Mozambique and Mali are both on eight points at the top of Group I, and either side will secure passage if they win their meeting in Maputo on Friday.

Guinea-Bissau are four points behind and hoping to capitalise on any slip up, but Luis Boa-Morte’s men need to return from their trip to already-eliminated Eswatini with three points.

Guinea-Bissau host Mozambique in the final round of matches, when Mali entertain Eswatini.

Zimbabwe are hot favourites to join Cameroon in qualifying from Group J and will do so if they avoid defeat at home against Kenya in neutral Polokwane on Friday.

The Harambee Stars must win that game to keep their own hopes alive, which would then leave them needing to better Zimbabwe’s result in Cameroon when they host Namibia on Tuesday.

In Group K, Uganda need just one point from their two fixtures, at home against South Africa and away in Congo-Brazzaville, to return to the finals for the first time since 2019.

South Africa require one victory and will be confident of beating winless South Sudan at home next Tuesday if they drop points in Uganda.

Congo realistically need two big wins to spoil the party.

Qualification in Group L is already settled, with both Burkina Faso and Senegal through with two games to spare at the expense of Burundi and Malawi.