Africa’s big guns square up

Five home-and-away clashes this Friday and on Tuesday next week will decide which five African countries make it to the World Cup 2022 stage in Qatar in November and those who predict correctly could win big with TAB

By Mark Gleeson

Africa’s five places at the World Cup in Qatar later this year will be decided in the next seven days with the last 10 countries playing off in two-legged knockout ties.

It is do-or-die for the continent’s best teams with the draw throwing up a repeat of last month’s Africa Cup of Nations final between Egypt and Senegal.

Senegal emerged deserved winners of the tournament in Cameroon, albeit needing penalties to secure their first continental title, but Egypt will be itching for revenge. They host the first leg on Friday in Cairo and then must go to Dakar’s new stadium for the return match next Tuesday.

All first leg ties are being played on Friday with the return games four days later on 29 March and all are included in a range of TAB soccer pools.

Only one of the five ties would seem to have a firm favourite - Morocco are expected to be too strong for the Democratic Republic of Congo, the only one of the 10 countries that did not compete at the Cup of Nations finals at the start of the year and missed some invaluable practice.

Morocco have had a fair amount of internal introspection since Egypt beat them in the Cup of Nations quarter-final, but their quality and experience should see them through to a sixth World Cup finals appearance.

Cameroon, Ghana and Tunisia have all changed their coaches since the Cup of Nations finals. These are dangerous switches that could impact.

Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions finished third at their own tournament, but their new football federation president Samuel Eto’o wanted his own buddy, former skipper Rigobert Song, in charge, so it was goodbye to Portuguese incumbent Toni Conceicao.

Tunisia panicked after a poor tournament, even though they limped into the quarter-finals, and promoted former assistant Jalel Kadri to the top post. He is an unknown at this level.

Ghana crashed out of the Cameroon tournament after an embarrassing defeat at the hands of the tiny Comoros Islands and booted their Serbian coach Milovan Rajevac, appointing Otto Addo as his replacement. Addo is a former Ghana full-back born in Germany and his only previous coaching experience is at youth level. That could backfire against Nigeria.

Tunisia should get the better of Mali, who have never been to the World Cup before, but the clash between Cameroon and Algeria is wide open.

Great stuff to bet on with TAB with the added attraction of likely big wins for those to forecast the outcomes correctly in bets like Soccer 10.