Ibrahim Sannie BBC Sport

Nigeria captain Jay-Jay Okocha will not be available for his country

With just a two-point margin at the top of the table, Nigeria know only a victory in Rwanda Sunday will guarantee they stay ahead of the pack.

But the Super Eagles will have to do it without several key Europe-based players including captain Jay-Jay Okocha, strikers Yakubu Ayegbeni and John Utaka as well as midfielder Wilson Oruma and defender Joseph Enakarhire.

Coach Christian Chukwu has been forced to call-up players with little experience on the big stage as replacements such as midfielder Paul Obiefule of Danish club Viborg FC and Italy-based Uche Udechukwu.

Meanwhile Rwanda's Swedish coach Roger Palmgren is looking to eight overseas-based players to help them beat the Super Eagles.

"We badly need to win this game to brighten our chances of qualifying for the Nations Cup in Egypt," said Palmgren.

GROUP FOUR FIXTURES Zimbabwe v Gabon (Sun 1300 GMT) Angola v Algeria (Sun 1430 GMT) Rwanda v Nigeria (Sun 1400 GMT)

The Wasps will however be without Belgium-based Desire Mbonabucya, who captained the country's to its first Nations Cup in Tunisia in last year, amidst rumours he has retired from international football.

However Nigeria midfielder Garba Lawal knows the harm their hosts are capable of inflicting.

"It's going to be tough even though some people think we are going to have it easy," he recently told BBC Sport.

Meanwhile second-placed Angola will be seeking to sustain the pressure on the leaders when they host Algeria.

Angola welcome back Benfica striker Pedro Mantorras

The home side welcome back injury-plagued striker Pedro Mantorras for the match in Luanda.

It is the first call-up for the Portugal-based striker, who is also a former Young African Footballer of the Year, for more than three years.

Mantorras is expected to win only his fourth cap in a front line bolstered by the return of captain Akwa, a former Benfica player, and Freddy from Portugal's Uni�o Leiria.

All three missed last week's friendly in Tunisia which Angola lost 4-1, but are included in the 23-man squad for the Group Four qualifier.

Algeria coach Ali Fergani has left out France-based midfielder Ouadah Abdenacer after he refused to join his team-mates for their last qualifier.

Also missing is Belgium-based defender Samir Beloufa because of injury while Nadir Belhadji has been allowed to stay with his club Sedan who play Auxerre in the French Cup final on Saturday.

Zimbabwe, who are in third place, host Gabon as they continue their quest for a second consecutive Cup of Nations appearance.