There are no obvious omissions from the list of 20 countries who begin the final phase of World Cup qualification in Africa in a straightforward process that will take the next 13 months to complete.

Divided into five groups of four, only the winners will go on to fill the continent's places at the World Cup finals in Russia.

It is a strong lineup that represents a good chance for Africa to improve its performances at the finals and strengthen a case for more places at future tournaments.

To date, no African side has got as far as the semifinals at a World Cup, a failure that serves to dampen claims for additional places despite a large sized confederation with 54 members. For years there have calls for more places, only for the Confederation of African Football to rightly point out the continent's teams need to do better at the World Cup to stake a stronger case.

Here's a look at the five groups on the road to Russia:

Group A

The Democratic Republic of Congo have their best chance in decades to return to the World Cup, several generations after the appearance of Zaire at the 1974 tournament in West Germany and the mirth and derision that accompanied their performance.

The Congolese have been strengthening their squad regularly with players from the Diaspora and now have a formidable lineup with the likes of Yannick Bolasie, Neeskens Kebano, Dieumerci Mbokani and Chancel Mbemba. They start with a home tie against the enigmatic Libya on Sunday. That Libya are able to field a competitive side despite the breakdown of football in their war-torn country is a remarkable achievement. Tunisia have qualified for four previous World Cups and also maintain a good level of consistency but these days lack a little of the X-Factor. Guinea have an outside chance but not much more.

Group B

Algeria, Cameroon, Nigeria and Zambia are all previous African champions and three of them competed at Brazil 2014. Only Zambia have never been to a World Cup and despite winning the Nations Cup just four years ago, they must be considered the least likely to qualify, given they have yet to appoint a permanent coach and are a side in transition. They begin the group campaign on Sunday at home to Nigeria, still smarting after missing out on qualifying for January's Nations Cup finals. The Super Eagles, who will be without injured Victor Moses, have bright talent in the form of Alex Iwobi and Kelechi Iheanacho, and look capable of quickly bouncing back.

Algeria are the top ranked team in this group and brimming with confidence after a year of solid results. Yacine Brahimi, Sofiane Feghouli, Riyad Mahrez and Islam Slimani are among the key players for Milovan Rajevac and they will need to be on form in Blida on Sunday. Cameroon's new coach Hugo Broos took over just after the start of the year and was lucky to draw his first game. But he made drastic changes after that and the Indomitable Lions have looked much improved, including going close to holding France in a friendly international in May.

Group C

Morocco's squad promises plenty, packed with abundant talent but still struggling to show signs of cohesion. That is the job that Herve Renard has been brought to do after taking the Ivory Coast to the Nations Cup title in 2015. He will meet up with his former employers in this group but first starts away in Gabon on Saturday while the Ivorians play Mali in a derby in Bouake the same day.

Gabon have previously proved perilous for some of the continent's top teams in qualifying but are far too reliant on the pace and finishing power of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Just Gervinho remains from the Ivory Coast's "Golden Generation". Yaya Toure has quit and Salomon Kalou has been dropped for this weekend's match. Mali have high hopes of an upset but been weakened by the absence of three injured players -- Abdoulaye Diaby (FC Bruges), Bakary Sako (Crystal Palace) and Adama Traore from Monaco.

Group D

All four sides will be confident of their ability to win this group, even if Senegal are, arguably, favourites. They came through the recent Nations Cup qualifiers with a 100 percent record and boast the likes of Sadio Mane, with Moussa Sow brought back for Saturday's home match against the Cape Verde Islands to replace the injured Mame Biram Diouf. The Cape Verdians have inspirational Lucio Antunes back as coach but have to lift themselves up after a poor 2017 Nations Cup qualifying campaign. They were extremely unlucky not to make the qualifying playoff for the last World Cup in Brazil and can draw on that experience as they attempt to navigate through this group.

Burkina Faso host South Africa in Ouagadougou on Saturday with home coach Paulo Duarte suggesting his opponents are the best team in Africa, but the Portuguese coach also suggested his side have as good a chance as any to qualify.

Group E

Ghana are chasing a fourth successive World Cup appearance and were the last team from the continent to reach the last eight, in South Africa in 2010. Egypt are also in the hunt for a World Cup place that has eluded them since 1990. Egyptian football has it struggles but the national team, under Hector Cuper's tutelage, is suddenly alive again with exciting talent and will look to get off to a good start in Brazzaville on Sunday against Congo. Their hosts are a mercurial side who will be no pushovers but perhaps lack the requisite depth to go all the way to Russia.

Mark Gleeson covers African football for ESPN FC.