28 March 2011
Qualifying for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations has reached the halfway mark in all pools bar Group K, which is now well advanced.
Here is the low-down on how things ave gone so far:
GROUP A
Cape Verde are the surprise leaders with seven points their three matches, which includes a fantastic 1-0 victory over Mali on the opening day. The Maliens have recovered since then with two wins and it is now a straight shoot-out between those two for a place at the finals. Their match-up in
September looks to be the crucial date. Liberia and Zimbabwe have both struggled.
Likely qualifiers: Mali
Remaining fixtures:
03-06/06/11: Liberia v Cape Verde; Zimbabwe v Mali
02-04/09/11: Mali v Cape Verde; Zimbabwe v Liberia
07-09/10/11: Liberia v Mali; Cape Verde v Zimbabwe
GROUP B
Another group that is a straight shoot-out between two nations. Guinea’s surprise draw in Madagascar in the last round of fixtures has allowed Nigeria back into contention, with the Super Eagles now just a point behind Guinea. It looks as though it will go down to the wire with Nigeria hosting their rivals in the final day of qualifying in October.
Likely qualifiers: Nigeria
Remaining fixtures
03-06/06/11: Ethiopia v Nigeria; Guinea v Madagascar
02-04/09/11: Madagascar v Nigeria; Guinea v Ethiopia
07-09/10/11: Ethiopia v Madagascar; Nigeria v Guinea
GROUP C
Zambia have taken this pool by the scruff of the neck with their fine 2-0 win in Mozambique on Sunday, but their major challenge will come from Libya, who take on Comoros later on Monday. Mozambque are not out of it though and have enough quality to make life difficult for both the front-runners, though they do play Zambia and Libya away from home.
Likely qualifiers: Zambia
Remaining fixtures
03-06/06/11: Zambia v Mozambique ; Comoros v Libya
02-04/09/11: Libya v Mozambique; Comoros v Zambia
07-09/10/11: Zambia v Libya; Mozambique v Comoros
GROUP D
This fascinating pool is very much up for grabs with all four teams locked on four points at the halfway stage. Central African Republic lead on goal-difference and with two home games to come might be dreaming of the most unlikely of qualifications. But more likely is that Algeria or Morocco come to the fire and their fixture in June in Morocco could be the pivotal one in the group.
Likely qualifiers: Algeria
Remaining fixtures
03-06/06/11: Morocco v Algeria ; Central African Republic v Tanzania
02-04/09/11: Tanzania v Algeria ; Central African Republic v Morocco
07-09/10/11: Morocco v Tanzania ; Algeria v Central African Republic
GROUP E
Senegal took an iron grip on this pool with a 1-0 victory over Cameroon on Saturday as Demba Ba netted an injury-time goal. They lead by five points and with the way they have been playing of late, that looks too great a margin for the Indomitable Lions to make up. They need Senegal to either slip-up at home to DR Congo or away to Mauritius. Neither looks likely.
Likely qualifiers: Senegal
Remaining fixtures
03-06/06/11: Mauritius v DR Congo ; Cameroon v Senegal
02-04/09/11: Senegal v DR Congo ; Cameroon v Mauritius
07-09/10/11: Mauritius v Senegal; DR Congo v Cameroon
GROUP F
This pool is Burkina Faso’s to lose now after they took a three-point lead with victory over Namibia at the weekend. Reduced to just three teams following the withdrawal of Mauritania before the qualifiers began, Gambia need to make up a three-point gap on the Burkinabe with both sides set to travel to Namibia still. Then there is a potential showdown in Gambia in October
Likely qualifiers: Burkina Faso
Remaining fixtures
03-06/06/11: Namibia v Burkina Faso
02-04/09/11: Namibia v Gambia
07-09/10/11: Gambia v Burkina Faso
GROUP G
South Africa and Niger appear to be the only likely qualifiers from this pool after Egypt slumped to defeat against Bafana Bafana at the weekend to leave them six points adrift of qualification with three games still to go. Even if they beat South Africa in June, they would likely need to win in Sierra Leone and at home to Niger to have a chance, and on current form that looks unlikely. On their day, any team can beat any other in this pool, especially with home ground advantage being so crucial to all sides.
Likely qualifiers: South Africa
Remaining fixtures
03-06/06/11: Egypt v South Africa; Sierra Leone v Niger
02-04/09/11: Niger v South Africa; Sierra Leone v Egypt
07-09/10/11: Egypt v Niger; South Africa v Sierra Leone
GROUP H
Cote d’Ivoire took a form grasp of this pool with a 2-1 victory over Benin on Sunday and it is very difficult to see how they will relinquish it from here. They lead Benin by five points and it would be a major surprise were they to falter enough to lose top spot.
Likely qualifiers: Cote d’Ivoire
Remaining fixtures
03-06/06/11: Benin v Cote d’Ivoire; Burundi v Rwanda
02-04/09/11: Rwanda v Cote d’Ivoire; Burundi v Benin
07-09/10/11: Benin v Rwanda; Cote d’Ivoire v Burundi
GROUP I
This pool is a straight shoot-out between Ghana and Sudan and could hardly be tighter with both teams sitting on seven points at the top of the table, and both yet to conceded a goal. Ghana’s next two matches are at home, but they still need to go to Khartoum on the final day, which could be the decider.
Likely qualifiers: Ghana
Remaining fixtures
03-06/06/11: Swaziland v Sudan ; Ghana v Congo
02-04/09/11: Congo v Sudan; Ghana v Swaziland
07-09/10/11: Swaziland v Congo; Sudan v Ghana
GROUP J
This pool has a very open look about it and even last-placed Angola must feel like they are still in with a chance. That is because any team can beat any other on their day and with no clear favourite, it is perhaps Uganda who hold the slender advantage, especially with two home games remaining.
Likely qualifiers: Uganda
Remaining fixtures
03-06/06/11: Uganda v Guinea Bissau; Angola v Kenya
02-04/09/11: Kenya v Guinea Bissau; Angola v Uganda
07-09/10/11: Uganda v Kenya; Guinea Bissau v Angola
GROUP K
Botswana have already sealed one of the two qualification places from this pool, leaving Tunisia and Malawi to fight over the second. The Malawians have a two-point lead at this stage and so have their destiny in their own hands, especially as they host Tunisia in Blantyre.
Likely qualifiers: Botswana, Tunisia
Remaining fixtures
03-05/06/11: Tunisia v Chad; Botswana v Malawi
02-04/09/11: Malawi v Tunisia; Togo v Botswana
07-09/10/11: Chad v Malawi; Tunisia v Togo
