New World Cup hunters remain unrepentant

As the clock ticks its hours upon a passing day, some African nations, that have not been to the FIFA World Cup Finals, stand undaunted in their resolve to have their flags hoisted in Germany next year, when the roll in called by the world football governing body.

These African nations include; Togo, a West African country with a not-too fancied football character, but has suddenly bolted out of the blues with admirable guts; Ivory Coast, a once-upon-a-time shakers in the continent's soccer notepad, also located in the sub-Western African region.

Others include; Ghana, another West African country, with a flourishing football elements, which are padded by their indelible imprints on the continent's football library books and Angola, whose knack for rugged ball play, has not rendered any well-keyed melodiuos sing-songs in world football.

The Southern African nation, is however, one of the one-eyed kings of football in that region. The last on the scroll, is Zambia; an East African geographical entity, with some classy football players, who have only enjoyed the privileges of Nations Cup attendances, coupled with a few international pros.

For your information and digestion, nigeriasports.com feel it a duty to our numerous visitors to offer you, dear ones, the Groups Tables, points, matches and how close, far, or near these African countries have succeeded in meandering their ways in their no-compromise stance to have a feel of the global soccer galaxy called 'FIFA World Cup:

Group 1

Team	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts
Togo	8	5	2	1	14	6	17
Zambia	8	5	1	2	11	9	16
Senegal	8	4	3	1	17	8	15
Congo	8	3	1	4	8	9	10
Mali	8	1	2	5	9	11	5
Liberia	8	1	1	6	3	19	4

Group 2

Team	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts
Ghana	8	4	3	1	11	4	15
South Africa	8	5	0	3	9	9	15
Congo DR	8	3	3	2	10	7	12
Cape Verde Islands	8	3	1	4	7	9	10
Burkina Faso	8	3	0	5	9	10	9
Uganda	8	2	1	5	4	11	7

Group 3

Team	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts
Côte d'Ivoire	8	6	1	1	15	3	19
Cameroon	8	5	2	1	14	7	17
Egypt	8	4	1	3	21	13	13
Libya	9	3	3	3	8	9	12
Sudan	9	1	3	5	5	19	6
Benin	8	0	2	6	7	19	2

Group 4

Team	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts
Angola	8	4	3	1	8	6	15
Nigeria	8	4	3	1	11	4	15
Zimbabwe	8	3	3	2	9	8	12
Gabon	8	2	3	3	11	10	9
Algeria	8	1	4	3	6	10	7
Rwanda	8	1	2	5	5	12	5

Group 5

Team	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts
Tunisia	8	5	2	1	21	7	17
Morocco	8	4	4	0	14	5	16
Guinea	8	3	2	3	10	8	11
Kenya	8	3	1	4	8	12	10
Botswana	8	3	0	5	9	15	9
Malawi	8	0	3	5	8	23	3

Table courtesy of FIFA

The battles rage on across the African continent, and as the various nations fall back on the best of arsenals in their football armouries, nigeriasports.com will continue to dish-out hot and fresh reports of the outcomes.

Tomorrow, September 4, 2005, Mali with nothing at stake, are tidying up for what could be best described as a novelty show against an equally-reluctant Congo team in Bamako, Mali.

On the same day however, a no-grounds-yielding on: "to Germany, we must go" Togolese squad, are kitted-up to the brims for a total onslaught on their visiting guests, Liberia...The George Opong Weah side is another "just let us play the game for the sake of it" team; they are at the bottom of their Group with four points from eight matches.

In Group Two, an ambitious Ghanaian squad, who are more than ever before, hell-bent on securing a Mundial ticket for the very first time; a regret that will haunt one of their most celebrated players, Abedi Pele, should be all-knees before Mother luck, when they host their Group Table bottom occupants, Uganda tomorrow.

Congo Democratic Republic are hosting Cape Verde an encounter, which means more to the hosts than their guests...Congo DR could nick a Nations Cup 2006 ticket if they win.One of the most hot spots on the continent besides Oman, Algeria where Nigeria's strong-feathered giant soccer birds, Super Eagles, hope to merrily swing their fluffy wings in a victory flight home tomorrow, is the Ivorien Capital city of Abidjan.

There, the Indomitable Lions, whose indomitability was unmasked by Super Eagles at the Tunisian 2004 Nations Cup, would be seeking to feast on the Elephants of Cote d'Ivoire. If the Elephants' skin grow too thick and hard for both the claws and teeth of the Camerounian Lions, then they could as well wave "good-bye, till we meet again" to Germany 2006.

This is because, the Elephants would be 21 points up and if at the end of the Mundial ticket hassles with just a match left, the Elephants lose and the Lions win their last match with whatever margin, they would gross 20 points - a sorry and painful lone point behind the Ivorien Elephants. There lies the battle of the 'Beasts' championed by African Footballer of The Year, Samuel Eto of Cameroun and Ivorien Drogba in Abidjan.

Against the unpredictable stinging Bees of Rwanda, the Zimbabweans, whose ego was scandalized by the Eagles earlier in the mundial race, are expected to go for at least a consolatory Nations Cup 2006 ticket tomorrow in Harare. Angola hosts Gabon also tomorrow...if Zimbabwe beats Rwanda, they'll chalk up 3 points, which is capable of enkindlening their hope for a Nations Cup outing.

But if the encounter ends in a draw, and the Gabonese, who are 9 points now, could pull a surprise against the Angolans in Luanda then, "hallo, hallo, good-bye is the loneliest word..." though does not sound sweet for a song, could become the Zimbabweans' sing-song...and that's where lies the psychological boost from which, the Gabonese could be hoping to have an inspirational breather against Angola in Luanda tomorrow.

Another novelty match will be on parade tomorrow is between Guinea and hapless Malawi in Conakry. Malawi has managed to gross a miserly 3 points from 8 matches - just a point better than Benin Republic, while their hosts have chalked-up an unimpressive 11 points...can you see the novelty in the encounter?

The two teams' slogan would be the Olympic slogan of "The joy is in participation..."TODAY'S MATCHES: Morocco/Botswana, Kenya/Tunisia; Burkina Faso/South Africa; Zambia/Senegal.

*Stay logged on nigeriasports.com for all the details, frills, shrills and freaks of the 'evaporating point' heat of the chases and chances for the five World Cup tickets alotted Africa by FIFA - Editor.