Bafana Bafana and Côte d'Ivoire, ranked fourth and eighth in Africa, have been drawn in Group 11 with Burundi, meaning a former champion will miss the biennial showpiece because only winners qualify from three-team pools.

Côte d'Ivoire coach Robert Nouzaret can choose from a fullstrength squad that includes Habib Kolo Toure, whose goal earned Arsenal an English premiership point at Chelsea last Sunday.

Spain-based defender Cyrille Domaraud, a surprise exclusion from the Elephants squad that performed dismally at the 2002 African Nations Cup, has been recalled.

The strike force boasts Ibrahim Bakayoko from French club Marseille, Bonaventure Kalou from Uefa Cup holders Feyenoord of the Netherlands and Kandia Traore from crack Tunisian team Esperance.

SA have been less fortunate with experienced defender Lucas Radebe of Leeds United and striker Siyabonga Nomvete from Italian Serie A outfit Udinese withdrawing through injury.

It promises to be a tough second match in charge for Bafana Bafana coach Shakes Mashaba after guiding the 1996 African champions to an easy victory over Swaziland last month in a regional tournament.

Nigeria, meanwhile, must tackle Angola in Luanda without injured midfielders Nwankwo Kanu and Augustine "Jay Jay" Okocha as coach Christian Chukwu prepares for a baptism of fire.

The Super Eagles, beaten by Argentina and Sweden before holding England at the World Cup, are a starstudded outfit, boasting some of the best footballers on the continent.

But as World Cup qualifying losses in Liberia and Sierra Leone demonstrated, the 1980 and 1994 champions often struggle away from some of the most loyal followers in Africa.

Angola are a match for most opponents at the vast concrete bowl of the Citadela Stadium and have called up nine Portugal-based players, including Young African Football of the Year Pedro "Mantorras" Manuel.

Brazilian coach Ismael Kurtz omitted another young striker, Qatarbased Fabrice "Akwa" Maieco, who has been idle due to a six-month ban imposed by Asian authorities for assaulting a match official.

A hard, uneven pitch at the National Stadium in Maseru could pose as big a threat to shock World Cup quarterfinalists Senegal against unpredictable Lesotho, who lost a warm-up match 2-0 in Zimbabwe.

The surface militates against flowing football and African Footballer of the Year and Liverpool striker El-Hadji Diouf and his team-mates could struggle to weave magical patterns.

Hosts Tunisia and holders Cameroon automatically qualify for the tournament.