Africa’s World Cup qualifying: Five matches to watch

Cape Verde vs Nigeria

While the Super Eagles can be broadly happy with their group stage draw, they must be wary of Cape Verde, who recently proved that size doesn’t matter when international football is concerned.

At the 2019 Wafu Cup, the islanders eliminated Nigeria’s home-based side from the plate competition, bloodying the regional giants’ noses at the West African showpiece.

They may be one of Africa’s smallest nations, but Cape Verde have excelled at downing some of the continent’s giants in recent years; they know how to be resilient, organised and their unity is admirable.

Their recent 0-0 draw away in Cameroon to open the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign was a blueprint of how they’ll perform away from home, and in front of their own fans, they’ll be confident that they can spring a surprise.

Cameroon vs Ivory Coast

The Ivory Coast were the Pot Two team that all other nations will have been desperate to avoid in Tuesday’s draw.

The Elephants weren’t among the top 10 seeds, but their immense wealth of talent and an encouraging showing at the 2019 Nations Cup meant that they were a lurking menace for any of the top seeds.

Cameroon were the unfortunate nation to fall into the same pool as the Elephants, and they now face the unenviable task of having to edge past the West Africans if they’re to keep their aspirations of an eighth World Cup appearance alive.

The Indomitable Lions’ own structural issues make them vulnerable, and even at this early stage, the West Africans may be favourites to top a group that also contains Malawi and Mozambique.

Uganda vs Kenya

Kenya won an East African derby at the Nations Cup, as they defeated neighbours Tanzania 3-2 in Egypt to give themselves a fighting chance of progress.

They’ll have a much tougher task ahead of them this time if they're to reach the World Cup, having been pitted against another nearby neighbour—fierce rivals Uganda.

The Cranes are clear favourites between the two East African brothers, although with both they and Kenya under new management, it will be intriguing to see how the teams take shape between now and their collision.

The presence of favourites Mali in the group will add to the tension when these two go head to head, while Rwanda—one of the trickier opponents from Pot Four—could also take points from the big boys. If an East African team is to reach the World Cup for the first time ever, then four points—at least—in these two fixtures is surely imperative.

Egypt vs Gabon

Considering his quality, and the successes of his club career, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s international career with Gabon has been a major disappointment.

After some memorable contributions at the Afcon on home soil in 2012, he’s failed to leave his mark in the continental game, stymied by a federation that appears dysfunctional on a good day!

If the striker, now 30, is to avoid becoming one of the best African goalscorers to never play at the World Cup, then 2022 represents his best opportunity to qualify.

However, Libya and Angola are tricky opponents from Pot Three and Four respectively, while the games against Egypt and Mohamed Salah will surely decide the group.

The pair are two of the continent’s finest players, they shared the Premier League Golden Boot last term, and both have had to spearhead national teams that haven’t come close to matching their quality. Which of the continental superstars will be able to inspire their team to top spot in Group F?

Ghana vs South Africa

There are four qualifying groups where former World Cup participants have been pooled together, and Group G may well be the toughest to call. Zimbabwe and Ethiopia are veritable banana skins, but the group winner will likely be either Ghana or South Africa, who were also drawn together in Afcon qualifying.

On paper, the Black Stars are favourites, but their own internal turmoil—new FA president Kurt Okraku recently sacked all of the country’s national team head coaches—may count against them, while Asamaoh Gyan and Andre Ayew, so long the team’s talismanic performers, are 35 and 30 respectively.

Both of these two escaped their groups at the Nations Cup, with Bafana Bafana going on to eliminate hosts Egypt, but is Molefi Ntseki the man to get the most out of their talented players and edge past the West Africans?

The recent 2-0 victory for Ghana in Cape Coast on November 14 doesn’t bode well for South Africa.