BY APESIN ADEMOLA.

The Matchday 5 of the final round qualifiers for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, to be hosted by Cameroon, kicks off this Friday with three matches in different groups and centres.

Four teams – Tunisia and Egypt, who clash this Friday in Egypt, as well as Senegal and Madagascar, who will engage their respective opponents on Saturday and Sunday – have booked their places to join Cameroon in next year’s finals, leaving 19 slots to be contested in the last two rounds of the group stage.

For the first time, 24 teams will feature in the 32nd edition of the continent’s flagship competition from June 15 to July 13 next year.

Tunisia and Egypt in Group J will go head-to-head in a classification match at the Borg El Arab Stadium, located in the Mediterranean Sea resort that shares the same name with the stadium.

The Eagles of Carthage, who have lifted the trophy only once when they hosted in 2004, need to avoid defeat to confirm their status as the group winners.

Record seven-time winners of the title, Egypt missed out of three consecutive editions but returned two years ago, and almost won the competition but Cameroon stopped their run 2-1 in the showpiece match.

In the first leg of the 2019 AFCON qualifiers, the Pharaohs were beaten by a lone goal. So they require a two-goal cushion to displace Tunisia at the top of the table.

eSwatini (formerly Swaziland) and Niger Republic, the other teams in Group J who are already eliminated, play on Sunday.

In Cameroon’s group, Morocco may qualify along with the hosts this penultimate match of the group phase. Cameroon had prevailed 1-0 in Yaounde in the first leg but the Atlas Lions will go on top of the table, in place of the Indomitable Lions, if they achieve revenge.

That outcome will leave Malawi needing to win at Comoros Islands on Saturday to stay in contending for the group’s sole ticket, Cameroon having automatically qualified for the finals.

At the moment, Malawi are three points behind Morocco and will be at home to the north Africans in their final group fixtures.

Comoros Islands, on their part, remain hopeful that Cameroon 2019 will see them feature in the finals for the first time. That will however require Morocco losing their last two group games and Malawi not having more than three additional points. Even then, Comoros Islands must triumph in their remaining two fixtures.

In Group C, eliminated South Sudan, fight for pride as they welcome Burundi, who had the edge 3-0 in the first leg. Four straight losses have left South Sudan with no point and at the foot of the table in this section.

Burundi will go on top of the table – above Gabon and current leaders Mali – if they achieve a double over the group’s whipping side.

Gabon will host Mali on Saturday with the latter a point ahead.

Friday’s fixtures…

Group B: Morocco v Cameroon (first leg Cameroon 1-0) (8pm)

Group C: South Sudan v Burundi (first leg Burundi 3-0) (2pm)

Group J: Egypt v Tunisia (first leg Tunisia 1-0) (5pm)

Saturday’s fixtures…

Group A: Equatorial Guinea v Senegal (first leg Senegal 3-0) (4pm)

Group B: Comoros Islands v Malawi (first leg Malawi 1-0) (1pm)

Group C: Gabon v Mali (first leg Mali 2-1) (4pm)

Group D: Gambia v Benin Republic (first leg Benin Republic 1-0) (5:30pm)

Group E: South Africa v Nigeria (first leg South Africa 2-0) (2pm), Seychelles v Libya (first leg Libya 5-1) (1:30pm)

Group K: Namibia v Guinea-Bissau (first leg Guinea-Bissau 1-0) (3pm)

Group L: Uganda v Cape Verde Islands (first leg Uganda 1-0) (2pm)

Sunday’s fixtures…

Group A: Madagascar v Sudan (first leg Madagascar 3-1) (12:30pm)

Group D: Togo v Algeria (first leg Algeria 1-0) (5pm)

Group F: Ethiopia v Ghana (first leg Ghana 5-0), Kenya v Sierra Leone (first leg Sierra Leone 2-1) (both 2pm)

Group G: Congo Republic v DR Congo (first leg DR Congo 3-1) (3:30pm), Liberia v Zimbabwe (first leg Zimbabwe 3-0) (5pm)

Group H: Rwanda v Central Africa Republic (first leg Central Africa Republic 2-1) (2:30pm), Guinea v Côte d’Ivoire (first leg Guinea 3-2) (6pm)

Group I: Angola v Burkina Faso (first leg Burkina Faso 3-1) (4pm), Mauritania v Botswana (first leg Mauritania 1-0) (6pm)

Group J: eSwatini v Niger Republic (first leg 0-0) (2:30pm)

Group K: Mozambique v Zambia (first leg Mozambique 1-0) (2:30pm)

Group L: Lesotho v Tanzania (first leg 1-1) (3pm)