CAPE TOWN: African fans will need their calculators over the next week of World Cup qualifiers to figure out if their favored team remains in contention for a place at next year’s finals in North America.
The nine group winners all qualify automatically and will be determined when the group qualifying program ends on Tuesday.
While that is simple enough, there is the possibility of an additional 10th African team reaching next June’s finals in Canada, Mexico and the United States via a lengthy playoff route.
The four best runners-up from the nine groups will go into a playoff next month to determine a sole African representative for a further intercontinental playoff planned for March.
Calculating the four best runners-up from the nine African groups would have been easy had Eritrea not withdrawn before the start of the campaign, but after the draw was made, and left one of the groups with five teams instead of six.
Therefore, because the five countries in Group E played eight qualifiers instead of 10 in all the other groups, the four best runners-up will be determined not by their overall points tally but by their results only against the third, fourth and fifth-placed sides in their respective groups.
In other words, any points that the runners-up accumulated in matches against the last-placed finisher are expunged, the Confederation of African Football has confirmed.
The penultimate round of qualifiers began on Wednesday and with two rounds to play, there are only two confirmed group winners, no confirmed runners-up and four teams condemned to last place.
Morocco and Tunisia last month secured top place in their respective groups, and a ticket to the 2026 World Cup, while Djibouti (Group A), Seychelles (F), Somalia (G) and Sao Tome and Principe (H) will finish last.
Effectively, the identity of the best four runners-up will only be determined when the last group matches are concluded on Tuesday, and even then the calculators will be needed to see who heads to the playoffs.
Some of the continent’s heavyweights, and former World Cup finalists, like Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria, look likely to miss out on automatic qualification, so will be particularly anxious to see if they can keep their World Cup hopes alive via the playoffs.
Calculators at the ready to determine African World Cup aspirations
https://arab.news/nwr9c
Calculators at the ready to determine African World Cup aspirations
- The nine group winners all qualify automatically and will be determined when the group qualifying program ends on Tuesday
- The four best runners-up from the nine groups will go into a playoff next month
Leeds survive Birmingham scare to reach FA Cup fifth round
- Wolves also avoided an upset as they won 1-0 at fourth-division Grimsby
LONDON: Leeds survived an FA Cup scare to reach the fifth round with a penalty shoot-out victory against second-tier Birmingham on Sunday.
Birmingham substitute Patrick Roberts snatched an 89th-minute equalizer at St. Andrew’s to cancel out Lukas Nmecha’s 49th-minute opener for Leeds.
With a feisty fourth round tie level at 1-1 after extra-time, Leeds won the shoot-out 4-2.
Joel Piroe, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Brenden Aaronson and Sean Longstaff all converted their penalties for Daniel Farke’s team.
Tommy Doyle’s effort was saved by Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri before Roberts fired over the crossbar.
Battling to avoid relegation from the Premier League, Leeds are one win away from reaching the quarterfinals for the first time since 2003.
Wolves also avoided an upset as they won 1-0 at fourth-division Grimsby.
Grimsby stunned Manchester United in the League Cup earlier this season.
But Wolves avoided similar embarrassment thanks to Santiago Bueno’s 60th-minute goal from the visitors’ first shot on target on a mud-caked pitch at Blundell Park.
Grimsby did not manage to force Wolves ‘keeper Sam Johnstone into a save until Andy Cook’s header in the 90th minute.
It was Wolves’ first away win since beating Manchester United in April.
Mired in a miserable season that has left them bottom of the Premier League and almost certain to be relegated, Rob Edwards’ side can still salvage some pride in the FA Cup.
Fulham came from behind to win 2-1 at second tier Stoke.
Cottagers boss Marco Silva made 10 changes from their midweek defeat at Manchester City and nearly paid for the gamble.
South Korean midfielder Bae Jun-ho capped a fine move to put Stoke ahead after 19 minutes.
But Brazilian winger Kevin got his reward for an impressive performance in the 55th minute, sending a first-time shot into the bottom corner.
Harrison Reed completed Fulham’s escape act in the 84th minute, intercepting a poor pass from Stoke keeper Tommy Simkin and slotting home.
Sunderland reached the fifth round for the first time since 2015 as Habib Diarra’s controversial penalty clinched a 1-0 win at second tier Oxford.
Regis Le Bris’ side went in front after 32 minutes when Dennis Cirkin tumbled under Christ Makosso’s challenge.
Referee Thomas Kirk pointed to the spot despite Oxford’s protests and Diarra rubbed salt into their wounds as he calmly converted the penalty.
