Cameroon get tough draw

Africa's top-ranked football team, Cameroon, were handed a tricky route to the 2010 World Cup after being drawn yesterday against Morocco, Gabon and Togo in Group A of the continent's third and final qualifying stage.

The group will see Cameroon's German coach Otto Pfister pitting his wits against the Togo side which he coached through a chaotic 2006 World Cup campaign with players threatening to strike over allegedly unpaid bonuses.

It also brings together former French players Roger Lemerre and Alain Giresse who now coach Morocco and Gabon respectively.

Only the five group winners will progress to the final tournament along with hosts South Africa.

The groups are also being used to determine qualification for the next African Nations Cup, also in 2010, with the three top sides in each group going through along with hosts Angola.

Group B also threw up some tough fixtures with Nigeria, Tunisia and Kenya all going head-to-head along with Mozambique.

African champions Egypt were given a slightly easier-looking assignment in Group C where their main rivals are likely to be two-time World Cup participants Algeria.

Ghana were joined by Mali, Benin and Sudan in Group D while Malawi, the lowest-ranked team in the draw, are in Group E along with Didier Drogba's Ivory Coast, Guinea and Burkina Faso.