By Kennedy Gondwe BBC Sport, Lusaka

Nees said Caf has ignored the smaller footballing nations

Seychelles coach Micheal Nees has warned that Caf's joint qualifying system for the 2006 Nations Cup and World Cup could ruin the national team.

Nees said Caf's decision, which would ensure that nearly half of its 52 members would have no competitive international football until 2006, has ignored the concerns of the continent's smaller nations.

"It is absolutely unacceptable and I cannot understand this system.

"It's like they just want to cut the number of teams in order to have a comfortable [qualifying] competition.

It is absolutely unacceptable Seychelles coach Micheal Nees

"To me, this decision [of Caf] is like a parent giving away one of his children, so that he lives a comfortable life," Nees said.

Nees, whose side lost 4-0 to Zambia in the first leg of their 2006 qualifying tie, said Seychelles could be one of the countries in the footballing wilderness.

Needing a 5-0 win against Zambia in Saturday's return leg in Lusaka, the coach admitted that his team have no chance of getting the needed result.

"It would be unrealistic for us to think that we can beat Zambia 5-0 if we could lose 4-0 in our country," Nees said.

"We are playing against a very good side and our duty is to give Zambia a good performance.

"But we must be honest and admit that we cannot erase the first-leg defeat."

Nees said that Caf should have maintained the same qualifying system devised for the 2004 Nations Cup and used the Nations Cup finals in Egypt to select Africa's five World Cup representatives.

"Caf should take a look at things before the World Cup draws take place."

Nees, whose contract with Seychelles runs out in 2005, is hoping that the country could avoid an absence from international competition by playing in the Cosafa Cup tournament.