Upsetting the host Ghana seems mightily unlikely in Group A. Without doubt the Ghanaians have the best engine room in the competition with Muntari and Essien. It’s the box-to-box combination that will take pressure off the strikers and ease the load on defeners.

Morocco’s forward line, Marouane Chamakh in particular, will dicatate if it can find a way past Bobo Balde and Guinea. While the Guineans take one of their stronger teams to the tournament it’s Morocco who are proven over three games in Nations Cup play and the better shout to steal a draw from the hosts if Ghana are to drop points.

Namibia suffered the loss of its senior coach last month and although pledging to play for Ben Bamfuchile will need miracles of its squad of predominantly African-based players is to find a way through.

Group B

1. Ivory Coast - strong favourite for 1st
2. Mali - slight favourite for 2nd
3. Nigera - slight underdog for 2nd
4. Benin - heavy favourite for last

With a team widely considered the favourite for the tournament with the bookmakers (or at least level with Ghana) it’s Ivory Coast who are regarded as the powerhouse of African football. The names make them the paper champions; Toure, Eboue, Zokora, Kalou and Drogba and even then there are players being left out. Trophies aren’t won on paper, but this group stage almost certainly will be.

Mali’s excellent record in Cup of Nations makes them my pick to edge Nigeria. Nigeria has names and faces that we will all recognise and the familiarity might make them a safer pick. But starting with Ivory Coast will be a mighty challenge. Lose or draw while Mali beats Benin and Nigeria has the tough task of playing from behind.

The Benin side is not stocked with well known players and will have the untried Achille Rouga at centre back from French club Rennes and its next-best known player Romauld Boco in midfield. But it’s even more difficult to see a miracle here than Namibia in Group A.

Group C

1. Cameroon - slight favourite for 1st
2. Zambia - slight favourite for 2nd
3. Egypt - slight underdog for 2nd
4. Sudan - strong favourite for 4th

Cameroon’s book-ends of Kameni in goals and Eto’o up forward are they key to the team that was king of African football at the turn of the century. With a host of veterans from the 1998 and 2002 World Cups still in the Cameroon line-up the experience is there to carry the team through a difficult group.

Christopher Katongo must score goals for Zambia to progress with the nation’s other big-name striker Collins Mbesuma deemed unfit. I’m backing an upset here, Egypt to lack the strike power to take second place.

Egypt took the hard line with Mido and Ghali for not playing regular club football by leaving the duo out. An out-and-out star is missing from the forward line as a result, with Egypt’s African-based players the key to finding a way through this group. Zidan shoulders the goalscoring responsibility.

Sudan’s squad is drawn from just two clubs and although that will provide team unity, one doubts any of them will be making moves to Europe come the tournament’s end. Teams with a strong unity do tend to win major championships, just look at Greece in 2004, but the gulf in class seems to great here. Add to that Sudan’s pre-tournament form line offers little.

Group D

1. Senegal - slight favourite for 1st
2. Tunisia - slight favourite for 2nd
3. South Africa - slight underdog for 2nd
4. Angola - medium underdog for 2nd

Group D looks like being the group of death, with any slip-up from Senegal likely to open a four-way battle for both progression places. El-Hadji Diouf’s return from retirement and Senegal’s wealth of European-based players gives it both a skill and tactical edge over Tunisia and Angola.

However Tunisia’s team unity and brilliant record qualifying and performing in major tournaments (albeit wasteful of opportunities at World Cups) gives it second for mine. South Africa’s omission of Benni McCarthy is the difference between second and third. The bookmakers have the Bafana at 25-1, far longer than some of the players in their team merit. But it would require peak performances from the strikers the South Africans opt for, in McCarthy’s absence there are many around the same level to chose from so form is crucial. The Premier League-centric view of South Africa’s hopes is that it’s Pienaar who is the key. He will perform, the key is those who are yet to prove themselves at this level.