Wanderers had some disappointing news from Egypt, where Whites' four players are all through to the African Nations quarter-finals after a dramatic final day of qualifying.

Radi Jaidi had already qualified with Tunisia, but it seemed El-Hadji Diouf and Abdoulaye Faye would be coming home - possibly with an outside chance of featuring at Fratton Park - when Senegal were beaten 2-1 by Jay Jay Okocha's Nigeria.

But Zimbabwe, the underdogs in the so-called "Group of Death" pulled off a sensational result to beat Ghana and put both Senegal and Nigeria through to the last eight.

So while Pompey boss, Harry Redknapp is likely to have at least five of his nine January signings in action on Wednesday night, having pulled off a major coup by taking the Argentine international playmaker Andres DAlessandro on loan from German club Wolfsburg, Allardyce is resigned to going with what he has got, for the time being, while awaiting developments in Egypt.

Nevertheless Allardyce feels Wanderers are unbeatable at the moment.

As his side prepared for the clash, the Wanderers boss summed up the sky-high confidence which has spread through the Reebok.

Allardyce warned his players will need to be at their ruthlessly efficient best to add to relegation-threatened Portsmouth's problems.

But he is convinced they will chalk up yet another victory if they play like they have been doing, in spite of missing a number of injured and African Nations Cup players recently.

"These boys have got so much confidence that, at this moment in time, I think they are unbeatable," he said.

"The cups seem to enhance our performances in the Premiership, and we have not had to worry about our Premiership performances even with limited resources and limited numbers.

"I don't feel they're going to get beat when they go into any game and I hope that continues into the game against Portsmouth.

"What the players are doing at the moment is very pleasing. They are on top of their form and I just cant ask for any more.

"We have a team that is full of confidence and playing to the best of its ability. We'll certainly have to do that at Portsmouth and if we do we will get a result."