria.

The Fifa ban of Sierra Leone because of government interference continues to cloud a group in which Ghana and Kenya appear the likely qualifiers. Zimbabwe and the thirdplace Democratic Republic of Congo play at home in the final round and are widely expected to defeat Congo Brazzaville and Liberia respectively and qualify.

The historic qualification of Mauritania leaves second-placed Angola and 2013 Cup of Nations runners-up Burkina Faso competing for the other berth. Despite winning twice against 2012 champions Zambia, Mozambique are likely to be the losers in a three-way contest with Guinea-Bissau and Namibia for two places. –