The 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers in Morocco reaches the halfway mark this weekend and with it comes the added pressure of winning to remain in contention for a place in the finals.
As many as 10 nations, including seven-time champions Egypt, are in danger of being knocked out of the qualifiers after just three of the six qualifying matches.
Nothing but the three points awarded for a victory will do for the Pharoahs, Lesotho, Botswana, Togo, Sierra Leone, Angola, Ethiopia and Sudan if they are to continue in the qualifying process as challengers and not as teams making up the numbers in the group.
This scenario makes Egypt’s visit to Botswana and Lesotho’s hosting of Angola on Friday relegation six-pointers.
Lesotho against Angola, live on Maximo from 6pm CAT, kicks off SuperSport’s 18-match broadcast of round three and four of the qualifiers.
Defending champions Nigeria also find themselves teetering on the brink of elimination, having failed to register a win in their first two matches.
The Super Eagles are the third-placed team in Group A, three points adrift of second-placed South Africa and five off Congo, who top the group.
With Sudan, the group’s whipping boys up next for them, back-to-back, winning ways should be restored. The first match is on Saturday (live on SS3 from 6.30pm CAT) with the return leg on Wednesday (SS3 from 5.55pm CAT).
For the first time in a long while South Africa look destined to qualify for a major competition. Under new coach Ephraim “Shakes” Mashaba, Bafana Bafana seem to have found a new lease on life and look a confident team away from home.
They are on the road this weekend, in Congo – live on SS3 from 4pm CAT on Saturday – and have a realistic chance of leaving Pointe Noire with points.
Meanwhile, Brazil and Argentina renew their 100-year-old rivalry – their first match was played in 1914 – in the latest edition of Superclásico de las Améraqics. The Saturday showdown is live on SS3 from 1.55pm CAT.
Broadcast details (All times CAT)
Friday, October 10
Lesotho vs. Angola
SS4 HD, Maximo (6pm)
Guinea vs. Ghana
SS3 HD, SS3N, Select1 (6.30pm)
Senegal vs. Tunisia
SS3 HD, SS3N, Maximo (9.30pm)
Saturday, October 11
Brazil vs. Argentina
SS3 HD, SS3N, Maximo (1.55pm)
Malawi vs. Algeria
SS4 HD, (2.15pm)
Uganda vs. Togo
SS9E (3pm)
Mozambique vs. Cape Verde
Maximo (3.55pm)
Congo vs. South Africa
SS3 HD, SS3N, Maximo2 (4pm)
Niger vs. Zambia
SS4 HD (4.45pm)
Sudan vs. Nigeria
SS3 HD, SS3N, Maximo2, Select1 (6.30pm)
Wednesday, October 15
Cameroon vs. Sierra Leone
SS3 HD, SS3N, Maximo2 (3.30pm)
Angola vs. Lesotho
Maximo (5.30pm)
Ghana vs. Guinea
SS4 HD, (5.45pm)
Zambia vs. Niger
SS9 (5.45pm)
Nigeria vs. Sudan
SS3 HD, SS3N, Select1 (5.55pm)
Ivory Coast vs. DRC
SS7 HD, SS7N (6.45pm)
Cape Verde vs. Mozambique
Maximo2 (7.15pm)
South Africa vs. Congo
SS3 HD, SS3N, Maximo2 (8pm)
Tunisia vs. Senegal
SS4 HD, Maximo2 (9pm)