African World Cup qualifying: Expect the unexpected!
Traditional powers Nigeria are faltering, the North is on the rise, and Cape Verde are the romantic's favorite.
It’s the second international break of the young club season, so we’re continuing our tour around the continents to see who’s doing what in World Cup qualifying. This week we head over to the Confederation of African Football to see who’s on their way to North America next summer. Plus:
How the expansion of the tournament to 48 teams rights a historical wrong with respect to how many tickets the African nations get every four years.
The wonderful story of Cape Verde — population half a million — who are on the verge of qualifying for their first World Cup.
Why some of the continent’s traditional powers, like Nigeria and Cameroon, are struggling to qualify.
Why the power base of the continent is moving north to Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, and even Tunisia, thanks in part to FIFA rules changes and the North African diaspora in Europe.
The controversy around South Africa’s qualifying campaign and why they are the most rapidly improving team on the continent.
Here to break it all down is Maher Mezahi, an African football journalist based in Algiers who hosts the African Five-a-Side podcast:
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And a niche curiosity for your consideration…
CURAÇAO vs JAMAICA
Fri @ 7pm ET
The hosts here could be the big story out of CONCACAF’s downsized qualifying process. Coached by Dick Advocaat, this team representing a nation of 156,000 people — which only became a truly autonomous nation in 2010 after the Netherlands Antilles concept was dissolved — have taken four points from their first two matches. They’ve benefited from some of the same eligibility rule changes as African nations have (hear more in the pod above!) and some players born in the Netherlands have boosted the squad.
The Blue Wave are in decent shape to at least get into the inter-confederation playoffs, but now they run into Group B leaders Jamaica. The Reggae Boyz could just about book their ticket to the big show with a win at the Ergilio Hato Stadium in Willemstad.