Nigeria to battle Ghana, Mane faces Salah in final 2022 World Cup Qualifiers

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The Super Eagles of Nigeria will face arch-rivals Ghana in the playoffs that will determine who represents Africa in the Qatar 2022 World Cup.

The draw was held in Douala, Cameroon, on Saturday.

Ghana will have home advantage first and both legs will be played between March 21 and 29 with the aggregate winners securing a place at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Egypt face Senegal, Cameroon meet Algeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo play Morocco and Mali tackle Tunisia in the other ties.

Only Mali among the 10 contenders have never qualified for the world football showpiece while Cameroon hold the record for appearances by an African team with seven between 1982 and 2014.

READ ALSO: AFCON 2021: Holders Algeria crash out after Ivory Coast 3-1 mauling

Nigeria brushed off a troubled build-up to the Cup of Nations, including the sacking of German coach Gernot Rohr, to be the only team among the 24 in Cameroon to win all three group matches.

While the Super Eagles look forward to a last-16 clash with Tunisia on Sunday, Ghana were shock first-round casualties, finishing bottom of a group after a stunning 3-2 loss to minnows the Comoros.

Nigeria are seeking to qualify for the World Cup a seventh time and, since 1994, have missed only one of seven editions. The last of three appearances by Ghana was in 2014.

Algeria, the defending champions and shock early departees from the tournament, will face Cameroon, another in-form team with captain Vincent Aboubakar scoring five times in three group games.

After going 35 matches unbeaten since last 2018, Algeria lost to Equatorial Guinea and were then outplayed by the Ivory Coast to make an embarrassingly early exit.

Egypt boss Carlos Queiroz is another coach who insists his priority is the World Cup, saying “the main goal when I signed was to qualify for the 2022 World Cup”.

Mali will fancy their chances of a historic first appearance at the finals after defeating Tunisia in Cameroon last week through an Ibrahima Kone penalty.

See below the full result of Saturday’s draw:

Egypt v Senegal

Cameroon v Algeria

Ghana v Nigeria

Democratic Republic of Congo v Morocco

Mali v Tunisia

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