The draw for the African zone produced several intriguing matchups, with Olympic champion Cameroon placed with Egypt and Ivory Coast in the tough Group 3.
"It's not an easy group but we are ranked No. 1 in Africa and we have to prove it," said Cameroon's German coach Winnie Schaefer.
Senegal's musician Youssou N'Dour, who was among several celebrities helping with the draw, put his nation, which reached the quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup, atop Group 1, with Mali and Zambia as its main challengers.
The rivalry between neighboring Tunisia and Morocco, both seeking to organize the 2010 World Cup, will highlight Group 5.
Nigeria, in Group 4, will have its toughest challengers in Zimbabwe and Algeria, while South Africa heads Group 2, which includes Congo, Burkina Faso and Ghana.
Only the five winners of African groups will advance to the finals.
Co-hosts of the 2002 finals, Japan and South Korea, were drawn in relatively easy groups.
Japan, looking to make its third World Cup appearance, was drawn in Group 3 with Oman, India and Singapore. South Korea, which has competed at six previous World Cup finals and reached the semifinals last year, drew Lebanon, Vietnam and Maldives in Group 7.
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