The Confederation of African Football (CAF) released a statement to clarify the qualification format for the 2012 African Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.

Some of the format aspects were in question recently, including qualification of the best second-placed teams.

The winners of the 11 groups of the qualifiers will secure passage to the biennial tournament.

“The second of Group K, the only group with five teams, will qualify (however, in case a country withdraws in the group, the second of the group will compete for a place as second best),” CAF added on its official website.

“The two best runners-up will be determined considering only the results against the first and third of each group.

“The results of matches against the fourth in the group will be annulled. A new classification will be established and the two best runners-up will be determined by the following parameters in this order:

“1- Highest number of points, 2- Goal difference, 3- Highest number of goals scored, 4- Match replay in case of parity.”

Seven-time African champions Egypt, the winners of the past three Nations Cups, are on the verge of missing out on next year’s finals.

They lie at the bottom of Group G with only one point after failing to register a single victory in their first three matches. The Pharaohs’ faint hope lies on the possibility of finishing as one of the best two second-placed teams.

South Africa tops the group with seven points, one ahead of second-placed Niger and five clear of third-placed Sierra Leone.