Egypt face South Africa in tough African group
Egypt were drawn against former champions South Africa and Niger in the same 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying group on Saturday.
The African champions will also face Sierra Leone in Group Seven which promises to be among the toughest.
Four-time champions Cameroon will play Senegal, DR Congo and lowly Mauritius in Group Five.
World Cup finalists Algeria are in Group Four with Morocco, Tanzania and the Central African Republic.
Every draw delivers a so-called ‘group of death’ and the 2012 Nations Cup is no exception.
Nigeria also face a tough task as they are in Group Two to play Guinea, Ethiopia and Madagascar.
Ghana, who finished second at the recent Cup of Nations, were given a favourable draw as they will play Congo, Sudan and Swaziland.
Egypt will be seeking a record fourth consecutive title when Gabon and Equatorial Guinea co-host the next version of the biennial African football showpiece.
The Pharaohs defeated Ivory Coast on penalties in the 2006 final, Cameroon 1-0 two years later and Ghana by the same score in Angola last month with 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.
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.
Togo were not in Saturday’s draw but could still be included at a later date if their appeal over a ban from the next two Nations Cups with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) is successful.
Togo were controversially banned from the 2012 and 2014 Nations Cups by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) because of ‘government interference’ after withdrawing from the 2010 tournament.
Full 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, DR 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, BotswanaGroup winners plus best three runners-up qualify for finals with co-hosts Gabon and Equatorial Guinea
BBC Sport
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