Continental heavyweights seek to put afcon campaigns on track

Holders Nigeria, 2012 winners Zambia, four-time champions Ghana and record victors Egypt are among African heavyweights looking for positive results on the second day of group matches on Wednesday to put their 2015 Nations Cup campaigns on track after disappointing opening group day results.

Other giants Algeria, who had a good run at Brazil 2014 opened their campaign with a 2-1 win away in Addis Ababa and host Mali who beat Malawi 2-0 in Bamako, in one of the top-of-the-bill fixtures.

Another heavyweight mouth-watering clash is in prospect in Cameroon where Herve Renard takes his Elephants for battle against the Indomitable Lions who were impressive in their 2-0 mauling of the DRC in Lubumbashi.

The Super Eagles are away against Bafana Bafana in Cape Town, Chipolopolo are guests of the Blue Sharks while the Black Stars have a show-down against the Hawks with the Pharaohs aiming their artillery at Tunisia’s Carthage Eagles.

Nigeria were shock 2-3 losers to Congo in Calabar and seek a win to keep pace with Bafana but Shakes Mashaba Bafana will be eager to get one long awaited victory over their nemesis. Chipolopolo, who were stretched to a goalless draw by the Mambas in Ndola, face a tough test against Cape Verde in the first international match of the Atlantic Ocean archipelago’s new 10,000-seat National Stadium. Ghana, who needed a late strike to salvage a point against the Cranes in Kumasi, play Togo who lost their opener 1-2 against Guinea. The Uganda Cranes are campaigning to end an over 35 year wait to return to the finals and will be buoyed by their impressive 1-1 draw in draw from which they wish to build as they host Guinea at Namboole in Kampala. Record winners Egypt slumped to a 2-0 loss in Dakar and will need a reviving maximum points haul when they host Tunisia in Cairo.

10 September (All times local)

Confederation of African Football (CAF) News