Caf President Issa Hayatou may have to provide some answers
Caf's seeding system for the 16 teams participating at the Nations Cup in Mali next year has thrown up the possibility that three countries that have qualified for the World Cup could be drawn in the same group.
Cameroon, Nigeria and Senegal could play each other in the group stage, meaning at least one of them would fail to qualify for the quarter-finals.
It may lead some to question Caf's seeding policy.
The Confederation of African football has organised the 16 nations at Mali 2002 into four tiers of four teams.
The draw is due to take place on 8 September in Bamako.
One team from each tier will go into each of the four groups.
Mali, as hosts, and reigning champions Cameroon are among the four top seeded teams.
The remaining fourteen countries are divided according to their results in the 1996, 1998 and 2000 African Nations' Cups.
Mathematical system
Seven points are awarded to the winner, five to the runner-up, three to the semi-finalists, two for teams which get to the quarter-finals and one point to those who go out in the first round.
These points are then multiplied by three if gained at CAN 2000, two at CAN '98 and one if awarded for performances at the 1996 Nation's Cup.
That puts Mali, Cameroon, South Africa and Egypt into the top tier, Tunisia, Nigeria, DR Congo and Ghana into the second, Burkina Faso, Algeria, Zambia and Cote d'Ivoire into the third and Morocco, Senegal, Togo and Liberia into the fourth.
The seeding system, which leaves no room for discretion, means that while three teams who have qualified for the World Cup could find themselves in the same group, Mali, DR Congo, Burkina Faso and Togo could also be drawn together.
These countries have failed to make an impression in recent years, but two would be guaranteed of making it into the last eight.
The seeding system is subject to approval by the Mali 2002 organising committee on 6 September.