Road to 2022 World Cup: Africa’s ‘Big Five’

BY DARREN ALLAN KYEYUNE
From 54, the Fifa World Cup qualification route is now down to just 10 African teams. Of these, only five will win the slots on offer for the continent at the global showpiece’s finals due November in Qatar.
 There is no team from the East left in the quest but rather four apiece from North and the West while DR Congo and Cameroon represent the central Africa.
After the draw held in Cameroon in January, the fixtures will split audiences, rekindle battles and fuel revenge across the board when the 10 teams face-off in the play-off encounters on home and away basis today and on Tuesday. 
Egypt vs. Senegal
Dubbed a Mohamed Salah - Sadio Mane affair, the contest between the two fond Liverpool attackers is back.
 They surprisingly faced off in the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) final where Mane struck the winning penalty for Senegal to defeat the record seven-time champions Egypt 4-2 via spot-kicks after a goalless draw in Cameroonian capital Yaounde on February 6.
Now Salah and company will be eyeing revenge against Aliou Cisse’s side. But the Senegalese, who are ranked as the continent’s best playing side in 18th place by Fifa, have pride at stake.
The men from Dakar will walk onto the Cairo International Stadium pitch tonight for the first leg with hope of a third ticket to the World Cup. They played at the 2002 edition in South Korea and Japan where they made the quarterfinals but never left the group in Russia four years ago.
Tango tango
 In a bid to add salt to the Egyptians’ wounds, Cisse has maintained a large number of Afcon winning unit, recalling the likes of Edouard Mendy, Kalidou Koulibaly, Abdou Diallo, Ismaila Sarr and Bamba Dieng.
However, the Pharaohs were solid in the qualifiers’ second round’s group phase with 14 points from a possible 18 and coach Carlos Queiroz is eyeing a third straight WC appearance.
The Portuguese tactician took Iran to the 2014 and 2018 showpieces and fuelled with desire to revenge in attacking players Salah, Omar Marmoush and Mahmoud ‘Trezeguet’ Hassan, the Egyptians are ready to give their best. Following the injury scares and forced changes, Queiroz now must choose either Mohamed El Shenawy or Mohamed Abou Gabal to start in goal.
Egypt has won six times while Senegal, on a 19-match unbeaten streak, have won four times in the last 13 meetings between the two and worthy to note, the Lions of Teranga won 1-0 on their last visit to Cairo in 2014. 
Ghana vs. Nigeria
Four-time Afcon winners Ghana are looking to bury their group-stage exit in Cameroon by qualifying for Qatar. However, they face a familiar foe in Nigeria and this fixture has been dubbed the ‘Jollof derby’. Talking tactics, Ghana sacked Serbian Milovan Rajevac after defeat to Comoros in Cameroon and have since recruited Otto Addo for interim duty.
Addo now has a task of impressing and the results against his opposite Augustine Eguavoen will definitely be the benchmark to determine the length of his spell at the Black Stars’ coaching set-up.
Ghana relied on their golden era of Michael Essien, Asamoah Gyan, John Paintsil, Andre Ayew, Sulley Muntari and John Mensah to land three straight World Cup appearances in 2006, 2010 and 2014.
This group has since phased out and replacing them requires some time yet the fans are demanding results which, inevitably creates pressure. Ayew is suspended for business in Kumasi today and Otto will do without six other injured men including Majeed Ashimeru.

2019
Cameroon vs. Algeria. The 2019 Afcon champions Algeria’s title defence ended prematurely in the group stage phase and coach Djamel Belmadi may have kept his job but, he is under immense pressure.