Nigeria’s Super Eagles will slug it out with the Egypt’s Pharaohs and the Taifa Stars of Tanzania for a place at the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations. Chad is the other country in Nigeria’s Group G.
Nigeria, Egypt are favorite for the coveted qualification in this group, with Tanzania and Chad outsiders in the permutation. But in Africa, it is right to say there is no more minnows in the game.
Congo who give an outsider.s chance in the last edition beat Nigeria to the qualification ticket, beating all odds.
The Pharaohs won the 2006, 2008 and 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, to add to earlier triumphs in 1957, 1959, 1986 and 1998, but then failed to qualify for the last three finals in Gabon/Equatorial Guinea, South Africa and Equatorial Guinea.
The Super Eagles, who also missed the 2012 finals, won the 2013 edition in South Africa to add to their 1980 and 1994 triumphs, but also missed the last tournament in Equatorial Guinea.
Matches between Nigeria and Egypt at international level are usually box-office, and the games for Gabon 2017 qualification would be no less supercharged.
Tanzania lost 3-1 to Nigeria in the opening match of the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations, and then got thrown out of the 1982 FIFA World Cup qualifying race by the Green Eagles.
Only the winners of the 13 groups are guaranteed spots in the finals, alongside host Gabon. Two best second –placed teams also go through.
ALL THE GROUPS
GROUP A
Tunisia
Togo
Liberia
Djibouti
GROUP B
DR Congo
Angola
Central African Republic
Madagascar
GROUP C
Mali
Equatorial Guinea
Benin Republic
South Sudan
GROUP D
Burkina Faso
Uganda
Botswana
Comoros
GROUP E
Zambia
Congo-Brazzaville
Kenya
Guinea Bissau
GROUP F
Cape Verde
Morocco
Libya
Sao Tome e Principe
GROUP G
Nigeria
Egypt
Tanzania
Chad
GROUP H
Ghana
Mozambique
Rwanda
Mauritius
GROUP I
Cote d’Ivoire
Sudan
Sierra Leone
Gabon (later named host nation)
GROUP J
Algeria
Ethiopia
Lesotho
Seychelles
GROUP K
Senegal
Niger Republic
Namibia
Burundi
GROUP L
Guinea
Malawi
Zimbabwe
Swaziland
GROUP M
Cameroon
South Africa
Gambia
Mauritania
