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Teams that are engaged in qualifiers for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa have lined up warm up games ahead of the second leg encounters in June

Many of the African teams that failed to qualify for the recently-concluded 2012 Africa Cup of Nations are using this weekend to prepare for the second round qualifying matches of the 2013 Afcon.

Algeria will hope to beat Niger while Cape Verde try to scale over Angola in an effort to boost confidence levels for their crucial games in June.

Angola – Cape Verde | Saturday, May 26

The island nation is coming into this game with much confidence after beating Madagascar 4-0 in the first leg of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. With the second leg coming up in about a fortnight, the Blue Sharks will want to use this warm up game against the Palancas Negras to test their strength.

Mozambique – Namibia | Saturday, May 26

The Mambas look a better side to carry the day ahead of their Namibian counterparts in this friendly match. Mozambique’s last game was that 1-1 Afcon qualifying draw against the Taifa Stars of Tanzania. The Namibians could see this game as a perfect platform to test their strategies ahead of their 2013 Nations Cup second leg game against Liberia.

Tanzania – Malawi | Saturday, May 26

Both teams need to use this game to sharpen up their formation and other strategies after a rather unimpressive result in the first leg of the 2013 Afcon qualifiers. The Taifa Stars drew with Mozambique while the Malawians suffered a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Chad during the February qualifying games. For them to identify any weaknesses and strengths this game must be taken seriously since they both need points.

Burkina Faso - Benin | Saturday, May 26   

Benin failed to win their game against Ethiopia in February during the first leg of qualifying games for South Africa 2013. They were able to steal just a point on their away mission. As the June second leg encounter draws near, it is appropriate to square off with a relatively strong west African side to gauge their preparedness at home. A win will boost their confidence, especially as they gear up to show off in front of a home side.

Algeria – Niger | Saturday, May 26

The Fennecs are set to face a side that has been described as Africa’s rising football nation. The Mena can be unpredictable and can embarrass when you least expect them to. Selecting them for this test game is a perfect choice for the north Africans as they psych themselves up to gain complete dominance over their Gambian opponent in the upcoming second leg encounter for South Africa 2013. Algeria recorded a narrow victory in the first leg and a win is what they need as they go through a football healing process judging from past poor records.