• Africa begins journey to 2012

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Sep 04, 2010-

Africa teams resume their qualifying campaign for the 2012 CAF Africa Cup of Nations underway this weekend with 21 matches scheduled across different cities.

The qualifiers began in June, but the majority of the region’s giants will begin their qualifying campaigns this weekend. Only one of the 11 pools kicked off early, because Group K has one more team than all the others, giving Botswana, Chad, Malawi, Togo and Tunisia an early start. They have already been through three rounds of matches and are set to play a fourth.

But the other 39 teams in the preliminary competition are poised to start their bid on Saturday to reach the tournament, which will be co-hosted by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.

Among them are reigning champions Egypt, who have been placed in a tough group including South Africa, and a Ghana side fresh from reaching the quarter-finals at the recent FIFA World Cup.

Most of Africa's established powers have apparently comfortable starts, but they will be wary that seemingly easy ties on paper are not necessarily the same in reality. Cameroon play a first game under new coach Javier Clemente in Mauritius, while Nigeria, still with a caretaker coach, host Madagascar in Calabar. Côte d'Ivoire will be without Didier Drogba but still heavily fancied to beat Rwanda in Abidjan, while Morocco attempt to their revive their reputation with a home tie against Central African Republic.

Ghana have left out both Michael Essien and Sulley Muntari for their trip to Swaziland, but coach Milovan Rajevac has insisted he has faith in the youngsters who went all the way to the final of the last Cup of Nations and will make up the bulk of his squad for Sunday’s match at the Somhlolo Stadium.

“We need to do well and build a good foundation,” said the Serbian coach, hailed as a hero in west Africa after the Black Stars reached the quarter-finals of the recent FIFA World Cup.

Kenya’s Harambee stars will be looking to put behind travel hitches, which delayed their trip to Guinea Bissau. Stars have barely 24 hours to acclimatise in the West African Nation before they face their opponents in group J. Neighbours Uganda will host Angola in the other group J tie.

 South Africa also face a straightforward assignment in the shape of visiting Niger, who have not won a competitive qualifier away since 1992. Steven Pienaar has nevertheless warned his Bafana Bafana team-mates against complacency.

The winners of each pool, plus the second-placed finishers in Group K, will qualify for Equatorial Guinea/Gabon 2012, as will the best two runners-up from Groups A to J.

  Weekend fixtures

04/09/2021

 Guinea-Bissau            vs            Kenya          

Algeria vs Tanzania            

Cape Verde Islands     vs            Mali            

Zambia                        vs             Comoros            

 Mauritius                        vs            Cameroon                        

 Morocco                        vs            Central African Republic            

South Africa                   vs            Niger                        

Ivory Coast                     vs            Rwanda                        

 Sudan                            vs             Congo            

Uganda                        vs            Angola                            

Botswana                      vs            Togo            

Tunisia                        vs            Malawi            

 

05/09/2010           

Liberia                        vs            Zimbabwe                        

 Mozambique            vs            Libya            

Ethiopia                      vs            Guinea            

Nigeria                       vs            Madagascar            

 Congo DR                vs            Senegal            

Gambia                      vs            Namibia            

Egypt                           vs            Sierra Leone                        

Benin                           vs            Burundi            

Swaziland                  vs            Ghana            

 

Fifa.com

 


Group A
03-05/09/10: Cape Verde 1-0 Mali
03-05/09/10: Liberia 1-1 Zimbabwe
08-10/10/10: Mali 2-1 Liberia
08-10/10/10: Zimbabwe 0-0 Cape Verde
25-27/03/11: Cape Verde 4-2 Liberia
25-27/03/11: Mali 1-0 Zimbabwe
03-06/06/11: Liberia v Cape Verde
03-06/06/11: Zimbabwe v Mali
02-04/09/11: Mali v Cape Verde
02-04/09/11: Zimbabwe v Liberia
07-09/10/11: Liberia v Mali
07-09/10/11: Cape Verde v Zimbabwe


Group B
03-05/09/10: Nigeria 2-0 Madagascar
03-05/09/10: Ethiopia 1-4 Guinea
08-10/10/10: Madagascar 0-1 Ethiopia
08-10/10/10: Guinea 1-0 Nigeria
25-27/03/11: Nigeria 4-0 Ethiopia
25-27/03/11: Madagascar 1-1 Guinea
03-06/06/11: Ethiopia v Nigeria
03-06/06/11: Guinea v Madagascar
02-04/09/11: Madagascar v Nigeria
02-04/09/11: Guinea v Ethiopia
07-09/10/11: Ethiopia v Madagascar
07-09/10/11: Nigeria v Guinea

Group C
03-05/09/10: Mozambique 0-0 Libya
03-05/09/10: Zambia 4-0 Comoros
08-10/10/10: Libya 1-0 Zambia
08-10/10/10: Comoros 0-1 Mozambique
25-27/03/11: Mozambique 0-2 Zambia
25-27/03/11: Libya v Comoros
03-06/06/11: Zambia v Mozambique
03-06/06/11: Comoros v Libya
02-04/09/11: Libya v Mozambique
02-04/09/11: Comoros v Zambia
07-09/10/11: Zambia v Libya
07-09/10/11: Mozambique v Comoros

Group D
03-05/09/10: Algeria 1-1 Tanzania
03-05/09/10: Morocco 0-0 Central African Republic
08-10/10/10: Tanzania 0-1 Morocco
08-10/10/10: Central African Republic 2-0 Algeria
25-27/03/11: Algeria v Morocco
25-27/03/11: Tanzania 2-1 Central African Republic
03-06/06/11: Morocco v Algeria
03-06/06/11: Central African Republic v Tanzania
02-04/09/11: Tanzania v Algeria
02-04/09/11: Central African Republic v Morocco
07-09/10/11: Morocco v Tanzania
07-09/10/11: Algeria v Central African Republic

Group E
03-05/09/10: DR Congo 2-4 Senegal
03-05/09/10: Mauritius 1-3 Cameroon
08-10/10/10: Senegal 7-0 Mauritius
08-10/10/10: Cameroon 1-1 DR Congo
25-27/03/11: DR Congo 3-0 Mauritius
25-27/03/11: Senegal 1-0 Cameroon
03-06/06/11: Mauritius v DR Congo
03-06/06/11: Cameroon v Senegal
02-04/09/11: Senegal v DR Congo
02-04/09/11: Cameroon v Mauritius
07-09/10/11: Mauritius v Senegal
07-09/10/11: DR Congo v Cameroon

Group F
03-05/09/10: Gambia 3-1 Namibia
08-10/10/10: Burkina Faso 3-1 Gambia
25-27/03/11: Burkina Faso 4-0 Namibia
03-06/06/11: Namibia v Burkina Faso
02-04/09/11: Namibia v Gambia
07-09/10/11: Gambia v Burkina Faso
*Mauritania withdrew

Group G
03-05/09/10: South Africa 2-0 Niger
03-05/09/10: Egypt 1-1 Sierra Leone
08-10/10/10: Niger 1-0 Egypt
08-10/10/10: Sierra Leone 0-0 South Africa
25-27/03/11: South Africa 1-0 Egypt
25-27/03/11: Niger 3-1 Sierra Leone
03-06/06/11: Egypt v South Africa
03-06/06/11: Sierra Leone v Niger
02-04/09/11: Niger v South Africa
02-04/09/11: Sierra Leone v Egypt
07-09/10/11: Egypt v Niger
07-09/10/11: South Africa v Sierra Leone

Group H
03-05/09/10: Ivory Coast 3-0 Rwanda
03-05/09/10: Benin 1-1 Burundi
08-10/10/10: Rwanda 0-3 Benin
08-10/10/10: Burundi 0-1 Ivory Coast
25-27/03/11: Ivory Coast 2-1 Benin
25-27/03/11: Rwanda 3-1 Burundi
03-06/06/11: Benin v Ivory Coast
03-06/06/11: Burundi v Rwanda
02-04/09/11: Rwanda v Ivory Coast
02-04/09/11: Burundi v Benin
07-09/10/11: Benin v Rwanda
07-09/10/11: Ivory Coast v Burundi

Group I
03-05/09/10: Sudan 2-0 Congo
03-05/09/10: Swaziland 0-3 Ghana
08-10/10/10: Congo 3-1 Swaziland
08-10/10/10: Ghana 0-0 Sudan
25-27/03/11: Sudan 0-3 Swaziland
25-27/03/11: Congo 0-3 Ghana
03-06/06/11: Swaziland v Sudan
03-06/06/11: Ghana v Congo
02-04/09/11: Congo v Sudan
02-04/09/11: Ghana v Swaziland
07-09/10/11: Swaziland v Congo
07-09/10/11: Sudan v Ghana

Group J
3-05/09/10: Guinea Bissau 1-0 Kenya
03-05/09/10: Uganda 3-0 Angola
08-10/10/10: Kenya 0-0 Uganda
08-10/10/10: Angola 1-0 Guinea Bissau
25-27/03/11: Guinea Bissau 0-1 Uganda
25-27/03/11: Kenya 2-1 Angola
03-06/06/11: Uganda v Guinea Bissau
03-06/06/11: Angola v Kenya
02-04/09/11: Kenya v Guinea Bissau
02-04/09/11: Angola v Uganda
07-09/10/11: Uganda v Kenya
07-09/10/11: Guinea Bissau v Angola

Group K
01/07/10: Chad 2-2 Togo
01/07/10: Tunisia 0-1 Botswana
09/07/10: Togo 1-1 Malawi
09/07/10: Botswana 1-0 Chad
11/08/10: Chad 1-3 Tunisia
11/08/10: Malawi 1-1 Botswana
03-05/09/10: Tunisia 2-2 Malawi
03-05/09/10: Botswana 2-1 Togo
08-10/09/10: Malawi 6-2 Chad
08-10/09/10: Togo 1-2 Tunisia
17/11/10: Togo 0-0 Chad
17/11/10: Botswana 1-0 Tunisia
25-27/03/11: Malawi 1-0 Togo
25-27/03/11: Chad 0-1 Botswana
03-05/06/11: Tunisia v Chad
03-05/06/11: Botswana v Malawi
02-04/09/11: Malawi v Tunisia
03-04/09/11: Togo v Botswana
07-09/10/11: Chad v Malawi
07-09/10/11: Tunisia v Togo 
Group A
  P W D L GF GA Pts
CapeVerde 3 2 1 0 5 2 7
Mali 3 2 0 1 3 2 6
Zimbabwe 3 0 2 1 1 2 2
Liberia 3 0 1 2 4 7 1  
 Group B
  P W D L GF GA Pts
Guinea 3 2 1 0 6 2 7
Nigeria 3 2 0 1 6 1 6
Ethiopia 3 1 0 2 2 8 3
Madagascar 3 0 1 2 1 4 1  
 Group C
  P W D L GF GA Pts
Zambia 3 2 0 1 6 2 6
Libya 2 1 1 0 1 0 4
Mozambique 3 1 1 1 1 2 4
Comoros Isl 2 0 0 2 0 5 0  
 Group D
  P W D L GF GA Pts
CAR 3 1 1 1 3 2 4
Morocco 2 1 1 0 1 0 4
Tanzania 3 1 1 1 3 3 4
Algeria 2 0 1 1 1 3 1  
 Group E
  P W D L GF GA Pts
Senegal 3 3 0 0 12 2 9
DR Congo 3 1 1 1 6 5 4
Cameroon 3 1 1 1 4 3 4
Mauritius 3 0 0 3 1 13 0  
 Group F
  P W D L GF GA Pts
BurkinaFaso 2 2 0 0 7 1 6
Gambia 2 1 0 1 4 4 3
Namibia 2 0 0 2 1 7 0 
 Group G
  P W D L GF GA Pts
SouthAfrica 3 2 1 0 3 0 7
Niger 3 2 0 1 4 3 6
SierraLeone 3 0 2 1 2 4 2
Egypt 3 0 1 2 1 3 1 
 Group H
  P W D L GF GA Pts
IvoryCoast 3 3 0 0 6 1 9
Benin 3 1 1 1 5 3 4
Rwanda 3 1 0 2 3 7 3
Burundi 3 0 1 2 2 5 1 
 Group I
  P W D L GF GA Pts
Ghana 3 2 1 0 6 0 7
Sudan 3 2 1 0 5 0 7
Congo 3 1 0 2 3 6 3
Swaziland 3 0 0 3 1 9 0 
 Group J
  P W D L GF GA Pts
Uganda 3 2 1 0 4 0 7
Kenya 3 1 1 1 2 2 4
G.Bissau 3 1 0 2 1 2 3
Angola 3 1 0 2 2 5 3 
 Group K
  P W D L GF GA Pts
Botswana* 6 5 1 0 7 2 16
Malawi 5 2 3 0 11 6 9
Tunisia 5 2 1 2 7 6 7
Togo 6 0 3 3 5 8 3
Chad 6 0 2 4 5 13 2  
    *Already qualified       
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