James Copnall BBC Sport in Dakar

Group 8: Senegal v Lesotho
Follow the game here LIVE from 1700GMT on Saturday

Guy Stephan is urging caution

All of Senegal believes the Lions are as good as qualified for the Nations Cup finals, except the players and coaches themselves.

The team needs just one point against the group's whipping boys. the Crocodiles of Lesotho, to become the first team to qualify for Tunisia 2004, but no-one is taking anything for granted.

"This game is going to be really difficult", midfielder Sylvain Ndaiye told BBC Sport.

"First of all, everyone around us thinks it is going to be easy, since Lesotho is supposed to be the smallest team in the group.

Crocodiles plot Senegal's fall

But I think they are going to come to Dakar to concede as few goals as possible, so the whole team is going to defend and it is going to be really tricky to play them," he added.

The Lions' French coach Guy Stephan needs little reminding of how teams can fail from seemingly impregnable positions.

He saw his country fail to qualify for the 1994 World Cup despite needing just one point from home games against Israel and Bulgaria.

It is a comparison Stephan has made to his players.

Nothing is ever guaranteed in advance Guy Stephan

"Nothing is ever guaranteed in advance," Stephan said. "Let us stay humble and concentrate on the job at hand.

"We mustn't believe it is an easy match, and we will need determination and patience."

Ndiaye, who accepts he has not always seized his chance in the national team, reckons he has identified the biggest obstacle to their qualifying.

"There is our usual problem: our worst enemy is ourselves," he said.

"We have to be really concentrated, and ready in our head to play a tough game."

Saturday's game was brought forward a week after the Senegalese FA made a request to Lesotho.