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In November, Africa will know the names of the ten teams that will compete in the last round of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar next March, with five places in the final phase to be won. From October 6 to 13, the third and fourth days of the second round could allow some of them to stand out in the standings. We are thinking in particular of Senegal, Morocco and Tunisia, which benefit from an a priori favorable timetable. For the others, it will probably be necessary to fight to the end.
- Algeria and Niger (October 8 and 12)
If it wants to tackle the home stretch of the second round of qualifying in November against Djibouti and Burkina Faso, in a strong position, Algeria has every interest in negotiating its two meetings well against its Nigerian neighbor. The Fennecs, after beating Djibouti (8-0), had to settle for a draw against the Burkinabe Stallions (1-1) in September and aim for the full card against Niger.
A virtual obligation, since Burkina Faso, which presents itself as its main competitor in Group A, should logically win its two confrontations against the Djiboutians. Almost invincible in Blida, where they will host Niger on October 8, the African champions will make a high-risk trip to Niamey, where it is notoriously difficult to win.
- Angola and Gabon (October 8 and 11)
Before facing Angola in Luanda and Franceville, Patrice Neveu, the French coach of Gabon, would no doubt be well inspired to remind his players that a match does not end until the referee decides. In September, the Gabonese paid a heavy price for their lack of attention in the last minutes. In Libya, while they held an honorable draw, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s teammates had conceded during extra time one of these goals that are said to be avoidable, to lose (1-2) on the wire.
Then, during the reception of Egypt on September 5, the Panthers, alluring and domineering, thought they would get their first three points, before being joined in the 90e minute, the fault of a new defensive prank. Instead of counting four points, Gabon must settle for a single unit before the double confrontation with Angola. He will have to make a faultless, so as not to be left behind by Libya (6 points) and Egypt (4 points).
- DRC and Madagascar (October 7 and 10)
While Tanzania and Benin (4 points) are racing ahead of Group J, DRC (2 points) and Madagascar (0 point) will play big. The Leopards, if they want to keep a chance to qualify for the second finals of the World Cup, forty-eight years after a painful first in 1974, have no room for error. The recruitment at great expense of Argentine coach Hector Cuper has not given the expected results for the moment, while the technician has a workforce of a higher quality than those of his three opponents.
Still traumatized by its elimination from CAN 2022, the DRC, which will be able to count on its best players (Bakambu, Luyindama, Mbokani, Mbemba …) hopes to collect at least four points against the Malagasy, who are going through a period far removed from the prosperity of the CAN 2019. The coach, Eric Rabesandratana, is on an ejection seat after the two defeats in September against Benin (0-1) and Tanzania (2-3) and his fate could be sealed in the event of further poor performance.
- Mozambique and Cameroon (October 8 and 11)
A little more than three months before the CAN that it will organize from January 9 to February 6, 2022, Cameroon is at the foot of the wall, before facing the tough Mozambicans. Beaten in Ivory Coast (1-2) after dominating Malawi (2-0), the five-time African champion let the Ivorian Elephants take power from group D. The Indomitable Lions, whose performances have always been as strong hard to convince his many and demanding supporters, will again be deprived of their goalkeeper André Onana (Ajax Amsterdam, Netherlands), still suspended for doping.
The Portuguese coach of Cameroon, Toni Conceiçao, far from being unanimous, is expected at the turn during these two matches against the Portuguese speakers. Which will “welcome” Cameroon to Morocco, their Maputo stadium not having been approved by CAF. An obvious advantage for the Lions to face Mozambique on neutral ground, three days before receiving it.
- Guinea and Morocco (October 12)
This summit match between the two main candidates for a qualification for the third round could not take place in Conakry on September 6, because of the coup d’état perpetrated the day before in Guinea. CAF has decided to play this match in Agadir (Morocco), as Guinea cannot currently host international matches. A boon for the Moroccans who will not have to move from home, since their other two games against Guinea-Bissau will take place in Rabat and Casablanca, on October 6 and 9.
And despite its good results, Morocco does not evolve in a particularly peaceful climate. Atlas Lions coach Vahid Halilhodzic fell out with two team executives – Hakim Ziyech (Chelsea) and Noussair Mazraoui (Ajax Amsterdam) – for disciplinary reasons. With the first, the point of no return even seems to have been reached, since the two men settle their accounts through the media.