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Which big guns will miss out?
(FIFA.com) Tuesday 9 June 2009
The battle for tickets to the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ is hotting up across the globe, and some of the traditional heavyweights face stiff challenges to qualify. FIFA.com wants to know which teams with strong FIFA World Cup pedigree you think will miss out on places at the 19th edition of the competition.
In Europe, there are a number of big guns facing the lottery of either a play-off berth or missing out altogether. Germany 2006 runners-up France are five points off leaders Serbia but have a game in hand, while Portugal face an even tougher task being seven points behind leaders Denmark and four points off second-placed Hungary. Others such as Czech Republic and Turkey currently lie well off the pace, and with much work to do between now and the end of the campaign.
African qualifying is again shaping up as a fascinating struggle between some of the continental giants and the less traditional names. With only the top nation in a four-team group qualifying, and with a total of six rounds to be played, there is little margin for error. With two matchdays already completed, Cameroon and Morocco, who have collectively qualified for nine previous FIFA World Cups, are already five points in arrears of surprise outfit Gabon. In Group B, Nigeria sit two points behind Tunisia, while in Group C, Egypt must make up three points on both Algeria and Zambia.
In CONCACAF, regional giants Mexico are one point off the play-off place and two points behind El Salvador, who currently hold the final automatic berth going into Matchday 5. Awaiting the play-off participants will be the fifth-placed South American nation, a position currently held by two-time FIFA World Cup winners Uruguay, who will be desperate to sneak into the automatic spots after losing out in a play-off for a pace at Germany 2006.
So, it's over to you. Which heavyweights will miss out on places at South Africa 2010?
(FIFA.com) Tuesday 9 June 2009
The battle for tickets to the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ is hotting up across the globe, and some of the traditional heavyweights face stiff challenges to qualify. FIFA.com wants to know which teams with strong FIFA World Cup pedigree you think will miss out on places at the 19th edition of the competition.
In Europe, there are a number of big guns facing the lottery of either a play-off berth or missing out altogether. Germany 2006 runners-up France are five points off leaders Serbia but have a game in hand, while Portugal face an even tougher task being seven points behind leaders Denmark and four points off second-placed Hungary. Others such as Czech Republic and Turkey currently lie well off the pace, and with much work to do between now and the end of the campaign.
African qualifying is again shaping up as a fascinating struggle between some of the continental giants and the less traditional names. With only the top nation in a four-team group qualifying, and with a total of six rounds to be played, there is little margin for error. With two matchdays already completed, Cameroon and Morocco, who have collectively qualified for nine previous FIFA World Cups, are already five points in arrears of surprise outfit Gabon. In Group B, Nigeria sit two points behind Tunisia, while in Group C, Egypt must make up three points on both Algeria and Zambia.
In CONCACAF, regional giants Mexico are one point off the play-off place and two points behind El Salvador, who currently hold the final automatic berth going into Matchday 5. Awaiting the play-off participants will be the fifth-placed South American nation, a position currently held by two-time FIFA World Cup winners Uruguay, who will be desperate to sneak into the automatic spots after losing out in a play-off for a pace at Germany 2006.
So, it's over to you. Which heavyweights will miss out on places at South Africa 2010?
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