Zebras avoid big guns in AFCON qualifiers
Staff Writer | Thursday April 9, 2015 18:00
The senior national soccer team are in Group D alongside Burkina Faso, Comoros and Uganda.
Despite facing the 2014 AFCON finalists, Burkina Faso, Zebras have this time managed to avoid the group with big guns like Egypt, Tunisia and Ivory Coast.
On paper, Burkina Faso appear to be the strongest side followed by Uganda, if the FIFA/Coca-Cola rankings released last month, are anything to go by.
However, despite a good showing at the 2014 AFCON that saw them reach the final, Burkina Faso were a shadow of themselves at this year’s event held in Equatorial Guinea.
If they qualify, it will be Zebras second time in history after doing so in 2012 when Gabon and Equatorial Guinea were co-hosts.
Gabon were named as hosts for the 2017 finals, beating Ghana and Algeria that were also bidding to host the event.
War-torn Libya were initially scheduled to host the continental showpiece.
The winners in each group as well as the best two second placed teams will automatically qualify for the finals, joining the hosts, Gabon.
The defending champions, Ivory Coast have been drawn in group I that consists of Sudan Sierra Leone and Gabon.
The games against Gabon, however, will be treated as friendly matches since they have already qualified by virtue of being hosts.
The 2013 champions, Nigeria that failed to qualify for the 2015 showpiece are in another tricky group which consists of Egypt, Tanzania and Chad.
The full draw is as follows:
Group A: Tunisia, Togo, Liberia, Djibouti
Group B: Madagascar, DRC, Angola, CAR
Group C: Mali, Equatorial Guinea, Benin, South Sudan
Group D: Burkina Faso, Uganda, Botswana, Comoros
Group E: Zambia, Congo, Kenya, Guinea Bissau
Group F: Cape Verde, Morocco, Libya, Sao Tome
Group G: Nigeria, Egypt, Tanzania, Chad
Group H: Ghana, Mozambique, Rwanda, Mauritius
Group I: Ivory Coast, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Gabon
Group J: Algeria, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Seychelles
Group K: Senegal, Niger, Namibia, Burundi
Group L: Guinea, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Swaziland
Group M: Cameroon, South Africa, Gambia, Mauritania