Nigeria, Egypt confront Olympic giant-killers
Olympics berth at stake in Africa this weekend.
JOHANNESBURG:
Giant-killers Tanzania and Sudan enjoy home advantage as they resume their 2012 London Olympic Games qualifying campaigns.
Tanzania edged 2000 gold-medalists Cameroon on penalties and now confront Nigeria. Pre-qualifiers Sudan mocked the form book by sending 1992 bronze-medalists Ghana packing and next up are neighbours Egypt with a last-eight place at stake.
These are the pick of eight third-round, first-leg fixtures and the winners after return matches this month advance to a mini-league tournament.
The top three finishers secure places at the first Olympics and the fourth-placed team go into a play-off with an Asian country in the English capital next April.
All continents are restricted to under-23 players, the 15 qualifiers plus hosts Britain can field three over-age footballers in the tournament.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 3rd, 2011.
Giant-killers Tanzania and Sudan enjoy home advantage as they resume their 2012 London Olympic Games qualifying campaigns.
Tanzania edged 2000 gold-medalists Cameroon on penalties and now confront Nigeria. Pre-qualifiers Sudan mocked the form book by sending 1992 bronze-medalists Ghana packing and next up are neighbours Egypt with a last-eight place at stake.
These are the pick of eight third-round, first-leg fixtures and the winners after return matches this month advance to a mini-league tournament.
The top three finishers secure places at the first Olympics and the fourth-placed team go into a play-off with an Asian country in the English capital next April.
All continents are restricted to under-23 players, the 15 qualifiers plus hosts Britain can field three over-age footballers in the tournament.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 3rd, 2011.