Cameroon and Morocco both play their first game of the Afcon qualifiers

World Cup-bound Cameroon and Morocco both play their first game of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on Thursday, while Nigeria and South Africa are also among the continent’s heavyweighs who are belatedly getting their campaign to reach the 2023 finals underway.

Morocco meet South Africa in Rabat in the opening match in Group K after it was reduced to three teams by the disqualification of Zimbabwe, banned by Fifa for political interference in the running of their football association’s affairs.

It was for similar reasons that Kenya were also kicked out of the competition, leaving Cameroon in a three-team Group C with minnows Burundi and Namibia.

The Indomitable Lions, who were unable to organise another friendly to keep them busy and help with their World Cup preparations, take on Burundi in Dar-es-Salaam in what should be a routine assignment.

Nigeria are up against Sierra Leone in Abuja hoping there will be no repeat of their clash in the qualifiers for the previous edition of the Cup of Nations, where they let a 4-0 first half lead slip and ended up drawing 4-4 with the Leone Stars in Benin City.

Nigeria played two friendlies in the US last week, losing to both Mexico and Ecuador as new coach Jose Peseiro took over.

Also in Group A, Guinea Bissau and Sao Tome e Principe meet in a Lusophone derby in Agadir, Morocco where Guinea Bissau have been forced to move the match because their home stadium has been deemed not up to international standard by the Confederation of African Football.

Egypt are without Mohamed Salah for their trip to Malawi where they meet Ethiopia in Lilongwe. He picked up an injury when they edged Guinea 1-0 on Sunday.

Malawi are away against Guinea in Conakry in the same group.

At Soweto’s Dobsonville Stadium, Lesotho are hosting Ivory Coast in Group H. Only one team goes through from this group and the Basotho have already lost away in the Comoros Islands and are not fancied to make any impression on the powerful Elephants, who will have Wilfried Zaha and Ajax Amsterdam striker Sebastien Haller in their line-up.