South Africa will lack several key players when they tackle Ghana away Sunday in a crucial World Cup qualifier.

A mysterious injury rules out Netherlands-based goalkeeper Hans Vonk and striker Benni McCarthy from European club champions Porto of Portugal is on honeymoon with his Spanish sweetheart.

Heerenveen informed the South African authorities that Vonk had an Achilles tendon injury although they reportedly sold the goalkeeper to Ajax Amsterdam several weeks before.

And how the injury occurred triggered speculation in the South African media as Vonk was declared fit after an unimpressive 2-1 home win against Cape Verde Islands two weeks ago and has not played since.

McCarthy, whose two goals help knock out Manchester United out of the European Champions League, will be sorely missed as Shaun Bartlett and Siyabonga Nomvete disappointed against Group 2 minnows Cape Verde.

Bartlett from English Premiership club Charlton Athletic could also be out of the clash in the central city of Kumasi as he missed training in Johannesburg to be with his ill son in Cape Town.

More cheerful news for new coach Stuart Baxter from England is that Europe-based midfielders Sibusiso Zuma and Steven Pienaar have overcome injuries that forced them to miss the first of 10 qualifying ties.

Ghana have been African champions a record equalling four times but never qualified for the World Cup and the latest attempt started poorly with a 1-0 loss in Burkina Faso.

Fears that talismanic defender Samuel Kuffour from German club Bayern Munich would miss the match have been discounted as Portuguese coach Manuel Barreto seeks to overcome a disastrous start he blamed on "laughable" preparations.

South Africa have had the Indian sign on Ghana, including a 3-0 triumph in a 1996 Nations Cup semi-final and a dogged 1-0 win in Kumasi four years ago in the quarter-finals of the same competition.

Egypt have recalled "bad boy" Ahmed "Mido" Hossam for a Group 3 showdown with Ivory Coast in Alexandria Sunday just weeks after Italian coach Marco Tardelli vowed never to pick the striker again due to attitude problems.

But veteran goal poacher Hossam Hassan is out after once more announcing his retirement because he was not chosen for the surprisingly easy 3-0 away victory over Sudan.

This was the only away win in 14 games and gave the "Pharaohs" a super start in the "Group of Death" that includes Cameroon, seeking to become the first African country to qualify for the World Cup five consecutive times.

Cameroon have axed Manchester United midfielder Eric Djemba Djemba after an unconvincing 2-1 home victory over Benin and should collect maximum points in Benghazi against Libya, who were flattered to lose only 2-0 in Ivory Coast.

Angola host Nigeria Sunday in the other big match of the weekend with the loss through injury of young striker Obafemi Martins a major blow to the already depleted "Super Eagles".

And coach Christian Chukwu, no stranger to availability problems when it comes to his galaxy of Europe-based stars, may also have to confront the resurgent "Black Antelopes" without midfield magician "Jay Jay" Okocha.

Okocha from English Premiership outfit Bolton, the dominant individual at the 2004 Nations Cup as Nigeria finished third behind hosts Tunisia and Morocco, missed the flight to Luanda via South Africa.

While two second half goals from Martins earned the "Eagles" a 2-0 home win over Rwanda, Angola impressed by forcing a 0-0 draw in Algeria and recently appointed coach Oliviera Goncalves has a good record at international level.