Fifa World Cup 2010

As we enter the business end of the elongated qualification process for the forthcoming FIFA World Cup in South Africa next year, let’s take a look at the potential highs and lows around the various regional zones. Many thanks must go to the excellent FIFA website for providing the data for this article.

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South America

All eyes will be firmly focused on Buenos Aires, as Diego Maradona’s Argentina desperately tries to get their qualification route back on track against the hapless Peru. Following four defeats in their last five full internationals (including the desperate 6-1 reverse, at altitude, in Bolivia last April), the pressure appears to be mounting upon the manager – he revealed this week that he may resign from his position even if Argentina guarantees qualification during the week. Critics have noted the poor tactical play of the team under Maradona’s tutelage, highlighting the poor return from star player Lionel Messi, despite his excellent club form for Barcelona this year.

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Elsewhere in this continually exciting and tight group, the resurgent Chile will aim to join Paraguay and Brazil on the plane to South Africa. Two points from their final two games against Colombia (away) and Ecuador (home) will secure their first appearance at the finals since 1998, where the team impressed with their free-flowing football lead by Ivan Zamarano and Marcelo Salas upfront. Ecuador, presently in the final automatic position and just a point ahead of Argentina, are under most pressure to finalise their third consecutive appearance at the finals. The Andean nation, not only face Chile but a tricky home game against a Uruguay side, which is desperately chasing the lead group down from their position a further point behind Argentina. Although already qualified, Brazil and Paraguay will impact upon the fortunes of the other two sides (Colombia and Venezuela), who can potentially finish in the automatic positions.

Without a doubt, the forthcoming weekend will provide us with plenty of entertainment in the region and some interesting conclusions to the intriguing tussles that lie ahead. It should be noted in this group that the fifth place team will enter into a two-legged playoff against the fourth place team in the CONCACAF zone.

CONCACAF

Over-coming an uncomfortable start to the qualification process during the short ill-feited rein of Sven Goran Eriksson, Mexico will look to confirm their place at the finals over the weekend, with a home game against El Salvador. After having won their last four matches on the trot, the game, at altitude in Mexico City, appears a formality against a team that will be eliminated with a defeat. USA should also join them, in what will be fifth time in succession that the two superpowers have qualified for the tournament in succession. Nevertheless, USA face a tricky encounter away against an impressive Honduras team lead by the non-stop running of David Suazo, who stand on the verge of qualification themselves.

Most attention in this region will be focused on Costa Rica over the weekend as they aim to get their qualification campaign back-on-track after a desperate three months, which has seen them lose the last three games in succession, leaving them in fourth place and facing a potential play-off against Argentina (as discussed earlier). In order to readdress the slump in form, Los Ticos reappointed former manager Rene Simoes for their final two matches against the already eliminated Trinidad and Tobago team (home) and USA (away). All teams will be desperate to avoid the pitfalls of finishing in the play-off position as the potential match appears a lot more difficult on paper than in previous qualification process where Trinidad and Tobago’s faced a playoff against Bahrain.

Europe

In the UEFA zone, England, Spain and Holland can afford to rest as they have already assured their places on the plane to South Africa next summer. In Group One, there is potentially the biggest shock of the qualifiers as Portugal, lead by the world’s most expensive player ‘Christiano Ronaldo’, find themselves outside even the playoff positions with just two games remaining. However, with the top two teams in the group (Denmark and Sweden) playing each other on Saturday evening, there still remains a good chance of the playoff at least, providing the side can produce the form that has been seen over the last decade. Surprisingly, goals have been the problem with only 10 being scored in the 8 matches played so far. The passing of another great team over the past decade can be witnessed in Group Three, where the Czech Republic sit sadly in fourth position, with no chance of catching surprise leader and neighbours Slovakia. The Slovakians need just two points from their final two matches (Slovenia at home and Poland away) to book their first-ever appearance at the finals as an independent nation. Another noticeable absentee from the finals will be Turkey (third place in 2002) providing Bosnia manages to overcome a poor Estonia team.

With an extensive round of playoff matches in Europe during November, a number of important matches will decide who goes automatically and who enters the lottery in November. On Saturday evening, Russia host Germany in Moscow, in a winner takes all match – in event of a tie, Germany are sure-fire favourites to qualify. Elsewhere, former winners France will be a notable entrant into the playoffs, as they presently sit four points behind group leader Serbia, with only two games remaining. The final game of note in the region takes place in Athens as Greece host Latvia, in what shall decide the team, who joins Switzerland in qualifying out of Group Two.

Africa

Argued to be the most difficult region to qualify from, the African qualification process enters its’ final stages, with only Ghana assured of a place, alongside ‘host nation’ South Africa, at the finals. Having beaten their closest rival Burkina Faso home and away, Ivory Coast can confirm their second consecutive appearance at the finals with a victory in Malawi this Saturday. Most observers credit the Ivorians as Africa’s greatest chance in the first World Cup to take place on the continent so their early qualification will, no doubt, please their fanatical supporters.

In the other three groups, they are not expected to be decided until the final weekend however Nigeria and Egypt will be hoping for some good fortune to get their campaigns back on track. Both of the continental giants presently sit outside the qualification places and need the group leaders (Tunisia and Algeria respectively) to slip up in order to have any remote chance of qualification. For the Pharaohs, in particularly, it will be an immense shock after having been place in the supposedly easiest of the five final groups alongside Algeria, Zambia and Rwanda.

In Group One, Cameroon have their destiny in their own hands following home and away victories over their nearest challenger Gabon. They face Togo at home on Saturday and travel to Morocco in their final game which, on paper, should provide Etoo and his teammates with an easy path to the finals.

Wherever you are in the world, I hope that you enjoy the weekend’s football. Remember, the finals are now only 8 months away.