by SAVIOUS KWINIKA
JOHANNESBURG – EIGHT nations from the Southern African region are set to book their berths alongside already-qualified Madagascar when the qualifiers of the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) Egypt 2019 resume in a fortnight.
Madagascar qualified for the first time, with two games to spare.
Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania and Zimbabwe are other Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states standing chance to make it to the continent’s football showcase.
All the deciding games will be played concurrently on 22 March.
In Group A, log leaders Senegal and runners-up Madagascar will be playing for formality since they have already qualified.
They have collected an unsurpassable 13 and ten points respectively.
In Group E, South Africa, who are set join Nigeria in qualification, will be away to arch-rivals Libya in a match Bafana Bafana must win or draw to book their place.
Nigeria leads the table with 10 points from five games while second-placed South Africa have nine with close challengers Libya registering seven points.
Group G log leaders Zimbabwe require at least a point when they host Congo Brazzaville at the National Sports Stadium in Harare to book themselves a ticket to Egypt.
The Warriors of Zimbabwe lead the group with eight points from five matches. Closest rivals Liberia have amassed seven points and will be away to DRC, who are on five points.
None of the sides in the group can afford defeat.
Angola, who trail Group I log leaders Mauritania with three points, need to avoid defeat in their away assignment against fellow Southern African nation, Botswana, at the Botswana National Stadium.
Mauritania leads the table with 12 points whilst Angola has collected nine from five matches.
To be safe, Angola requires an outright victory.
In Group K, Mozambique and Namibia are neck-in-neck with leaders Guinea-Bissau. Namibia are away to Zambia while Mozambique travel to Guinea-Bissau.
Guinea-Bissau and Namibia are tied at eight points while Mozambique are on third with seven points.
Group L is a stiff contest in which SADC nations Tanzania and Lesotho are both aiming to qualify.
Log leaders Uganda have already qualified with an unassailable 13 points. Tanzania and Lesotho have five points apiece, only separated by goal difference.
Tanzania host Uganda at the Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium in Dar es Salaam whilst Lesotho will be away to Cape Verde for the do-or-die encounter.
Full AFCON 2019 qualifying fixtures and log tables below.
FRIDAY, 22 March 2019
Malawi Vs Morocco, Kamazu Stadium
Burkina Faso Vs Mauritania, Stade du 4-Aout
Cameroon Vs Comoros, Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium
Guinea-Bissau Vs Mozambique, TBA (to be announced)
Mali Vs South Sudan, Stade 26 Mars
Cape Verde Vs Lesotho, TBA
Burundi Vs Gabon, Prince Louis Rwagasore Stadium
Algeria Vs Gambia, TBA
Ghana Vs Kenya, TBA
DR Congo Vs Liberia, TBA
Tanzania Vs Uganda, Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium
Central African Republic Vs Guinea, TBA
Botswana Vs Angola, Botswana National Stadium
Zambia Vs Namibia, TBA
Sudan Vs Equatorial Guinea, TBA
Cote d’Ivoire Vs Rwanda, Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny
Nigeria Vs Seychelles TBA
Zimbabwe Vs Congo, National Sports Stadium
Libya Vs South Africa, TBA
Niger Vs Egypt, TBA
Benin Vs Togo, Stade de l’Amitie
Tunisia Vs Swaziland, TBA
Senegal Vs Madagascar, TBA
Sierra Leone Vs Ethiopia, TBA
GROUP A
TEAM P W D L GD Pts
Senegal 5 4 1 0 8 13
Madagascar 5 3 1 1 2 10
Sudan 5 1 0 4 -5 3
Equatorial Guinea 5 1 0 4 -5 3
GROUP B
Morocco 5 3 1 1 5 10
Cameroon 5 2 2 1 0 8
Comoros 5 1 2 2 -1 5
Malawi 5 1 1 3 -4 4
GROUP C
Mali 5 3 2 0 5 11
Burundi 5 2 3 0 6 9
Gabon 5 2 1 2 2 7
South Sudan 5 0 0 5 -13 0
GROUP D
Algeria 5 3 1 1 5 10
Benin 5 2 1 2 -2 7
Gambia 5 1 2 2 0 5
Togo 5 1 2 2 -3 5
GROUP E
Nigeria 5 3 1 1 6 10
South Africa 5 2 3 0 8 9
Libya 5 2 1 2 6 7
Seychelles 5 0 1 4 20 1
GROUP F
Kenya 3 2 1 0 4 7
Ghana 3 2 0 1 6 6
Ethiopia 4 0 1 3 -10 1
Sierra Leone 0 0 0 0 0 0
GROUP G
Zimbabwe 5 2 2 1 3 8
Liberia 5 2 1 2 -3 7
DR Congo 5 1 3 1 1 6
Congo 5 1 2 2 -1 5
GROUP H
Guinea 5 3 2 0 4 11
Cote d’Ivoire 5 2 2 1 4 8
CAR 5 1 2 2 -4 5
Rwanda 5 0 2 3 -4 2
GROUP I
Mauritania 5 4 0 1 2 12
Angola 5 3 0 2 2 9
Burkina Faso 5 2 1 2 2 7
Botswana 5 0 1 4 -6 1
GROUP J
Egypt 5 4 0 1 11 12
Tunisia 5 4 0 1 4 12
Niger 5 1 1 3 -7 4
Swaziland 5 0 1 4 -8 1
GROUP K
Guinea-Bissau 5 2 2 1 1 8
Namibia 5 2 2 1 1 8
Mozambique 5 2 1 2 0 7
Zambia 5 1 1 3 -2 4
GROUP L
Uganda 5 4 1 0 7 13
Tanzania 5 1 2 2 -2 5
Lesotho 5 1 2 2 -4 5
Cape Verde 5 1 1 3 -1 4
– CAJ News
