On paper the big guns should have little problem but that is also what was forecast during the 2012 Nations Cup qualifiers – and the heavyweight trio flopped in the preliminaries and did not qualify for the finals earlier this year in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.
A total of 14 matches are scheduled from tonight until Sunday and winners go through to the draw for the final round of qualifying, which is being made in Johannesburg on July 5.
Cameroon are already 1-0 up from the first leg of their tie against minnows Guinea Bissau and have home advantage.
Nigeria host tiny Rwanda after the first leg ended goalless while Egypt and the Central African Republic play their postponed first leg match, behind closed doors in Alexandria, with the return later this month.
Also involved at the weekend are several of South Africa’s neighbours – Mozambique host Tanzania after a 1-1 tie in the first leg while but Zimbabwe have to try and overcome a 1-2 deficit at home to Burundi.
There is a new crisis brewing in Harare on the eve of the match after former Kaizer Chiefs striker Knowledge Musona was alleged to have met with former football officials implicated in the recent Asiagate scandal. Musona also has a sore ankle and might miss the game, as is also the case with Chiefs midfielder Willard Katsande.
Namibia hosts Liberia in Windhoek buoyed by the news that their west African visitors have expelled Mamelodi Sundowns winger Antony Laffor from the squad for indiscipline.
Namibia, who will again be without injured Orlando Pirates winger Rudolph Bester, lost the first leg 1-0 away in February.
Your comments on this story...
The fact that you did not put your name in the story tells that there is no story here!