Uganda Cranes in kingmaker role

Tanzania 0 Uganda 0

Emmanuel Amunike’s Taifa Stars squandered a glorious chance to join Uganda as qualifiers from Group L when they fell to Lesotho last time round. The Cranes will do them no favours even if Sebastian Desabre uses the game to try some new players.

Cape Verde 2 Lesotho 0

Hosts Cape Verde are Group L’s highest ranked side. That will count for a lot during the visit of a Lesotho team still with a mathematical chance of qualification. Cape Verde’s superior physical conditioning and home ground advantage will propel them to Egypt 2019.

DR Congo 2 Liberia 1

There is no room for error for twice former champions Democratic Republic of Congo when they host Liberia in a Group G tie. The Simbas superior pedigree and one hundred thousand fans watching in Kinshasa will roar them to a place in the finals.

Zimbabwe 2 Congo Br. 0

Zimbabwe are primed for a place in the Egypt finals if they can take care of business against already eliminated. Football is a huge rallying clarion to Zimbabweans who are experiencing economic hardships. A place in Egypt is theirs for the taking.

Nigeria 4 Seychelles 0

Gernot Rohr is expected to use this Group E rubber to test the peripheral members of his Super Eagles squad. Expect goals aplenty as Ahmed Musa, Odion Oghalo and Alex Iwobi use the islanders for shooting practice. This is a home victory all day.

Libya 1 South Africa 1

1996 champions South Africa must get a result to ward off Libya’s Mediterranean Knights or risk missing out on the Egypt finals. I believe Bafana Bafana are tooled to cope with a Libyan onslaught to match the 2-2 draw registered in the reverse fixture.

Botswana 1 Angola 1

This encounter between Southern Africa neighbours is a straight shootout for the right to join Mauritania as qualifiers from Group I. I am sitting on the fence because the game is too important to lose for both sides.
Burkina Faso 2 Mauritania 1

Bertrand Traore, Alain Traore and Aristides Bance will run riot as they push former losing finalists Burkina Faso towards a place in Egypt’s finals against already qualified Mauritania. A home victory beckons.