Cape Town — Africans will know in the next five days who will represent them at the 2014 World Cup.
In what promises to be an action-packed few days of qualifying matches, the final 10 teams in contention for the five African slots in Brazil will be decided in the second leg of knock-out games.
The line-up is as follows:
- On Saturday the 17th, the Super Eagles of Nigeria will hope to continue with their fine run as they host bruised Walya Antelopes of Ethiopia in Calabar. The Ethiopians lost the first leg 2-1 in their own backyard.
- The Teranga Lions of Senegal on the other hand will be desperate to overturn a 3-1 away loss to the Elephants of Cote d' Ivoire in Abidjan.
- The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon will be looking for their seventh participation at the World Cup finals by overcoming the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia on Sunday the 18th having drawn on their away leg in Tunis.
- Egypt are scheduled to host a nervous Ghana in Cairo next Tuesday, with the Black Stars worried that insecurity in the troubled country will upset their form after their decisive 6-1 victory against the Pharaohs a month ago.
- The Stallions of Burkina Faso will be be taking a 3-2 home win to Algiers when they tackle Algeria on Tuesday hoping for an away win or at least a favourable draw. The Stallions will definitely be hunting for their first ever ticket to the world soccer showcase.
The African qualifiers for Brazil kicked off in November 2011 with a first round of two-legged knock-out ties between the lowest-ranked 24 teams. The winners joined 28 better-ranked teams for the second round, during which 40 teams playing in 10 groups were whittled down to the 10 playing this weekend.
