Football's controlling body Fifa and the African body, CAF are on course to score an own goal with their 2010 World Cup qualifiers.
Football's controlling body Fifa and the African body, CAF are on course to score an own goal with their 2010 World Cup qualifiers.
This because these matches could result in a situation that forces a country to lose or draw their final game in order to advance.
The qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup that is being staged in South Africa are doubling up as the qualifiers for the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations in Angola, with both host countries participating in the qualifiers.
At the World Cup qualifying draw in Durban last year, the 48 African teams remaining in the competition were drawn into 12 groups of four teams each, with the 12 group winners, as well as the eight best second-placed teams advancing to the second and final round.
A problem arose after Eritrea withdrew from Group 11, leaving just three teams.
It was then decided that, to ascertain which were in fact the best eight runners-up, all the teams that finished second in the groups with four teams would have their results against the bottom placed country in their group scratched.
In Group 4 of the qualifiers, where South Africa is surprisingly close to being knocked out of the Africa Cup of Nations, the 2010 World Cup hosts could well be in a situation where they will be eliminated if they win their final game against Equatorial Guinea.
After drawing and losing to Sierra Leone, Bafana face a do-or-die game against Nigeria tomorrow. If they fail to win, they will certainly be eliminated from the Afcon.
If they win, much will depend on the result of the other game between Sierra Leone and Equatorial Guinea. A victory for Sierra Leone will all but guarantee an early exit for the 1996 African champions.
A draw or a victory for the visiting side from Equatorial Guinea will keep alive South Africa's chances of qualifying for the finals of the 2010 Nations Cup in Angola, on condition they do not win their final game in Equatorial Guinea.
South Africa, who are currently on four points behind the already qualified Nigerians, would move to seven points should they win. Sierra Leone would remain on four or move to five if they lose to or draw with Equatorial Guinea.
Equatorial Guinea would move to four points (with a draw) or six (with a victory).
South Africa then face Equatorial Guinea in their final game and would finish second if they win that game.
But in that case, Equatorial Guinea would in all probability finish last in the group and the six points that South Africa secured against them would be scratched, leaving South Africa with four points - too few to advance as one of the best eight second-placed teams.
If, however, South Africa do not win, Equatorial Guinea could finish third and South Africa keep the three or four points they secured against them and as a result could advance to the next round with six or seven points.
If all of this sounds rather complicated, that is because it is! In fact, it is so complicated that it seems unlikely that the Fifa competitions department would have scheduled the regulations in such a way that a situation could arise that a team has to lose or draw to advance and would be knocked out if they won, had they understood the regulations themselves.
Bafana Bafana manager Sipho Nkumane said the situation was very tricky.
"It is a difficult situation. How can we tell our players that they are not allowed to win a game? That is a tricky situation."
A Fifa spokesman said they worked on the premise that all teams would have to win games to ensure they finished first or second.
"Teams have to win their matches if they want to make sure of winning their groups or finishing second. If South Africa do not win their game against Equatorial Guinea and Sierra Leone beat Nigeria, then they will probably not finish second at all," he said.
"We will have to see the results of all the games to know all the different possibilities."
And while this may, of course, be true, it seems remarkable that Fifa and CAF could allow a situation to arise in the first place that forces a team not to win a game in order to advance. - Sapa-DPA
Bafana may have to lose to win
Football's controlling body Fifa and the African body, CAF are on course to score an own goal with their 2010 World Cup qualifiers.
Football's controlling body Fifa and the African body, CAF are on course to score an own goal with their 2010 World Cup qualifiers.
This because these matches could result in a situation that forces a country to lose or draw their final game in order to advance.
The qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup that is being staged in South Africa are doubling up as the qualifiers for the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations in Angola, with both host countries participating in the qualifiers.
At the World Cup qualifying draw in Durban last year, the 48 African teams remaining in the competition were drawn into 12 groups of four teams each, with the 12 group winners, as well as the eight best second-placed teams advancing to the second and final round.
A problem arose after Eritrea withdrew from Group 11, leaving just three teams.
It was then decided that, to ascertain which were in fact the best eight runners-up, all the teams that finished second in the groups with four teams would have their results against the bottom placed country in their group scratched.
In Group 4 of the qualifiers, where South Africa is surprisingly close to being knocked out of the Africa Cup of Nations, the 2010 World Cup hosts could well be in a situation where they will be eliminated if they win their final game against Equatorial Guinea.
After drawing and losing to Sierra Leone, Bafana face a do-or-die game against Nigeria tomorrow. If they fail to win, they will certainly be eliminated from the Afcon.
If they win, much will depend on the result of the other game between Sierra Leone and Equatorial Guinea. A victory for Sierra Leone will all but guarantee an early exit for the 1996 African champions.
A draw or a victory for the visiting side from Equatorial Guinea will keep alive South Africa's chances of qualifying for the finals of the 2010 Nations Cup in Angola, on condition they do not win their final game in Equatorial Guinea.
South Africa, who are currently on four points behind the already qualified Nigerians, would move to seven points should they win. Sierra Leone would remain on four or move to five if they lose to or draw with Equatorial Guinea.
Equatorial Guinea would move to four points (with a draw) or six (with a victory).
South Africa then face Equatorial Guinea in their final game and would finish second if they win that game.
But in that case, Equatorial Guinea would in all probability finish last in the group and the six points that South Africa secured against them would be scratched, leaving South Africa with four points - too few to advance as one of the best eight second-placed teams.
If, however, South Africa do not win, Equatorial Guinea could finish third and South Africa keep the three or four points they secured against them and as a result could advance to the next round with six or seven points.
If all of this sounds rather complicated, that is because it is! In fact, it is so complicated that it seems unlikely that the Fifa competitions department would have scheduled the regulations in such a way that a situation could arise that a team has to lose or draw to advance and would be knocked out if they won, had they understood the regulations themselves.
Bafana Bafana manager Sipho Nkumane said the situation was very tricky.
"It is a difficult situation. How can we tell our players that they are not allowed to win a game? That is a tricky situation."
A Fifa spokesman said they worked on the premise that all teams would have to win games to ensure they finished first or second.
"Teams have to win their matches if they want to make sure of winning their groups or finishing second. If South Africa do not win their game against Equatorial Guinea and Sierra Leone beat Nigeria, then they will probably not finish second at all," he said.
"We will have to see the results of all the games to know all the different possibilities."
And while this may, of course, be true, it seems remarkable that Fifa and CAF could allow a situation to arise in the first place that forces a team not to win a game in order to advance. - Sapa-DPA
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending
Latest Videos