2010 FIFA World Cup Betting Tips, Picks and Odds: FIFA World Cup qualifying: All to play for in Africa

Five countries have qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals already, but none of those teams are from Africa. That could change this weekend, especially if the hopes of Ivory Coast are to be realised.

The penultimate round of qualifiers is bringing a wave of anticipation and excitement across the continent. Millions will be watching nervously as their respective teams seek to book their place at next year's tournament in Germany. In most of the groups the permutations are still complicated and the outcome not yet distinctly clear, even though there are just two games to go.

The exception to the rule is Group 3, where Ivory Coast will qualify if they beat Cameroon in Abidjan on Sunday. In the other groups, the likes of Angola, Togo and Ghana will seek to hold on to pole position and may even secure their progression to the FIFA World Cup finals, but only if they win and their nearest challengers lose. However, it remains more likely that all will be decided only after the final matches in October.

Therefore, the Felix Houphouyet Boginy stadium is the focus of much of Africa's attention at the weekend as one pretender seeks to topple an old adversary. Cameroon's Indomitable Lions have been a regular feature at FIFA World Cups since they burst charismatically into the spotlight at Italia 90.

Quarter-finalists then, they have never been able to replicate that magical form since but remain one of the best teams in African football. The Ivorian Elephants were surprise African champions in 1992 but qualifying for the FIFA World Cup finals has, to date, remained an elusive dream.

However, the roles have been reversed during this qualifying campaign. To date, Ivory Coast have been defeated just once - by Cameroon in July 2004. Adding extra spice to the encounter, is the fact that the Ivorians have never beaten Cameroon in a competitive international to date and have a major psychological hurdle to overcome.

Their 3-0 defeat against France in Montpellier on 17 August was a big setback for a team described ahead of the match as the "best side to come out of Africa" but then swiftly brought back down to earth by Les Bleus.

This reminder of their own fallibility, mixed with Cameroon's 'nothing to lose' attitude, could prove the ingredients for another blow to the Ivorian cause. A draw would keep Henri Michel's men two points ahead and leave them needing to secure a win in their final match away against Sudan in October to make sure of qualification for Germany.