Host's hopes pinned on Guerny

Noureddine Morceli: Star runner is missing

Hosts Algeria are pinning their hopes for a medal at the African Athletics Championships on Djabir Said Guerny, as the stars stay away.

Big names like 1500m star Noureddine Morceli are concentrating on more lucrative meets in Europe - and with nearly 50 athletes unable to make it to Algiers, the championships are in danger of becoming a failure. .

Zimbabwean 400m runners Tawanda Chiwira and Philip Mukomana flew into in Algiers only to find out that rest of team was still in Harare, with no clear indication that they would be able to make it.

Powerhouses

Kenya, one of the athletics powerhouses on the continent, has only four athletes present after 18 of their squad ran into trouble in Holland.

Lacking the requisite transit visas, they returned to Nairobi unable to continue to Algeria.

One nation, though, appears to be an island of organisation in the midst of a sea of chaos.

South Africa has brought a strong team which arrived two days before the competition in buouyant mood.

Strength

Team manager Molatelo Malehopo said his team was taking the championships seriously and was out to prove its strength in depth.