World Cup News
2010 Group Fixtures Have Been Announced:
Group A:
South Africa, France, Mexico, Uruguay.
11/06/2010: South Africa v Mexico, Johannesburg, 16.00 (local time)
11/06/2010: Uruguay v France, Cape Town, 20.30
16/06/2010: South Africa v Uruguay, Pretoria, 20.30
17/06/2010: France v Mexico, Polokwane, 20.30
22/06/2010: Mexico v Uruguay, Rustenburg, 16.00
22/06/2010: France v South Africa, Bloemfontaine, 16.00
Group B:
Argentina, Greece, Nigeria, Korea Republic.
12/06/2010: Argentina v Nigeria, Jo’burg, 16.00
12/06/2010: Korea Republic v Greece, Port Elizabeth, 13.30
17/06/2010: Greece v Nigeria, Bloemfontaine, 16.00
17/06/2010: Argentina v Korea Republic, 13.30
22/06/10: Nigeria v Korea Republic, Durban, 20.30
22/06/2010: Greece v Argentina, Polokwane, 20.30
Group C:
England, USA, Slovenia, Algeria.
12/06/2010: England v USA, Rustenburg, 20.30
13/06/2010: Algeria v Slovenia, Polokwane, 13.30
18/06/2010: Slovenia v USA, Jo’burg, 16.00
18/06/2010: England v Algeria, Cape Town, 20.30
23/06/2010: Slovenia v England, Port Elizabeth, 16.00
23/06/2010 USA v Algeria, Pretoria, 16.00
Group D:
Germany, Serbia, Ghana, Australia.
13/06/2010: German v Australia, Durban, 20.30
13/06/2010: Serbia v Ghana, Pretoria, 16.00
18/06/2010: Germany v Serbia, Port Elizabeth, 13.30
19/06/2010: Ghana v Australia, Rustenburg, 16.00
23/06/2010: Ghana v Germany, Jo’burg, 20.30
Group E:
Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon.
14/06/2010: Netherlands v Denmark, Jo’burg, 13.30
14/06/2010: Japan v Cameroon, Bloemfontaine, 16.00
19/06/2010: Netherlands v Japan, Durban, 13.30
19/06/2010: Cameroon v Denmark, Pretoria, 20.30
24/06/2010: Denmark v Japan, Rustenburg, 20.30
24/06/2010: Cameroon v Netherlands, Cape Town, 20.30
Group F:
Italy, Slovakia, Paraguay, New Zealand.
14/06/2010: Italy v Paraguay, Cape Town, 20.30
15/06/2010: New Zealand v Slovakia, Rustenburg, 13.30
20/06/2010: Slovakia v Paraguay, Bloemfontein, 13.30
20/06/2010: Italy v New Zealand, Nelspruit, 16.00
24/06/2010: Slovakia v Italy, Jo’burg, 16.00
24/06/2010: Paraguay v New Zealand, Polokwane, 16.00
Group G:
Brazil, Portugal, Ivory Coast, Korea DPR.
15/06/2010: Ivory Coast v Portugal, Port Elizabeth, 16.00
15/06/2010: Brazil v Korea DPR, Jo’burg, 20.30
20/06/2010: Brazil v Ivory Coast, Jo’burg, 20.30
21/06/2010: Portugal v Korea DPR, Cape Town, 13.30
25/06/2010: Portugal v Brazil, Durban, 16.00
25/06/2010: Korea DPR v Ivory Coast, Nelspruit, 16.00
Group H:
Spain, Chile, Switzerland, Honduras.
16/06/2010: Honduras v Chile, Nelspruit, 13.30
16/06/2010: Spain v Switzerland, Durban, 16.00
21/06/2010: Spain v Honduras, Jo’burg, 20.30
21/06/2010: Chile v Switzerland, Port Elizabeth, 16.00
25/06/2010: Chile v Spain, Pretoria, 20.30
25/06/2010: Switzerland v Honduras, Bloemfontein, 20.30
World Cup Qualifying Update
As the latest round of qualifying has drawn to a close, a number of teams are edging ever closer towards qualifying for 2010’s summer feast of football.
As things stand, the Netherlands, Australia, Japan and Korea Republic have already booked their passage to South Africa, while several teams took giant steps towards securing qualification in the last two rounds of matches.
In Europe, England continued their seemingly unstoppable march towards South Africa with two wins out of two, scoring 10 goals without conceding. After seven games, the Three Lions still have maximum points and are 10 points clear. Fabio Capello’s men have just three remaining fixtures and it looks like a solitary win will be enough to seal their place at the finals.
Spain, like England and the Netherlands, are still unbeaten and lead group five by six points. Denmark did their chances of qualifying no harm with a 1-0 victory over neighbours Sweden to open up a three point cushion at the top of group one. Beaten 2006 semi finalists Portugal however are struggling and trail the Danes by seven points with just four games remaining.
In the only match in group three, Slovakia leapfrogged Northern Ireland to sit at the top of the group following a 7-0 drubbing of minnows San Marino, while in group four, a 3-0 away win for Russia in Helsinki drew Guus Hiddink’s men to within one point of leaders Germany.
Wins against Austria and the Faroe Islands saw Serbia extend their lead in group seven over 1998 winners France to eight points, although Les Blues currently have two games in hand. Group eight saw the Republic of Ireland inch closer to leaders Italy following a 1-1 draw in Sofia. In the final UEFA group, Scotland remained in second place despite not featuring in the last round of matches. The Tartan Army are level on points with Macedonia with a game in hand, but trail the now-qualified Dutch by a gargantuan 14 points.
In South America, Brazil are a point clear of second place Chile after beating Uruguay away and third-placed Paraguay at home. Paraguay had gone into the qualifiers looking down on the rest, but a defeat to Chile coupled with the defeat to Brazil saw both teams overtake them in the standings. Argentina currently hold the fourth automatic qualifying spot, two points ahead of Ecuador.
Three teams have already qualified from the Asia zone (see above) leaving just one automatic spot remaining. With a single game remaining, just one point divides DPR Korea, Saudi Arabia and Iran. In the final round of matches DPR Korea heads to Saudi Arabia while the already-qualified Korea Republic entertain Iran. Whoever finished third will face the winner of the Bahrain – Uzbekistan match for the right to face New Zealand for a place in 2010.
At the halfway point of qualifying in the North, Central America and Caribbean zone, Costa Rica lead the group by two points from the USA. Honduras currently occupy the all important third automatic qualifying spot just a single point ahead of Mexico who dispensed with the services of former England coach Sven Goran Eriksson.
After two matches in the African qualifying zone, the Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Gabon and Tunisia all have maximum points. African powerhouses Cameroon, Egypt and Morocco are currently struggling, all three having just picked up a single point. With four games still to go however, it will be too soon for these teams to be hitting the panic button just yet.
2009 Confederations Cup
The draw for the 2009 Confederations Cup has thrown up two decidedly different groups. Group A which contains the host nation, South Africa is definitely the easier of the two groups. Bafana Bafana, as South Africa are nicknamed have been drawn to face European Champions Spain, New Zealand and Iraq whilst group B contains heavyweights Brazil and Italy as well as Egypt and the USA.
Apart from World ranked number 1 side Spain, South Africa should be able to progress through to the semi finals at the expense of the other two sides, especially with the backing of fanatical home support. The ease of the draw for the home side has caused suspicion and FIFA was quick to respond and insist that the draw for the World Cup group phase will provide equal and balanced groups. South Africa will use the tournament as preparation for the finals in 2010 as they failed to qualify for the African Cup of Nations which is to be held in Angola, also in 2010. This failure to qualify has led people to suggest that South Africa could be the worst host nation to compete in a finals.
The Confederations Cup will take place between the 14th and the 28th June next year.
George Weah
Former World Footballer of the Year, George Weah, hopes that a successful hosting of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa will lead to more international events being held on the African continent. South Africa has already hosted the Rugby and Cricket World Cups, to wide acclaim, but so far it has been the only African country that has been the venue for these major sporting events.
Weah, the former AC Milan and Liberia legend, hopes that if South Africa is a success in 2010, it will leave a lasting legacy that will give confidence to all African nations that they too can entertain the world by holding a global sporting event.
The FIFA World Cup is much larger than the rugby and cricket ewuivalents and will give South Africa an idea of what it would be like to host the Olympic Games. It’s widely rumoured that both Cape Town and Durban wish to bid for the rights to host the Games in 2020 and a well run and efficient World Cup would be a major kudos as they push to bring the Olympics to Africa for the very first time.
2018 announcement in 2010
FIFA has announced that the winners for the right to host the 2018 World Cup Finals will be announced in December 2010. The secretary general of FIFA, Jerome Valcke, also stated that football’s governing body were contemplating announcing the 2022 hosts too, to give the winning bid the most amount of time to prepare for the tournament.
South Africa was announced as the winner in May of 2004 which left the African nation almost 6 years to the day in order to be ready. With fears that certain aspects of the 2010 finals will not be completed until a month before the tournament is scheduled to begin, FIFA have decided to act to ensure any last minute problems can be avoided in future finals.
So far England and a combined bid from Holland and Belgium have submitted to FIFA their desire to host the World Cup, with possible bids coming from Australia, the USA, Russia and Spain. With 2010 heading to Africa and 2014 heading to Brazil it is likely that the finals will be held in Europe, but Australia will present a strong case for hosting the World Cup for the first time in Oceania with its track record for hosting major events with immense success.
Peru kicked out of qualifying
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South American nation Peru has been suspended from playing international football due to a dispute between the Peruvian Football Association, the FPF, and the Peruvian government. The suspension takes immediate effect and includes qualifying matches for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
FIFA have long made clear that there should be no interference by a country’s government into the running of its football association and football’s governing body have threatened an even harsher sentence should the dispute not be solved. FIFA have given the two factions one month to resolve their differences or Peru may be kicked out of FIFA entirely.
The situation has risen as a result of the Peruvian Government’s refusal to acknowledge the position of Manuel Burga as FA President following the recent election. FIFA plan to discuss the issue at a committee hearing in December. Peru currently sit bottom of the South American qualifying region.
Latest FIFA Rankings
In the latest FIFA Rankings, Paraguay were the big climbers, moving up 5 places to take their position inside the top 20 on the back of their impressive qualifying campaign to date. The other big mover was England, whose resurgence under coach Fabio Capello has seen them climb four places to sit in the top 10. Spain still remains at the top following their Euro 2008 win and their flawless start to their World Cup campaign.
1. Spain 1657 pts
2. Germany 1413 pts
3. Italy 1356 pts
4. Netherlands 1306 pts
5. Brazil 1286 pts
6. Argentina 1181 pts
7. Croatia 1158 pts
8. Russia 1079 pts
9. Czech Republic 1062 pts
10. = Portugal 1058 pts
= England 1058pts
11. –
12. France 1035 pts
13. Turkey 1032 pts
14. Cameroon 1013 pts
15. Israel 1004 pts
16. Bulgaria 951 pts
17. Paraguay 934 pts
18. Greece 907 pts
19. Romania 892 pts
20. Ukraine 883 pts