With just one round of qualifiers left, the battle to represent Africa at next year's World Cup remains wide open.
Togo, Ghana, Cameroon, Angola and Tunisia currently top their respective qualifying groups yet none is assured of a berth at Germany 2006.
The race to qualify for the 2006 African Cup of Nations in Egypt however is all but over.
14 of the 16 finalists are now known, with only the top three finishers in Group Two still to be decided.
The biggest winner in the ninth round of qualifying were the Cameroonians, who overcame the Ivory Coast 3-2 in Abidjan to leapfrog their opponents at the top of Group Three.
The Indomitable Lions displayed the experience gained from previous World Cups to put themselves in a position to reach their fifth finals in a row.
Cameroon now need to beat Egypt at home next month to qualify for Germany yet should they draw, the Ivorians will go through if they win in Sudan.
Following their 3-0 defeat of Liberia, Togo need only draw in Congo next month to qualify for Germany from Group One and so take their bow on football's greatest stage for the first time.
The only team that can stop them are 2002 World Cup quarter-finalists Senegal, who put Zambia out of the race when winning in Chililabombwe on Saturday.
Group Two finds another World Cup virgin topping the group and Ghana, who beat Uganda 2-0 on Sunday, need to avoid defeat in Cape Verde next month to be sure of their place in Germany.
DR Congo are Ghana's only rivals and need a large victory in South Africa coupled with a heavy Ghanaian defeat in Praia to overtake the Black Stars.
Nigeria, who won 5-2 in Algeria on Sunday, are also relying on a slip-up in Group Four as they seek to dethrone table-toppers Angola in the final standings.
Both teams have eighteen points but the Angolans, who beat Gabon 3-0 in Luanda, lead the group because of a superior head-to-head record over the Super Eagles.
The Palancas Negras will be one of the 32 teams in Germany should they win in Rwanda next month, while Nigeria know that victory at home to Zimbabwe may not be enough to take them through.
Only in Group Five do the top two teams meet to decide who will qualify for the World Cup.
African champions Tunisia, 2-0 winners in Kenya on Saturday, have one more point than second-placed Morocco and need only draw against their north African rivals in Tunis to top the group.
The re-run of the 2004 Nations Cup final is set to be a fiercely-contested affair with the Moroccans having to win to qualify for their fourth World Cup finals.
An Ivorian fan is disconsolate after the home defeat to Cameroon
Nations Cup qualifiers so far
Egypt (hosts)
Togo
Senegal
Zambia
Ghana
Ivory Coast
Cameroon
Libya
Angola
Nigeria
Zimbabwe
Tunisia
Morocco
Guinea
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