(Insert above. Zaire, Africa’s only representative in the 1974 World Cup Finals.)
(Please be aware the following is classic football anorak commentary. Davy considers how UEFA can best re calibrate its representation in future World Cups.)
Thirteen European nations will materialize in South Africa in 2010. Many deservedly so. Only five African nations will join them. I expect after the performances of Africa’s representatives, demand for a fairer apportioning of places in future World Cups will be irresistible and undeniable.
The fat is in the UEFA zone, as are the bigger television audiences and mobile credit card carrying supporters. Trimming UEFA representation in future World Cups could be a gristly experience. Asia and the Americas have sound claims also.
Month: August 2009
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Fixtures in the Faroe Islands
(This concludes our Group 7 primer. Davy’s support for first class fixtures in the Faroe Islands does not diminish his view that UEFA is oversubscribed to FIFA’s World Cup Finals. Davy will propose how best to trim the UEFA quotient in his next post. Coming soon: England’s prospects and the remnants of Group 6. )
The Faroe Islands have no chance of qualification, but they have as always given a good account of themselves. They may have only secured 1 point in a draw against Austria, but in conceding only 8 goals, they have proven to be viable opposition.
It would easy to dismiss the contribution of the Faroes in this and recent campaigns. The Faroe Islands do not even merit a footnote in most World Cup blogs. Many casual observers of the European game see the inclusion of small nations such as the Faroes Islands as an irritant, a disruption to the seemingly more important business that goes on between football’s grandees.
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Serbian Surf
There are few teams in Europe who have been as consistent in qualification as Serbia. Only one defeat, away in Paris. Serbia have won every one of their other fixtures.
Serbia are virtually assured of advancing, and with two home fixtures to come they should be confident of qualifying as Group 7 winners. France can change that calculation, but the French seem strangely content to wait for Laurent Blanc.
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No Hope for Lithuania?
Lithuania began well beating Romania 3-0 and Austria 2-0. The dream of qualification seemed possible until they were swept away by Serbia’s nouvelle vague. Three straight 1-0 defeats home and away to France and at home to Romania have probably ended Lithuania’s South African aspirations.
But as long as Raymond Domenech is the coach of France, Lithuania (like Austria and Romania) must continue to hope. If the stars are not aligned to Raymond’s liking and France fail to get points from their September fixtures against Romania and Serbia, Lithuania could find themselves will it all to play for in October. Serbia may provide an accommodating final fixture opponent.
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South Africa and FIFA: Defining Moment
FIFA’s suspension of South Africa from world football in September 1961 was one of the first international indictments of apartheid. Click here to read a recent piece on this major event in The Financial Times of London. It is a powerful example of how Africans accelerated the democratization of football and made the game more fully global.
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Stand and Deliver – Mutu, Romania
It would be too easy to slot Romania’s Adrian Mutu straight into our “Players Who Won’t Be Missed” series. Chelsea. Cocaine. It’s classic modern day football material.
But our team of players who won’t be missed in South Africa has standards. It has to be choc-full of highly annoying characters. To be included we must be convinced that a player’s presence – despite the potential for individual moments of brilliance – would sour the South Africa experience.
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Loose Cocks on the Veld – France 2010
Somehow or other France managed to lose their opening qualifier 3-1 in Vienna. (This to the very same Austria who then went to Lithuania and the Faroe Islands on tour with Megadeath. The Austrians came home with only one point, but they make great party and met lots of pretty blond girls.) France has since only dropped two points, the result of a hard fought draw in Romania. Some would say a point gained. A 2-1 home win over Serbia was followed by two dour 1-0 home and away wins against Lithuania. Last week, France won 1-0 in Tórshavn in a game that could have been mistaken for a new age spiritualist retreat. Readers may begin to see a pattern developing here. Extracting thirteen qualifiers from this UEFA lot is not pretty. Even the French have become ugly.
FIFA’s website tends to accentuate the positive with respect to the current French outfit, noting their “potential” while reminding readers that “France has always enjoyed a more cyclical relationship with success”. We too could wax lyrical on the great goalscoring record of Just Fontaine, the “magic diamond” of Tigana, Fernandez, Giresse and Platini, as well as the champion achievements of Blanc, Desailly, Deschamps, Djorkaeff, Thuram, Zidane and Co. Thankfully, there is a more compelling story than the failure of a flaky French coach to harness France’s nouvelle vague. It is the story of the players themselves.