Apart from Egypt, all Africa's big guns have secured their places in the 2008 African Cup of Nations. The title holders still have to wait a home victory over Botswana in the last match of qualifiers to make it to Ghana. Despite being drawn with minnows like Burundi, Botswana and Mauritania, the Pharaohs have struggled and failed to grab a single away win. They lead Group B but need the final three points to ensure the summit of Group B. Egypt, whose last away victory was in 2004 at the expense of Sudan, were held to three draws when they played outside the country's borders, a problem never faces any of the continent's powerhouses. GROUP A African Cup finalists Ivory Coast found no difficulty in reaching the elite competition as they aim to win their second Nations Cup title in history. Despite the resignation of Henri Michel following the 2006 World Cup, where they made a fine debut, the Elephants haven't lost their rhythm under German manager Ulrich Stielike. They easily dominated the three-team Group A, thrashing Gabon 5-0 at Felix Houphouet before crushing Madagascar 3-0 in their first away match. Another walk-in-the-park game saw Ivory Coast thump Madagascar 5-0 before being held to a goalless draw at Gabon in the last match as they were denied a 100% record. Ivory Coast finished on top with 10 points, three ahead of Gabon while Madagascar concluded the qualifiers at the bottom with no points. GROUP C Nigeria, a regular contender for the Nations Cup title, expectedly secured passage to the tournament without facing any difficulties. They opened their campaign with a 2-0 home victory over Niger before grabbing a 1-0 away win over Lesotho. The Super Eagles snatched their third successive win after edging Uganda 1-0 but the latter avenged the defeat when they hosted Nigeria the following match, winning 2-1 at Mandela National. Nigeria cruised past Niger 3-1 before beating Lesotho 2-0 to conclude the qualifiers in a commanding lead.
Tunisia They finished in charge of the group with 15 points, four ahead of second-placed Ugana, who will likely occupy one of the three best runners-up spot. GROUP D Despite being drawn along with a rising power in African football like Sudan, Tunisia's chances of reaching the Nations Cup were never called into question. The North Africans were held to a goalless draw by Mauritius in the qualifiers opener, but managed to bounce back with three successive victories. A 1-0 home victory over Sudan and two consecutive 3-0 wins over Seychelles were enough to put Tunisia in a comfortable position. They ensured their place in the tournament without waiting for the final round after cruising past Mauritius 2-0. However, following a 3-2 defeat to Sudan, they finished in second place with 13 points, two adrift of the qualifiers' surprise package Sudan. GROUP E Cameroon, four-time African champions, were as usual the team to beat in their group. The Indomitable Lions issued a warning note to their competitors after a thrashing 3-0 away victory over Rwanda in the first match. Then, they crushed Equatorial Guinea 3-0 before beating Liberia 3-1, with both victories coming at home. Cameroon once again defeated Libya 2-1 away and edged past Rwanda 2-1 on home soil. After they were guaranteed a place in Ghana finals, Cameroon were handed a 1-0 away defeat to Equatorial Guinea. Cameroon finished in charge of the group with 15 points, five clear of nearest rivals Equatorial Guinea. GROUP G Senegal haven't yet replicated the form that saw them reach the 2002 World Cup quarter-finals but have become a competitive team in the region. They faced no difficulty in reaching the African Cup of Nations d
