Nigeria and South Africa will join Egypt and Cameroon on the outside of the continental championship as they both stumbled at home, while the likes of Niger and Libya confirmed unlikely spots in the finals.
Qualifying for the 2012 CAF Africa Cup of Nations concludes this weekend with big guns Nigeria and South Africa needing to make up ground to reach the finals, and a host of outsiders aiming to make a bit of history.
Sierra Leone have enjoyed an upswing in fortunes during their 2012 CAF Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign, resulting in a rise on the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking and a growing sense of optimism.
After just a one-month hiatus, Spain replaced the Netherlands at the top of the global ladder, while Uruguay and Portugal leapt into fourth and fifth respectively amid significant change.
Senegal and Burkina Faso were the big winners over the weekend as the pair booked passage to the 2012 CAF Africa Cup of Nations, but seven groups remain up for grabs with one qualifying round to go.
Niger edged closer to qualifying for next year's CAF Africa Cup of Nations with a win over South Africa, while Uganda lost to Angola and Nigeria beat Madagascar.
2012 CAF Africa Cup of Nations
2012 CAF Africa Cup of Nations
