CAF have never had more than 1 team past the group stage. That said they have had slots guaranteed since 1974 and since 1986 have always had one team progress. 1974 - 1 team - Zaire crashed out due to poor organisation and fights about money, which ended in them throwing the Brazil game. 1978 - 1 team - Tunisia - beat Mexico, drew with Germany and narrowly lost to Poland - not bad. 1982 - Two teams (both teams Algeria and Cameroon can be counted unlucky not to make it out: Algeria was the victim of the infamous Austria - Germany pseudogame that resulted in the introduction of simultaneous matches; Cameroon had a Roger Milla perfectly good goal dissallowed, did not lose a single game with Italy progressing ahead of them on goals scored). 1986-1990 - Two slots each tournament, 1 team progressed 1994 - Three slots, 1 team progressed (unfortunately one of the best African teams of that time Zambia almost entirely died in a plane crash) 1998 - Four slots, 1 team progressed (although Cameroon and Morocco can feel hard done by some terrible refereeing in the final round) 2002-2006 - Five slots, 1 team progressed 2010 - Six slots, 1 team progressed (with Ghana unlucky not to make the semis, but that was one bright spot in an otherwise pretty pitiful display) So actually if you look at it Africa did pretty well up until 1998 (included), but has stagnated or even gone back since then. Despite having more world recognized players in their rosters... We'll see what happens in 2014, but what you said isn't so much a problem with the tournament being every two years, but with it being held 5 months prior to the world cup and all that you mentioned disrupting team building several months before the World Cup. That's why the odd years were introduced.
Yeah that is fairly draft to have a major cutthroat tournament with just months before the ultimate tournament, there isn't much good preparation in such a short time. I really believe that the african teams are much better than the results shows but having such little preparation and not letting the players go through their natural cycle of rest and recovery to peak at the right moment betrays their outcome. It would be better to allow the winning CAF team to use the confederation cup as part of their build up along with having a year plus long preparation before the world cup. The other CAF teams could have some preparation and the rest of the african teams can help them with warm up games leading into the World Cup. Everyone else see the value of preparation.
Anyway, looking like a much stronger field in 2013 compared to 2009: 2013 v 2009 ------------ Japan instead of Iraq Mexico instead of USA Brazil - Brazil (about the same) Spain - Spain (about the same) Uruguay instead of South Africa ACN '13 winner instead of Egypt (can't be much worse than Egypt) Euro '12 winner instead of Italy (can't be any worse than Italy) OFC winner instead of New Zealand (probably same)
Indeed. And to take a way too Early stab at the Groupings: Group A Brazil Euro Champ/Runner Up if Spain wins Japan New Zealand (assuming they win). Group B Spain Uruguay Mexico African Champ This seems to be the most logical grouping to me.
Whatever the groupings, I hope to see a Spain-Brazil match. Since Spain's ascendance 3-4 years ago, I think Brazil is the only top team they have not played. Shame they have not managed a friendly in that time span.
OFC Nations Cup Semi finals Tahiti - Solomon Islands 1-0 New Zealand - New Caledonia 0-2 So either Tahiti or New Caledonia will participate in next year's Confederation Cup.
New Zealand is crap. I wonder how thay could get 3 points against Slovakia, Paraguay and Italy (as Italian, I'm still emarrassed) As for New Caledonia, former France international Christian Karembeu was born there, so they can produce good players...
OMG! New Caledonia has 4 players who play outside of the country. One of them plays in the Tahiti First Division, while the other three in the French CFA amateur divisions Tahiti has 2 players playing outside of the country, both of them in amateur European league teams (Belgium and France) I almost feel sorry for whichever team wins at the OFC Cup, because they will get thrashed at teh Confed Cup.
Pots would be: Pot A Brasil, Euro Champ, Spain, Uruguay Pot B OFC Champ, Mexico, African Champ, Japan Brasil will therefore either have Spain or the Euro Champ in there group. The rest is anyones bet. Nonetheless a group like: Brasil, Spain, Mexico, Ghana is very possible with Germany, Uruguay, Japan and Tahiti the second group.
Tahiti and New Caledonia met in the group stages and Tahiti won 4-3. NC however had two players sent off while 1 and then 3-0 down... so basically Tahiti conceded 3 goals against 9 man New Caledonia.. I can just imagine how they'd do against 11 Brazilians, well 12 including the fans and 13 including home ref
2013 Confs cup will be more competitive than 2009 edition. Group A Spain, South Africa, Iraq, and New Zealand was a joke!
The way I see it FIFA is going to want to have Spain and Brazil separate for a couple of reasons. 1) They usually give the host nation an easy group. 2) They want those two teams to meet up in a possible final. That leaves the Euro Champ/ Runner up going to the host's group. The other group will have Spain and Uruguay since they won't want two south American teams in the same group. Then in keeping with giving the host nation the easier Group tradition They will put Mexico in Group B since they seem to always give Brazil a hard time and they along with the African champion are better than the Asian and Oceania Confederation Champs historically. Just my guestimate.
That can't be players, just player, who was raised in France, hardly makes it a New Caledonia footballing success. Just a guy who was born there.
On the group stage question: the host and the previous World Cup winners have always been kept apart, so we can expect Brazil to head Group A and Spain to be seeded in Group B. And in the interests of keeping qualifiers from the same confederation apart, Uruguay will also end up in Group B, while the eventual Euro winner (or runner-up, if Spain defends its title) will end up in Group A. Everything after that will be determined in the draw.
Hi there I'am new to this forum exited to see lot of football fans like me.. today waiting for germany match.. any german supporters here? this is not another spam thread.. just got a stream where i can watch without annoying ads.. http://germanyvsportugal2012.blogspot.com/ Germany will win............
Historic update from from the OFC. for the first time ever the OFC will be represented in a FIFA senior international men's tournament by a team other than new zealand and australia! and the team who has qualified for the 2013 confederations cup in brazil is... TAHITI!!! tahiti defeated new caledonia in the OFC nations cup final by the score of 1-0 with the historic goal scored by Steevy Chong Hue. it's going to a very exciting and surreal experience for those players next summer, representing a small south pacific nation agianst world powers like Brazil and Spain!
Kudos to Tahiti...omg how many goals will they let in....I don't think they are a lot better than, for instance, Faroe Islands...