African giants look to walk tall as day of truth dawns

SEVEN teams will keep alive their hopes of playing at the World Cup in African qualifying’s final round of group games this weekend, with continental champions Nigeria, coached by the wily Stephen Keshi, and Ghana not yet assured of progression.

Also facing nervous last-round matchups are Cameroon, Senegal and Tunisia, while minnows Ethiopia and Republic of Congo are in position to qualify for the final playoffs at the expense of South Africa and African Cup runner-up, Burkina Faso respectively.

Top-ranked African team Ivory Coast, Egypt and Algeria have already reached the 10-team playoffs in October and November that will complete the twoyear process to decide which five teams from Africa go to Brazil.

Malawi, Zambia, Libya, Uganda and Cape Verde Islands hope to overtake some of the other top teams later on.

Ghana and Zambia opened the final round of group games yesterday in Group D, the first of a host of winnertake-all games to end the main qualifying stage. Also, Tunisia hosts Cape Verde for the right to qualify from Group B, the Nigerians need a point at home against Malawi in Group F and four-time African champion, Cameroon must hold off a challenge from Libya when they meet to decide Group I.

Senegal play closest challengers Uganda in Group J’s climax in neutral Marrakech with just a point between them. It also would be Ghana’s last act in qualifying if they lose.

Cameroon were boosted when Fifa awarded them a victory over Togo because the Togolese fielded an ineligible player in an earlier qualifier. — SapaAFP