Saturday

South Africa 2-1 Sudan   3pm

Coach Ephraim ‘Shakes’ Mashaba will be hoping to make Bafana Bafana fans start dreaming big. It is the first time since 1998 that South Africa are playing like they should. Back then, they had finished as runner-up in Nations Cup, gave a good showing in France World Cup in a group that featured the hosts and eventual winners and went on to qualify for 2000 Nations Cup that they finished third. From then on, Bafana Bafana adopted a free-fall theory as they struggled to even qualify for Nations Cup despite having the best league on the continent. But Shakes seems to have put wobbles of South Africa to bed and the team has come lively in a group that features defending champions Nigeria. This afternoon, Bafana Bafana will walk into the Moses Mabhida Stadium knowing a win or draw would be enough (if Nigeria fail to beat Congo Republic away) to qualify for next year’s Cup finals.

But things are not going to be the same again for Bafana Bafana. This is their first test without goalkeeper and captain Senzo Meyiwa, who was shot dead last month, having played every minute of the qualifying campaign for Bafana Bafana and having kept four clean sheets from as many matches. Shakes will turn to either Belgium-based Darren Keet or Kaizer Chiefs’ Brilliant Khuzwayo to fit into Meyiwa’s gloves, but that will prove cagey all the same. The make it worse, Sibusiso Vilakazi (who scored two goals against Sudan in the teams’ first group meeting back in September) and May Mahlangu are both out of the match. South African will need a gutsy showing to scrape through this fixture and avoid an anti-climax.

Uganda 2-3 Ghana   3pm

The one and only time Uganda Cranes played in Nations Cup, they went all the way to the finals before hosts Ghana put them to the sword. Two-nil it was in 1978. The rest has been such a lowdown for Cranes, with tear-jerking moments like in 1994 against Nigeria, 2011 against Kenya and the following year against Zambia. While for Ghana, their fate has been bad in the finals proper. Qualifying has never been that difficult until now. Straight from the World Cup, Ghana saw their campaign take off on such an indifferent form that even their current position top of Group E is anything but a flattery. However, the Black Stars have been keen to put their house in order, starting with the appointment of former Chelsea tactician Avram Grant as new coach. But Ghana will be without Asamoah Gyan and Kwadwo Asamoah, two talismanic players in their midfield and attack, while France-based Jordan Ayew is suspended. However, even then, Cranes lost their only spirit in home games when Togo walked away 1-0 winners at Namboole last month and this will give Ghana the belief that they, too, can do it in the stadium that had seen 10 years without a Cranes loss in competitive football. Cranes are fighting for ideas, with former skipper Ibra Sekajja being touted for return from retirement. Ghana will easily get their three points if they use their pedigree against Cranes.

Mozambique 2-0 Zambia   4pm

Mozambique are yet to concede a goal at home and will be looking up to this form as well as their reverse fixture for results this afternoon. The Chipolopolo have waned so badly that it is hard to imagine they won the title in 2012! To defend their title, they had to outwit Cranes in post-match shootouts after a dull draw and they went on to be bashed in the tournament in South Africa. Now Zambia have one last chance for their lifeline and it comes up against a side they failed to open up at home, and the only side that have beaten top leaders Cape Verde. Zambia will need their nerves.

Congo 1-2 Nigeria   4.30pm

The defending champions are in a do or bust tie and it is not looking good at all, especially when they travel to Brazaville to face a side that so exposed their ineptude and disorganization since the World Cup when they sacked, recalled, parted company and recalled again… the same coah Stephen Keshi. The Super Eagles have four points from as many games and need to win the remaining two games to have any chance of securing a ticket to defend their title next year. Having defeated Nigeria 3-2 in Calabar in their last meeting which was the first leg, Congo, under French coach Claude Le Roy, have grown in confidence and will look forward to defeat Nigeria. If that happens, Eagles will be out of the tourney confirmed for Equatorial Guinea next year after Morocco and several countries turned down the chance to host it. I see Nigeria clawing back in this game to leave Congo wondering if their 12-year absence from Afcon will be stretched further.

Togo 2-0 Guinea   5.30pm

The other game of Group E. Togo were bottom of the table with no point before the double header against Cranes but suddenly, they look like they can make the cut for the 2015 tournament. Two 1-0 wins against Uganda have seen them climb to second and will be banking on maximum points to make the cut. A win will give Togo nine points and ensure their place in the tournament as long as Ghana can frustrate Uganda in Kampala. However, to do this, Emmanuel Adebayor will have to exorcise the ghost that has tired his laces in the past few months, ensuring that he remains impotent in front of goal. Togo have the edge.

Egypt 0-3 Senegal   7pm

The Pharaohs of Egypt have lost ideas. They are a shadow of the side that left soccer fans exalted. And this fixture could very well expose the rot in the Egyptian set up. The Lions of Teranga have steadily improved and looked set to make the cut in this Group of Death, until Tunisia came along, frustrated them in Dakar and pipping them 1-0 in Tunis. Thus, Senegal will be counting on their opening fixture in Dakar when they beat Egypt 2-0 for their return leg. Coach Shawky Gharib will hope Mohammed El-Neny and Mohamed Salah come back and show the same hunger they displayed against the Zebras of Botswana, the only side the Pharaohs have beaten in the campaign. However, the Lions of Teranga are counting on their history with Egypt to make this fixture count in their favour

Euro Qualifier

Sunday

Belgium 3-1 Wales   7pm

The Red Devils play their third game of the campaign against table toppers Wales, who have played a game more. However, the World Cup quarter finalists will be looking for a routine home win to go top of the table on goal difference having dropped points against Bosnia last month. Belgium welcome back their talismanic Aston Villa striker Christian Benteke, who missed the World Cup through injury and just returned to active football a fortnight ago.

Netherlands 2-0 Latvia   7pm

Le Oranje, who were so good in Brazil, have suddenly turned into a soft landing for every side with a vain dream to make it to France in 2016. They have lost to both sides that sit on top of the table—Iceland and Czech Republic—and with just a hard fought late comeback win over Kazakhstan. Netherlands look anything but the team that finish third in the World Cup and Latvia will probably get the needed Dutch courage to frustrate the Dutch. It is ironical that the tiny nation is looking up to the giant that is the Netherlands for their first win of the campaign and keep their dream of reliving the 2004 tourney in Greece when they were the surprise package alive. Can they do it? Against this Dutch side, nothing is impossible, but away fixture makes it a hard call.

Czech 0-1 Iceland   9.45pm

Iceland are the surprise package of the Group A of the European qualifiers that features World Cup bronze medalists Netherlands. The Icelanders are top of the table by virtue of their superior goal difference over Czech Republic, both sides having chalked up three wins on the trot. So the top of the table clash is just the icing on the game so early in the campaign. The hosts have not kept a single clean sheet, even when playing Kazakhstan, while the visitors, on the other hand, are yet to be broken at the back. This is what makes this fixture all the glow it is. It looks like a text book the Icelanders can deal with if they can score first and shut the door.

Italy 1-1 Croatia   9.45pm

The Azurri have had to sweat through all their wins and sit second on the table behind their visitors on goal difference. Antonio Conte is the man who made winning a bore at Turin where Juventus were virtually walking over all their opponents. But he decided to replace Cesare Prandelli at the helm of the Azurri and will be tasked with seeing the side back to their glory in France. However, his first real test is to outwit Niko Kovac, the man who has seen the Chequered Boys of Croatia play with such confidence that having their eyes in Paris after just three fixtures is not a bad idea. But Italy are not a small side.