Money, business, takeovers, Arabs, Dubai, wages, resignations, meetings blah blah blah, I think I just died of boredom. What have any of them got to do with football? I am sure most of us here love the game itself, not the circus that surrounds it.
With that in mind, lets take a look at this weekend's upcoming World Cup 2010 Qualifiers from a truly global perspective, and get back to talking about football. The European qualifiers will be reviewed in a separate article.
CONMEBOL
The South American qualification series is already well under way, with 6 of 18 rounds already completed. Paraguay have leaped out of the blocks and lead the way with 13 points from their six matches, and this record will be sorely put to the test as they line up against second placed Argentina on Saturday in Buenos Aires.
Argentina have failed to win in their last three qualification matches, so will be keen to get their campaign back on track, while the Paraguayans were heavily beaten in Bolivia last time out. Expect a tight affair, with a draw a distinct possibility.
Brazil meanwhile are down in fifth place in the standings, Dunga's all-star team failing to get any momentum going. They face a tricky trip to Chile on Sunday. The Chileans are one place above them in fourth spot. Brazil always find a way to qualify, and surely will do again given the talent at their disposal, but I could see Chile springing a surprise here to pile the pressure on.
Elsewhere Ecuador, who have qualified for the last two tournaments (reaching the last 16 in 2006), face a must win match at home to Bolivia. The duo sit in eigth and ninth respectively in the standings, and whoever loses here can probably book their 2010 summer holidays, as they won't be going to South Africa. Ecuador should have enough on their own patch.
In the other games, Colombia face Uruguay, and last placed Peru are at home to improving Venezuela. Colombia have already downed Argentina in Bogota, so should take the honours there, while Venezuela are outside bets for the fifth placed play-off spot and can do their prospects no harm with a win in Lima.
Round Eight kicks off on Tuesday, with Paraguay expected to down Venezuela. On Wednesday, Brazil will surely steel themselves to beat Bolivia at home, and Argentina should win in Peru. Uruguay v Ecuador and Chile v Colombia are tougher calls, and they could well produce some draws to complete this crucial double header of matches.
CAF
If you think the South American campaign is a drawn out affair, then wait until you see the African qualifying system. Already well into its second of three rounds, the campaign has seen footballing minnows Comoros, Somalia, and Guinea-Bissau eliminated in Round 1.
Round 2 sees 48 teams split into 12 groups and playing 6 matches each, with 12 group winners and 8 next best teams making it to the final qualifying round. The next week sees the 5th collection of matches played, and it's all or nothing for some competitors.
In Group 1, Cameroon will ensure qualification to Stage 3 with a win away at Cape Verde. Group 2 sees leaders Guinea facing a tough trip to inflation busting Zimbabwe, with the losers likely to be under serious pressure from Kenya in the final match.
7 comments Last one added 10 months ago — Leave a Comment
illya mclellan 10 months ago
I'm hoping Australia have the quality to win an automatic spot as we would not want to be facing them in that play off. Australia leave us for dead in terms of football and it is to do with their population but also the sports academy system the copied from europe and the states years before the NZ government realised sport was profitable and developing it was in their best interests. The All Whites may have a slim chance against some of the other Asian qualifiers because we have not really played many of them before. But then I think we have to play the south american play off getter as well, they don't make it easy for us.
People moan that Oceania gets a 'spot' in the WC but no nothing of how difficult it is to get through.
I agree wholeheartedly with your opening paragraph, the furore surrounding all this premiership hoopla is a circus and not a very entertaining one at that.
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illya mclellan 10 months ago
or do we go direct from the play off with the Asian zone team? they always change the format its hard to keep up.
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Simon Williams 10 months ago
Thanks for the comments Illya. The play-offs have been changed this time so that New Zealand will only have to beat a 3rd placed Asian team to qualify, not a South American one as well.
The 5th placed South American side now plays-off against a CONCACAF side for the final place instead.
I hadn't realised that you were a New Zealander (Illya? sounds more of Eastern European origin)
I certainly wouldn't moan about an Oceania team having a spot, its only right that every continent is recognised, it is afterall the 'World' Cup.
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Salomon Gonzales 10 months ago
Was Somalia really eliminated..? If find that really surprising because last time I checked Somalia didnt have a national team! A country suffering humanitarian crisis and families migrating away on almost a daily basis. Who is exactly did they play against and which players did they field..? Im genuinely curious to find out so please enlighten me Simon.....
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Simon Williams 10 months ago
Hey Salomoan, well the first round of qualifying was used to eliminate some of the lowest ranked African nations.
The 10 lowest in the FIFA World rankings were drawn against eachother, producing:
Madagascar v Comoros
Somalia v Swaziland
Sao Tome & Principe v Central African Republic
Sierra Leone v Guinea Bissau
Seychelles v Djibouti
Sao Tome & Principe and the Central African Republic both withdrew from competition, meaning that Swaziland and the Seychelles (the two highest ranked teams) were given a bye to the next round. (not sure how that worked but thats what Wiki claims?!)
Somalia and Djibouti were then left to play each other, but in only 1 leg in Djibouti as Somalia were not deemed fit to host a home match. Djibouti won the game 1-0 with a goal from H. Yassin in the 84th minute.
Here is the url for the match report, showing all players etc:
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/africa/matches/round=250416/match=300032120/report.html
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Salomon Gonzales 10 months ago
Thanks for that Simon.
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Anthony Sanchez 10 months ago
I really want peru to qualify but I think it just ain't gonna happen.Interesting reading Simon.
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