MAURITANIA
The primary reason Mauritania emerged from almost nowhere to qualify for the last AFCON finals was the time that coach Corentin Martins was given to build the side.
It was the antithesis of the short tenures that usually characterise coaching African national teams and Mauritania were able to reap the rewards.
Former French international Martins went on to qualify the country for a second successive finals, losing only one game in their qualifying group, but was then inexplicably fired in October as they performed with far less distinction in World Cup qualifying.
The impact of a knee-jerk reaction from the federation could be a negative one.
KEY PLAYER
French-born 26-year-old
Aboubakar Kamara was also eligible for Senegal but agreed in 2020 to throw in his international prospects with Mauritania. The former Fulham forward, now playing in Greece, adds an improved edge to their attack.
THE COACH
The 52-year-old Frenchman
Didier Gomes Da Rosa was appointed in November, continuing a journeyman career over the last nine years in Africa where he has coached clubs in Algeria, Cameroon, Egypt, Guinea, Rwanda, Sudan and Tanzania.