Euro 2008 still has another week to run and the next World Cup is a whole two years away but already one Chelsea player, John Mikel Obi, has assisted his nation in a big step towards the 2010 tournament in South Africa.

By beating Equatorial Guinea 2-0 on Saturday, Nigeria have become the first country to make it through to the second phase of Africa's World Cup qualification process.

It was the Super Eagles' fourth win out of four in their group which only started at the beginning of this month and it ensures they are group winners.

Mikel, who missed the previous game due to illness, returned on the bench and came on in the 65th minute for Kanu. The score at that stage of the home match was 1-0 with Yakubu having netted, and Nigeria added a second late on through Getafe's Ikechukwu Uche.

The 12 group winners and eight best runners-up advance to the second group phase when they are split into five groups of four to decide the continent's five representatives for the 2010 World Cup.

By winning their first-stage group, it's a case of qualify for one, get one free for Nigeria as it has also put them into the next African Cup of Nations, to be held in Angola six months before the World Cup.

Other Chelsea Africans will be in similar action this weekend. Michael Essien's Ghana play at home to Gabon on Sunday. Ghana are second in their group, three points behind leaders Libya with a game in hand.

Ivory Coast, who have drawn their last two, will play at home to fellow group leaders Botswana. Neither Salomon Kalou nor Didier Drogba have yet to take part but Kalou is expected to return from injury for this game. Drogba is quoted as resting the knee operated on last December.

South Africa automatically qualify for the World Cup as hosts but are currently playing group fixtures for African Nations Cup reasons. A run of poor results means now need to beat Mikel's Nigeria plus Equatorial Guinea in their remaining two games to stand any chance of making the continental tournament.

This weekend's games finally bring to an end the season for Mikel and Kalou who can now embark on holiday. The first group games are completed in September and October.