By Piers Edwards BBC Sport

Mamadou Bagayoko will make his return for Mali

None of the top three in the group play each other as Africa's qualifiers for the 2006 World Cup and Cup of Nations resume this weekend.

Group leaders Senegal, Togo and Zambia are all tied on ten points apiece but are kept apart as they face Liberia, Mali and Congo respectively.

Senegal, boosted by the form of forward El-Hadji Diouf and the return to the squad of Khalilou Fadiga, play a weakened Liberia side in Dakar on Saturday.

The Lone Star called up ten overseas-based players for the match but the government overturned the decision as it believes Liberia, currently second from bottom, have no chance of qualifying for either Germany or Egypt.

"The [head of government] feels that this is necessary not only as a cost saving measure, but as a means to give exposure to the home-based players and prepare them for the future," explained Sports Minister Wheatonia Barnes.

With a Senegalese victory expected in Dakar, Togo and Zambia will need to win their qualifiers to remain at the top of the group.

The Togolese travel to Bamako to play Mali on Sunday, where the home side will be looking for their first victory of the qualifying group.

French coach Pierre Lechantre, who led Cameroon to Cup of Nations glory in 2000, takes charge of Mali for his first match.

But Togo's public, who have conceded just two goals under the tutelage of former Nigeria defender Stephen Keshi, has been awaiting this match for a long time.

Fadiga makes an emotional return to Senegal's side

"The excitement has been there for the past eight weeks and any time you go into town - people have been talking about the Mali game, women in the marketplace, and people in pubs and bars," Keshi told BBC Sport.

"They never dreamed they would be in this position but here they are, so all they are doing is giving us support and telling us to play with confidence.

"No one gave us a chance so there's no pressure on us and we're just going to go out, have fun and give it everything we've got."

In the other group game, Zambia host Congo in Chililabombwe on Saturday.

The visitors are under the guidance of new coaches Gaston Tchangana and former captain Celestin Mouyabi, who replaced sacked Frenchman Christian Letard.

A surprise win for Congo would take the Red Devils back within a point of a place at Egypt 2006.

Group fixtures - Zambia v Congo (Saturday 1300 GMT), Senegal v Liberia (Saturday 1600 GMT) and Mali v Togo (Sunday, 1800 GMT).