19 June 2005
by FIFAworldcup.com

The tension was raised yet another notch in Group 3, the most hotly-contested group in the African Zone, as frontrunners Côte d'Ivoire and Cameroon both recorded victories on Sunday. The two fierce rivals must now steel themselves for their showdown in Abidjan on 2 September, which will decide who takes the coveted ticket for the FIFA World Cup Germany 2006™.
View the African qualifying groups

In Yaounde, the Cameroonians squeezed out a slender 1-0 win over Libya thanks to a 27th-minute strike from Osasuna midfielder Achille Webo. The result could hardly have been tighter, but the Libyans had already proved themselves to be tough opponents by holding Cameroon to a goalless draw in their first encounter almost a year ago. And although the Indomitable Lions may not be back to their scintillating best, they have re-emerged as serious contenders after losing 3-2 to Egypt and scraping a 1-1 draw in Sudan earlier in the campaign. Their stiffest test lies ahead, of course, and it will take a famous victory in Abidjan on 2 September if they are to qualify for the sixth FIFA World Cup™ of their proud history.

Anything less will spell disaster, as Côte d'Ivoire's Elephants kept themselves two points clear in the table by beating Egypt 2-0. That result effectively ended the Pharaohs' dreams of qualifying, even if they are not yet mathematically out of the race. Indeed, for this crucial match, Côte d'Ivoire boss Henri Michel fielded a forward line composed of Aruna Dindane, Didier Drogba and Bonaventure Kalou, without doubt the most menacing attacking combination in African football today.

Drogba top of the goalscoring chart
The visitors were soon feeling the full force of this all-star attack. The Egyptian defenders were so worried about Drogba that they left Dindane too much space down the right, and they were made to pay when the Anderlecht striker sped past two defenders and whipped in a low cross for the Chelsea man to tap the ball home. Drogba's second goal just after the break was pure class, a 25-metre piledriver that caught Nader el Sayed unawares. Drogba's brace means he joins Togo's Emmanuel Sheyi Adebayor on top of the African Zone scoring table, with seven strikes to his name.

Even the arrival of Egypt's very own superstar, Mido, for the second half did little to change the course of the game. The Egyptians remain the top scorers in the group with 21 goals, but they could not find the net against Côte d'Ivoire, who boast the section's meanest defence with only three goals conceded. The Ivorians could have had more as Dindane led the Egyptians a merry dance on the counterattack, but 2-0 it stayed and Côte d'Ivoire still head the group, with their destiny firmly in their own hands.

In Group 4, Zimbabwe kept themselves in contention for first place by collecting a precious point in a 2-2 draw away to Algeria. They were made to work extra hard for it, however, as Algeria's strong, physical players often threatened to brush them aside.

The hosts exploded out of the blocks and took the game by the scruff of the neck with a goal from Nasreddine Kraouche on 17 minutes. Shingayi Kaondera managed to bring the Zimbabweans level thanks to an untimely slip from a defender, but Algeria drove forward with the vocal Oran crowd urging them on.

Pressing their opponents high up the pitch, they took the lead again after 65 minutes when Nadir Belhadj fired in a powerful, low shot from 20 metres out. The visitors refused to lie down, though, especially with Benjani Mwaruwari in determined mood, and they equalised a second time through Peter Ndlovu, whose superb effort 20 metres from goal came just five minutes before the end. Zimbabwe are now three points behind the top two in the group, Angola and Nigeria, with two games to play.

Finally, Congo won their third match in Group 1, defeating Liberia 2-0. Coming on the back of a goalless draw with Senegal recently, the Congolese must be regretting they did not show such solid form throughout their qualifying campaign.