EGYPT, SOUTH AFRICA IN SAME NATIONS CUP GROUP
Defending champions Egypt were drawn in the same 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying group as 2010 World Cup hosts South Africa on Saturday.
Sierra Leone, who beat and drew with Bafana Bafana (The Boys) in the last Nations Cup elimination competition, and Niger complete Group 7, which promises to be among the toughest.
Egypt will be seeking a record fourth consecutive title when Gabon and Equatorial Guinea co-host during January 2012 the next version of the biennial African football showpiece.
The Pharaohs defeated Ivory Coast on penalties in the 2006 final, Cameroon 1-0 in Accra two years later and Ghana by the same score in Angola last month with 'super sub' Mohamed Gedo Nagy snatching the late winner.
Only group winners are guaranteed places at the tournament so South Africa have their work cut out as they attempt to reclaim a place among the African elite after failing to qualify for Angola.
Every draw delivers a so-called 'group of death' and the 2012 Nations Cup is no exception with four-time champions Cameroon facing Senegal and Democratic Republic of Congo plus lowly Mauritius.
While Cameroon have reached every tournament since 1996, Senegal and DR Congo missed out of the 2010 finals and will be champing at the bit to prove they are not spent forces.
Group 4 is going to be no less fascinating as World Cup qualifiers and 2010 Nations Cup semi-finalists Algeria share it with Morocco, Tanzania and the Central African Republic.
Togo were the only 2010 Nations Cup qualifiers not included in the draw after being disqualified because the organisers said illegal "government interference" led to their withdrawal after a fatal ambush in Angola.
A team official and assistant coach were killed in the attack as the team crossed from Congo to Cabinda and a reserve goalkeeper had to be airlifted to South Africa after sustaining serious injuries.
The Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) will rule on a Togo appeal against the ban from the 2012 and 2014 Nations Cup and if successful the west Africans will be included in a revised draw.
There are three groups containing two 2010 Nations Cup qualifiers -- Zambia and Mozambique share Group 3, Ivory Coast and Benin are in Group 8 and Tunisia and Malawi are among the Group 11 quartet.
The Confederation of African Football released the draw in the southern DR Congo mining city of Lubumbashi, where the annual African Super Cup match will be staged on Sunday between local club TP Mazembe and Stade Malien of Mali.
Draw
Group 1: Mali, Cape Verde Islands, Zimbabwe, Liberia
Group 2: Nigeria, Guinea, Ethiopia, Madagascar
Group 3: Zambia, Mozambique, Libya, Comoros Islands
Group 4: Algeria, Morocco, Tanzania, Central African Republic
Group 5: Cameroon, Senegal, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mauritius
Group 6: Burkina Faso, Gambia, Namibia, Mauritania
Group 7: Egypt (holders), South Africa, Sierra Leone, Niger
Group 8: Ivory Coast, Benin, Rwanda, Burundi
Group 9: Ghana, Congo, Sudan, Swaziland
Group 10: Angola, Uganda, Kenya, Guinea Bissau
Group 11: Tunisia, Malawi, Chad, Botswana
Note: Group winners plus best three runners-up qualify for finals with co-hosts Gabon and Equatorial Guinea
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