Caf considers World Cup plans

The Confederation of African Football is considering a number of proposals on the best qualifying system for the 2006 World Cup.

A special committee will be set up to study two proposals on how the 2006 Nations Cup will be used as a basis for deciding the continent's representatives in Germany.

The decision to use the 2006 Nations Cup was made at the last Caf congress in Mali.

The first proposal is to allow the best five teams at Egypt 2006 into the World Cup.

Had that system been in place this year, Cameroon, Senegal, Nigeria [the three teams were at the last World Cup], Mali and possibly DR Congo, would have been Africa's representatives in Korea and Japan.

South Africa and Tunisia, who did not reach the semi-final at 2002 Nations Cup, would have missed out.

The alternative proposal that the committee will examine is to cut the number of Nations Cup qualifying groups to five, the winners of which would play in the World Cup.

Meanwhile the top three in each group, plus one other country, would head to Egypt.

This system would mean the number of qualifying games would increase.

It is something African soccer leaders are keen on, as the loss of the World Cup qualifiers could cost them millions of dollars in gate takings and television revenue.