With the top two and the four best runners-up from each group advancing to the round of 16, which is being held between 3-5 January, what are the chances of the SPFL’s contingent making an extended stay in Morocco?
Group A
Chaiwa’s Zambia (ranked 90th in the world) are in the same group as Scotland’s World Cup opponents, Morocco, currently the highest-ranked African side at 11, but will hope to at least progress as a best runners-up with Mali (52) and Comoros (108) being their other opponents.
Group B
Going by world rankings, Maswanhise should be one of the first to head home considering Zimbabwe (129) face an uphill task to avoid finishing bottom of a section including Mo Salah’s Egypt (34), South Africa (61) and Angola (89).
Nearly forgot to mention his three team-mates from Scottland – the Harare-based Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League club!
Group C
Nigeria (38) and Tounekti’s Tunisia (40) should be vying for top spot in their section, while a Uganda squad (85) containing Obita and Ikpeazu are left fighting it out for third with Tanzania (112).
Group D
Bushiri and Balikwisha’s DR Congo (56) will be second favourites for their group containing Senegal (19), Benin (92) and Botswana (138).
Group E
Djiga and Kabore’s Burkina Faso (62) are also second favourites for their section behind Algeria (35) and ahead of Equatorial Guinea (97) and Sudan (118).
Group F
Amade is another who could face an early return with his Mozambique (102) the lowest ranked in their group behind holders Ivory Coast (42), Cameroon (57) and Gabon (78).
When each returns to the SPFL depends on how far their national team progress. The group stage ends between 29-31 December, the last-16 is 3-5 January, the quarter-finals 9/10 January, the semi-finals 14 January, third-place play-off 17 January, and the final on 18 January.
