There is talk today that Ivory Coast might not play in the World Cup as long as warring factions in the country continue to fight. While it certainly is sad to see politics and football mixing together, it does raise the interesting question of what happens to the tournament if Ivory Coast isn't there. Does the second place team from their African qualifying group, Cameroon, take their spot or is there another system in place to pick World Cup replacement teams? Anyone know how this works?
Something like that happened at Euro 92 when Yougoslavia wasn't allowed to play right before the start of the tournament. Number two of that qualification group (Denmark) took the spot and ended up winning the tournament.
To be fair, if Cote d' Ivoir didnt make it, youd have to be politically right and hold some type of mini tournament involving the countries that got knocked out in playoffs ie. Uruguay, Bahrain, Turkey etc, the teams that got bundled out in the last round to have some sort of round robin tournament.
Yeah, It would be the the next best team in the group, as spoonman and scaryice indicated. But it would be cool if there was a mini tournament between Morocco, Cameroon, Nigeria, and Senegal, to decide who goes.
Wait--they just finished second in the ANC and only lost on penalties, went back to Ivory Coast and were treated like conquering heroes, and NOW they're going to boycott their own national team? Nonsense. The Yugoslavia comparison is all wrong--that was UEFA banning Yugo. FIFA isn't banning Ivory Coast. Hell, if this was a problem, then Colombia shouldn't have played the last half-dozen major tournaments it's been in, Russia should've been banned for the war in Chechnya, etc., etc. Unrest within one's own borders is hardly cause for taking away the one passion that many people can feel together in the nation.
That's not fair. Africa was assigned 5 places before qualification started. You have no idea what you're talking about.
Cameroon would go if IC pulled out. If you read the story there is no indication that IC won't play. The guy is just saying he hoped IC's qualification would unite the nation - it hasn't. He doesn't suggest that they will boycott the WC.
Mod's note: This may or may not be true but one thing's for sure- we are not going to discuss the US in Iraq here. The belongs in the politics forum. Oh and pololo- clear you messages please. You're all full up.
Then FIFA should make a Play-off in Neutral Ground between Uruguay and Bahrain, the 2 eliminated in Intercontinental Play-offs.
I think you folks are twisting this - the discussion is what would happen if Ivory Coast decides not to go because of their civil war not if fifa will not allow them to go. Its not anything near Yugo in 1992 and the talks of Russian and the USA does not apply in this discussion at all... The article is just saying the president of their football association wants the country to unite behind the team, there are no talks of not going. Ivory Coast will prob go no matter what - lets hope the homeland will enjoy it in peace.
The president of Ivory Coast's football federation just wants to use the World Cup to seek peace. I do not think they are non-sense. They know that they are conquering heros, and they just use their status to unite their country and be in peace. The Ivory Coast team is not complaining pay cheque or anything. Why are people so negative about them? George Weah did that during the Liberian civil war.
What happened to Jugoslavia in 92 was not only unfair but a bad blow to a country that could have used something to help create unity, our team that year was one of the strongest that we had ever had and FIFA's descision was complete garbage. Football has an amazing power to unify people, the fact that FIFA missed this is in 92 was shocking.
Since Africa got 5 places in the world cup. if ivory coast didnt go, it had to be an african team, and that would be the team that finish in second place in the group behind them, and that is cameroon. it made no sense being uruguay vs. bahrain or any of the european teams that played in the playoff, or any of the other african teams.