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Saturday October 10, 2009

Four teams seek to achieve the ultimate dream

JOHANNESBURG: Algeria, Came-roon, Ivory Coast and Tunisia could qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa this weekend.

Ivory Coast need one point at bottom-of-the-table Malawi today in Group E to clinch a second successive appearance at the quadrennial international football showpiece.

Eto’o: Will lead Cameroon against Togo on Saturday.

But the other three potential qualifiers need help if they are to realise the ultimate dream.

Algeria, who last played at the Finals 23 years ago, can clinch top spot in Group C by securing a better result at home to Rwanda tomorrow than African Nations Cup holders Egypt away to Zambia today.

Cameroon will take an unassailable lead in Group A if they defeat Togo at home today and Morocco triumph at second-placed Gabon the same day.

And Tunisia could qualify a record-equalling fourth consecutive time for an African team by beating Kenya in Rades tomorrow if Nigeria do not collect maximum points when hosting Kenya in the other Group B fixture at the same time.

The other slot allocated to Africa has been filled by Ghana with Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien scoring the first goal in a 2-0 home victory over Sudan that assured an unassailable Group D advantage.

South Africa, who play friendlies in Norway today and Iceland on Tuesday, qualify automatically as hosts, giving Africa six Finalists out of 32 for the first time.

Ivory Coast have been hard hit by injuries ahead of their match, losing Manchester City defender Kolo Toure, midfielder Cheik Tiote and strikers Kader Keita and Boubacar Sanogo.

But Chelsea strikers Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou are available and the Elephants should take at least one point off rivals they beat 5-0 last March in an Abidjan game marred by 20 overcrowding-related fatalities.

Hassan Yebda, scorer of the lone goal at Wolves last weekend that gave Portsmouth a first English Premier League victory of the season, and fellow midfielder Djamel Abdoune have received first call-ups from Algeria.

Le Guen, who guided Lyon to four French titles in a row before experiencing less success with Glasgow Rangers and PSG, took Cameroon from the bottom to the top of Group A with home and away victories over Gabon last month.

His bold moves included demoting veteran defender and skipper Rigobert Song to the bench, giving Inter Milan star and three-time African Footballer of the Year Samuel Eto’o the armband, and recalling Spain-based striker Achille Webo. — AFP

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