The five winners of the five groups qualify automatically for the finals.
Morocco's three point lead in Group Five should continue after Saturday's home match in Rabat against Malawi, who have yet to win a game in the group phase.
Malawi conceded seven goals in nearby Tunisia in their last qualifier in March and despite better preparations this time, including a training camp in Libya, have travelled with a youthful team.
Morocco, who have been to two of the last three World Cup finals, have a full strength squad for the match with an attack led by Marouane Chamakh of Girondins Bordeaux and another French-based striker, Jawad Ziari.
But South Africa will be more concerned about staying ahead of Ghana and the Democratic Republic of Congo, who are expected to win their home encounters on Sunday against Burkina Faso and Uganda respectively.
Nigeria face potential embarrassment too in Rwanda on Sunday as they seek to maintain top spot in Group Four.
Coach Christian Chukwu has left behind captain Jay-Jay Okocha and striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni after they failed to pitch for the training camp prior to departure for Kigali.
If Nigeria do not win, Angola have the chance to reclaim the leadership but must beat Algeria in Luanda on Sunday.
Their chances have been boosted by the return from injury of Benfica striker Mantorras, who helped his Lisbon club win the Portuguese championship last month.
The three-way tie at the top of Group One is likely to be broken up after the weekend as Senegal travel away for a tricky game against Congo in Brazzaville while Togo and Zambia face each other in Lome.
In all there will be 15 qualifiers around the Africa continent at the weekend. Another rounds of matches will be played from June 17-19.
Updated on Thursday, Jun 2, 2005 8:22 am EDT
PREVIEW-Soccer-Morocco, Ivory Coast eye World Cup progress
By Mark Gleeson
JOHANNESBURG, June 2 (Reuters) - Morocco and Ivory Coast are fancied to inch closer to qualification for the 2006 World Cup finals after the completion of the weekend's full programme of qualifiers.
Both still have some way to go to ensure their participation in the tournament in Germany, even if they keep up their unbeaten runs.
The Ivorian attack for Friday's Group Three encounter away against Libya has still to be settled as Didier Drogba battles to get fit for the encounter.
The Chelsea striker has not played since picking up a knee injury in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final against Liverpool.
Coach Henri Michel added Dutch-based Arouna Kone as cover in naming his squad for the trip.
Ivory Coast have a four point lead in the standings but must still win three of their last four matches to ensure top place in the group.
The previously prosperous west African country, now mired in internal strife, have never qualified for the World Cup finals.
Ivorian captain Bonaventure Kalou will make a mad dash after the game back to Paris in an effort to make the bench for AJ Auxerre's meeting with Sedan in the French Cup final.
Libya played their first match since the veteran Croat Ilija Loncarevic returned as coach, drawing 1-1 with Malawi last Friday.
Still seeking to haul in the Ivorians are Cameroon, who play away in Benin on Saturday, and Egypt, hosting Sudan on Sunday and opting to give Werder Bremen striker Mohamed Zidane his first cap.
Still seeking to haul in the Ivorians are Cameroon, who play away in Benin on Saturday, and Egypt, hosting Sudan on Sunday and opting to give Werder Bremen striker Mohamed Zidane his first cap.
PERILOUS TRIP
Of all the group leaders, South Africa have the most perilous of trips, facing the Cabo Verde Islands in Praia.
Stuart Baxter's side has been hard hit by injury and an embarrassing defeat against the island minnows on Saturday would turn over the leadership of the group to a country who have never been ranked inside the world's top 100.
The Caboverdians, strengthened in recent months by several Portuguese-born players, lie just two points behind South Africa in Group Two
