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The 5 group winners go through to join the world's best at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The top three in each group will go to the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations in Angola.

GROUP A

28/03/09 Morocco 1-2 Gabon
28/03/09 Togo 1-0 Cameroon

06/06/09 Cameroon v Morocco
06/06/09 Gabon v Togo

20/06/09 Morocco v Togo
20/06/09 Gabon v Cameroon

05/09/09 Togo v Morocco
05/09/09 Cameroon v Gabon

10/10/09 Gabon v Morocco
10/10/09 Cameroon v Togo

14/11/09 Togo v Gabon
14/11/09 Morocco v Cameroon

GROUP B

28/03/09 Kenya 1-2 Tunisia
28/03/09 Mozambique 0-0 Nigeria

06/06/09 Tunisia v Mozambique
06/06/09 Nigeria v Kenya

20/06/09 Kenya v Mozambique
20/06/09 Tunisia v Nigeria

05/09/09 Mozambique v Kenya
05/09/09 Nigeria v Tunisia

10/10/09 Tunisia v Kenya
10/10/09 Nigeria v Mozambique

14/11/09 Mozambique v Tunisia
14/11/09 Kenya v Nigeria

GROUP C

28/03/09 Rwanda 0-0 Algeria
28/03/09 Egypt 1-1 Zambia

06/06/09 Zambia v Rwanda
06/06/09 Algeria v Egypt

20/06/09 Egypt v Rwanda
20/06/09 Zambia v Algeria

05/09/09 Rwanda v Egypt
05/09/09 Algeria v Zambia

10/10/09 Zambia v Egypt
10/10/09 Algeria v Rwanda

14/11/09 Rwanda v Zambia
14/11/09 Egypt v Algeria

GROUP D

28/03/09 Sudan 1-1 Mali
28/03/09 Ghana 1-0 Benin

06/06/09 Mali v Ghana
06/06/09 Benin v Sudan

20/06/09 Mali v Benin
20/06/09 Sudan v Ghana

05/09/09 Ghana v Sudan
05/09/09 Benin v Mali

10/10/09 Mali v Sudan
10/10/09 Benin v Ghana

14/11/09 Ghana v Mali
14/11/09 Sudan v Benin

GROUP E

28/03/09 Burkina Faso 4-2 Guinea
28/03/09 Ivory Coast 5-0 Malawi

06/06/09 Guinea v Ivory Coast
06/06/09 Malawi v Burkina Faso

20/06/09 Burkina Faso v Ivory Coast
20/06/09 Guinea v Malawi

05/09/09 Malawi v Guinea
05/09/09 Ivory Coast v Burkina Faso

10/10/09 Guinea v Burkina Faso
10/10/09 Malawi v Ivory Coast

14/11/09 Ivory Coast v Guinea
14/11/09 Burkina Faso v Malawi

Ticketless fans were behind Sunday's stadium stampede that left 22 people dead in Ivory Coast, officials say.

The government has promised an inquiry into the tragedy which left 130 people injured at the Houphouet-Boigny arena in the biggest city, Abidjan.

Police tried to keep the crowds back with tear gas but a wall collapsed and in the panic fans were crushed.

Many casualties were treated at the stadium as the match went ahead and hosts Ivory Coast beat Malawi 5-0.

The national football association had told those without the prized tickets to stay away.

But thousands ignored the message hoping to see Ivory Coast's Europe-based football stars.

The big attraction was home-grown hero Didier Drogba, who is regarded almost as a demi-god by his countrymen, says BBC Ivory Coast correspondent John James.

The Chelsea striker - who had missed the previous round of qualifiers due to injury - scored twice, but the victory was overshadowed by what happened off the pitch.

'Extreme sorrow'

Fifa President Sepp Blatter said: "I wish to express extreme sorrow and extend our condolences to the Ivorian football community and, most importantly, to family, friends and loved ones following the tragic deaths in Abidjan yesterday."

Our correspondent says it seems many fans were angry when the gates were shut.

A crowd of supporters without tickets were reportedly pushing and shoving 40 minutes before the start of the game.

Ivorian Sports Minister Dagobert Banzio said there seemed to be more people outside the 35,000-capacity stadium than inside.

"Some spectators who didn't have tickets tried to force their way in," he said.

"Unfortunately they broke down one of the big gates and in the stampede people were crushed."

The arena has just been refurbished but our correspondent says at this stage it seems the sheer number of people who wanted to get into the match proved too much.

Other Europe-based stars playing in Sunday's game were Drogba's Chelsea team-mate Salomon Kalou, as well as Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Eboue of Arsenal.

The home side also featured Tottenham's Didier Zokora, Sevilla's Ndri Romaric and Marseille forward Bakari Kone.

Source: bbc sport Africa

The Johannesburg High Court has delayed the verdict in the trial of three men accused of killing South African reggae singer Lucky Dube.

One of the men recently confessed he had taken part in the crime and said all three deserved to be punished. They had originally denied murder.

The 2007 killing of Dube, during a carjacking in a Johannesburg suburb, shocked the country.

The judge said he hoped the judgement would be concluded on Monday.

The Sapa news agency reports that the courtroom was packed with members of the public, including Dube's widow and son, as the judge started to deliver his decision on Friday.

Judge Seun Moshidi did say that one of the accused, Julius Gxowa, had not been an impressive witness.

Dube was South Africa's best-selling reggae artist.

He recorded 22 albums in Zulu, English and Afrikaans during his 25-year career.

On Tuesday, the judge in charge of the case said the court had no evidence that Dube had been specifically targeted.

The court heard that the three men did not know the identity of their alleged victim until they read about it in the newspapers the following day.

At the start of their trial in February, Julius Xowa, Sfiso Mhlanga and Thabiso Maroping also denied unlawful possession of firearms and attempted hijacking.

Death penalty calls

Four suspects were initially taken into custody, but one was later released under the instruction of the directorate of public prosecutions.

Dube was shot dead in front of his son and daughter in Rosettenville, a suburb south of central Johannesburg.

The killing led to renewed domestic calls for the restoration of the death penalty in a bid to stem one of the world's highest murder rates.

The BBC's Mpho Lakaje in Johannesburg says South Africa's international image has been tarnished by its alarming crime levels.

Nearly 19,000 people were murdered last year, according to official statistics.

Millions of visitors are expected for next year's football World Cup.

Lucky Dube began his career by singing mbaqanga (traditional Zulu) music and recorded his first album with the Super Soul band in 1982.

He later moved into reggae, producing Rastas Never Die, which was banned by the apartheid government.