Reuters JOHANNESBURG: Champions Egypt head a list of 44 African countries who start their campaigns this weekend to qualify for the 2008 Nations Cup. Only Ivory Coast and Zimbabwe have the weekend off. The Egyptians should have little to fear against Burundi in Cairo on Saturday on their way to the 16-team final tournament in Ghana. They are taking no chances against the tiny east African country, ranked 156th in the world, however, with coach Hassan Shehata recalling new Tottenham Hotspur signing Mido to lead the attack and keeping faith the squad that won the title in February. The first game is always difficult even if we are superior to Burundi. Under no circumstances must we underestimate them, Shehata told reporters this week. Only defender Wael Gomaa, given leave of absence to have a trial at Newcastle United this week, is missing from the Egyptian squad. Countries such as Cameroon, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal and South Africa will look to the qualifying competition as an opportunity to assuage the disappointment of missing the recent World Cup finals in Germany. Nigeria named a full-strength side for their Group Three game against northern neighbors Niger in Abuja, but their preparations have been curtailed by injury to new Newcastle signing Obafemi Martins and the non-arrival of Portsmouth s Nwankwo Kanu and Middlesbrough striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni. Coach Augustine Eguavoen said he hoped they would arrive in time for Saturday s match. Cameroon unveils Dutch coach Arie Haan away in Rwanda, where the Indomitable Lions can expect a tough assignment on a small and bumpy pitch in Kigali. Samuel Eto o returns to lead Cameroon s attack in the Group Five match on Sunday after missing their recent friendly in France against Guinea. Morocco is heavily fancied to beat Malawi in their Group 12 match in Rabat on Saturday, but their preparations have been overshadowed by the decision of Roma s Hossine Kharja and Olympiakos defender Abdeslam Ouaddou to quit after a selection row with coach Mohamed Fakhir. South Africa has to do without key players Benni McCarthy and Quinton Fortune for a tricky match against Congo in Johannesburg on Saturday. Both have pulled out of the squad. The 2010 World Cup hosts will be watched by their new coach Carlos Alberto Parreira but the Brazilian does not take up the reigns formally until next January. Instead the team is being trained by caretaker coach Pitso Mosimane. Senegal plays a first competitive match under their new coach Henryk Kasperczak when they host Mozambique in Dakar on Saturday. Tunisia has named an experimental team for the trip to Mauritius in a Group Four match while Angola, who also played in the World Cup in June, has a familiar look about their side. They have a tricky away tie in Group Six against Swaziland. Togo, who despite upheavals and disagreements at the World Cup, has retained German Otto Pfister as their coach, host neighbors Benin in their first home match since last September.
Egypt begins defense of African Nations Cup
