PORT SAID, Egypt, - Senegal forward El Hadji Diouf says he is treating the African Nations Cup as if the World Cup had come to Egypt. Senegal joined fellow African heavyweights Nigeria and Cameroon in failing to qualify for the finals in Germany and all three are now desperate to make amends by lifting their continental trophy.

Having started out with a 2-0 win over Zimbabwe, Senegal face World Cup-bound Ghana on Friday in a Group D game that is loaded with significance. "Ghana are going to the World Cup - and we need to beat them to show our people that it's an accident that we're not going to the World Cup," he told reporters at the team's Ismailia training base.

"The best thing we can do now is to win this African Nations Cup...it's really important.

"This is my World Cup. I'm going to give my best at this tournament." The former African Footballer of the Year has clearly not digested his! team's failure to qualify for Germany.

Senegal were unexpectedly pipped at the post in Group One by Togo, one of four World Cup debutants from Africa along with the Ghanaians, Ivory Coast and Angola.