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What African nations need to reach the FIFA World Cup final qualifying round?

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Five nations will represent Africa at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. Two rounds of games remain in the second round, with the ten group winners reaching the third round. A draw will be held to determine the five two-legged ties in the third round, with the triumphant teams qualifying for the World Cup. FIFA.com looks at how things stand. Qualified for third round: Morocco, Senegal. Able to qualify for third round: Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo DR, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Libya, Madagascar, Mali, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia.

Group A

TeamPlayedPointsGD
Algeria410+17
Burkina Faso410+8
Niger43-9
Djibouti40-16

In the mix: Algeria (10 points, +17 GD), Burkina Faso (10, +8) Eliminated: Niger, Djibouti

Remaining fixtures 

  • Burkina Faso-Niger
  • Djibouti-Algeria
  • Algeria-Burkina Faso
  • Niger-Djibouti

Algeria and Burkina Faso are both on ten points, but the former holds a significant goal difference edge. Les Étalons, who have never been in with a better chance of reaching their first World Cup, know they must effectively seize more points than Les Verts, who frightened eventual champions Germany in an extra-time defeat in the Round of 16 at Brazil 2014. Algeria boast several players in Europe’s big five leagues, including Ramy Bensebaini (Borussia Monchengladbach), Aissa Mandi (Villarreal), Ismael Bennacer (AC Milan), Said Benrahma (West Ham), Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City) and Islam Slimani (Lyon). While Burkina Faso don’t, they can call on 20-year-old sensation Abdoul Tapsoba, who has hit four goals in his last three internationals, including the late equaliser against the Algerians.

Group B

TeamPlayedPointsGD
Tunisia410+8
Equatorial Guinea470
Zambia44-3
Mauritania41-5

In the mix: Tunisia (10 points, +8 GD), Equatorial Guinea (7, 0), Zambia (4, -3) Eliminated: Mauritania

Remaining fixtures 

  • Zambia-Mauritania
  • Equatorial Guinea-Tunisia
  • Tunisia-Zambia
  • Mauritania-Equatorial Guinea

Patson Daka, Fashion Sakala and Zambia need a miracle to progress, and though Tunisia – who are three points and eight goals better off than Equatorial Guinea – hold all the aces, they do face an examining final two games. If the Emilio Nsue-captained National Thunder can beat Wahbi Khazri and the Eagles of Carthage, it would leave Mondher Kebaier’s side under significant pressure. Tunisia are, nonetheless, unbeaten in their last 12 World Cup qualifiers and have kept clean sheets in each of their last five.

Group C

TeamPlayedPointsGD
Nigeria49+4
Cabo Verde47+1
Central African Republic44-2
Liberia43-3

In the mix: Nigeria (9 points, +4 GD), Cabo Verde (7, +1), Central African Republic (4, -2) Eliminated: Liberia

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Remaining fixtures 

  • Liberia-Nigeria
  • Cape Verde-Central African Republic
  • Nigeria-Cape Verde
  • Liberia-Central African Republic

Kelechi Iheanacho and Victor Osimhen give the Super Eagles arguably the finest attack in Africa, but they still have work to do to reach the final round.

Cape Verde have made admirable strides over the last decade, qualifying for three CAF Africa Cup of Nations tournaments having never previously reached the event, and were unfortunate to lose 2-1 to Nigeria earlier in the campaign.

The Blue Sharks’ penchant for late goals is another source of encouragement. Central African Republic know they must seize six points to have any chance of progressing.

Group D

TeamPlayedPointsGD
Côte d’Ivoire410+5
Cameroon49+4
Malawi43-5
Mozambique41-4

In the mix: Côte d’Ivoire (10 points, +5 GD), Cameroon (9, +4) Eliminated: Malawi, Mozambique

Remaining fixtures 

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  • Malawi-Cameroon
  • Côte d’Ivoire-Mozambique
  • Cameroon-Côte d’Ivoire
  • Mozambique-Malawi

The Elephants and the Indomitable Lions have had some exhilarating battles over the years – who could forget Didier Drogba and Co edging a CAF Africa Cup of Nations shootout in which the first 23 penalties were scored in 2006? – and another is unfolding.

If both avoid an upset in their first November assignments, it will come down to a continent-stopping showdown in Douala. Will Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Vincent Aboubakar keep Cameroon on course for an African record eighth World Cup, or will Franck Kessie, Nicolas Pepe and Wilfried Zaha get Côte d’Ivoire to the finals for the fourth time in their last five attempts?

Group E

TeamPlayedPointsGD
Mali410+7
Uganda48+2
Kenya42-6
Rwanda41-3

In the mix: Mali (10 points, +8 GD), Uganda (8, +2) Eliminated: Kenya, Rwanda

Remaining fixtures 

  • Uganda-Kenya
  • Rwanda-Mali
  • Mali-Uganda
  • Kenya-Rwanda

Not even with Seydou Keita, Mahamadou Diarra and Frederic Kanoute in their side did Malians have more hope of reaching a World Cup.

The Eagles have conceded just five goals in their last 15 competitive fixtures, and field the likes of Leipzig midfielder Amadou Haidara, highly-coveted Brighton star Yves Bissouma, Southampton winger Moussa Djenepo and Ibrahima Kone, who has scored seven goals in five internationals.

Uganda have it all to do but, like Mali, have yet to concede in the second round and have, in Fahad Bayo, a player with a penchant for netting decisive goals.

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Group F

TeamPlayedPointsGD
Egypt410+5
Libya46-2
Gabon44-1
Angola43-2

In the mix: Egypt (10 points, +5 GD), Libya (6, -2), Gabon (4, -1) Eliminated: Angola

Remaining fixtures 

  • Gabon-Libya
  • Angola-Egypt
  • Egypt-Gabon
  • Libya-Angola

Victory in Luanda will send Mo Salah and the Pharaohs through. Libya and Gabon must pray Angola beat Egypt for the first time ever.

At 32, could this be Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s last shot at playing in a World Cup? 

Group G

TeamPlayedPointsGD
South Africa410+4
Ghana49+3
Ethiopia43-3
Zimbabwe41-4

In the mix: South Africa (10 points, +4 GD), Ghana (9, +3) Eliminated: Ethiopia, Zimbabwe

Remaining fixtures 

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  • Ethiopia-Ghana
  • South Africa-Zimbabwe
  • Zimbabwe-Ethiopia
  • Ghana-South Africa

The Black Stars were the big favourites when the pool began, but it’s Bafana Bafana who hold the slight edge. Ronwen Williams has been infallible in goal for Hugo Broos’s side, while 21-year-old Evidence Makgopa has been a revelation up front.

Ghana boast striking star power in the form of Thomas Partey, who has been outstanding during these preliminaries, exhilarating young talents Mohammed Kudus and Kamaldeen Sulemana, and the Ayew brothers.

Which one of these football-crazy countries will keep their Qatar 2022 dreams alive?

Group H

TeamPlayedPointsGD
Senegal412+9
Togo44-2
Namibia44-4
Congo42-3

Qualified for final round: Senegal Eliminated: Togo, Namibia, Congo

Group I

TeamPlayedPointsGD
Morocco412+13
Guinea-Bissau44-6
Guinea43-3
Sudan42-4

Qualified for final round: Morocco Eliminated: Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sudan

Group J

TeamPlayedPointsGD
Tanzania47+1
Benin47+1
Congo DR45+1
Madagascar43-3

In the mix: Tanzania (7 points, +1 GD), Benin (7, +1), Congo DR (5, +1), Madagascar (3, -3)

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Remaining fixtures: 

  • Tanzania-Congo
  • DR Benin-Madagascar
  • DR Congo-Benin
  • Madagascar-Tanzania

 This is the only section in which all four teams can emerge triumphant. Tanzania, who were 37th in Africa and 137th overall on the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking when qualifying began, are stunningly top on goals scored.

The Taifa Stars will entrust forwards Saimon Msuva and Mbwana Samatta with getting them over the line, but Chancel Mbemba, Dieumerci Mbokani, Cedric Bakambu and Congo DR know that all six points will send them through. Benin, meanwhile, will look to Steve Mounie to inspire them to the two victories coach Michel Dussuyer has stressed they will need to finish top.

-FIFA

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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International Football

Players’ union, FIFPRO, wants 20-minute halftimes, more cooling breaks amid extreme heat

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Global players’ union FIFPRO is exploring whether extending halftime to 20 minutes and introducing more frequent cooling breaks could better protect players from extreme heat.

Nine of the 16 host cities for the 2026 World Cup face conditions considered “extreme risk” for heat-related illness.

Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Guadalajara, Houston, Kansas City, Miami, Monterrey and Philadelphia are expected to face dangerous levels of heat and humidity, posing player safety concerns and fuelling calls for mandatory cooling aids or schedule changes.

FIFPRO’s heat risk assessments are based on wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT), a measure combining temperature, humidity, solar radiation and wind speed to estimate how environmental conditions affect the body’s ability to cool itself.

Under FIFPRO guidelines, a WBGT reading above 28 degrees Celsius indicates conditions in which matches should be postponed or rescheduled to protect players’ health.

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By comparison, world soccer governing body FIFA’s own guidelines set the extreme risk threshold higher, at 32 degrees Celsius WBGT – but even by that standard, six of the nine cities are still projected to exceed safe limits.

Major League Soccer in the U.S. has a threshold of 29 degrees Celsius WBGT.

“Cooling breaks at the 30th minute and 75th minutes are quite traditional, but from a physiological point of view it does not make sense,” said Vincent Gouttebarge, FIFPRO’s Medical Director.

“Even if you ingest more than 200 millilitres of fluid, you already cannot take it all. So I would definitely like to see some project where we look at the efficacy of perhaps more frequent but shorter cooling breaks – every 15 minutes, rather than only one during each half.”

LONGER HALFTIMES

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Gouttebarge also questioned whether the traditional 15-minute halftime interval is sufficient when matches are played in extreme heat.

“You can imagine that halftime of 15 minutes might not be enough in order to decrease the core temperature,” he said.

“It could be a halftime of 20 minutes which would be significant. That has been shown in the laboratory and FIFPRO, together with the national union in Portugal in August, we are going to test this kind of mitigation strategy.”

The urgency of stronger heat protocols became clear at this month’s Club World Cup where two matches — Benfica-Bayern Munich in Charlotte and Chelsea-Esperance in Philadelphia exceeded the WBGT threshold FIFPRO considers unsafe.

“According to our position, those games should have been postponed later that day or rescheduled,” Gouttebarge said.

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FIFPRO officials acknowledged that FIFA has responded constructively during the tournament by lowering thresholds for mandatory cooling breaks and improving pitch-side hydration, but stressed that proactive planning is critical.

“FIFA have been quite responsive once the tournament was under way,” said Alex Phillips, FIFPRO General Secretary.

“They have actually modified how they’ve been dealing with heat during the matches based on FIFPRO’s input, which is credit to the work of the team. Obviously, it would have been better if that happened in advance, but it’s better that they have adapted.”

FIFPRO warned that the risks highlighted at the Club World Cup are a preview of what players could face at the expanded 2026 World Cup.

“This is not just affecting the Club World Cup, but also future tournaments either in the U.S. or elsewhere in the world,” said Alexander Bielefeld, FIFPRO Director of Policy & Strategic Relations.

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“We need a better balance between commercial interests and the health and safety of players,” he added, referring to earlier kick-off times to accommodate European television audiences.

-Reuters

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Former England and Man Utd midfielder Ince charged with drink-driving

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Championship - Norwich City v Reading - Carrow Road, Norwich, Britain - December 30, 2022, Reading manager Paul Ince applauds fans after the match Action Images/Matthew Childs/File Photo 

Former Manchester United and England midfielder Paul Ince has been charged with drink-driving, police said on Monday.

Ince, who earned 53 caps for England and won two Premier League titles during his six years at United, has been released on bail and will appear in court on July 18.

“The incident involved a black Range Rover which had collided with the central reservation barrier. Officers attended the scene and arrested a 57-year-old man,” the Cheshire police said in a statement.

“Paul Ince, of Quarry Road, Neston, has since been charged with drink-driving.”

Reuters has contacted Ince’s representative for comment.

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After retiring as a player, Ince led Milton Keynes Dons to a League Two title in 2007-08. He most recently managed Reading during 2022-23.

-Reuters

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From garbage collector to Starman of Ancelotti’s Brazil team: the story of Ribeiro

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I was without a team for a year and a half, doing trials… and no club in Brazil wanted me.!” Alex Ribeiro

Alexsandro Victor de Souza Ribeiro (Rio de Janeiro, 1999) was, until a few days ago, a semi-unknown to the general public in Brazil. 

However, Carlo Ancelotti, impressed by his strong performance against Real Madrid in the Champions League, insisted on calling up the Lille centre-back… and giving him his debut.

Not only that. He started alongside Marquinhos against Ecuador (0-0) and Paraguay (1-0) and helped the Seleçao keep two consecutive clean sheets for the first time in the qualifying rounds.

Alex, as he likes to be called, impressed with his 1.92 meters (6′ 1″) frame and confidence. According to ‘R10Score’, he was the Brazilian player who completed the most actions with the ball (186) and the second with the most cuts (11).

He completed 154 of the 166 passes he made (92% accuracy) and won 12 of the 16 duels he was involved in: 5 of 7 at ground level and 7 of 9 in the air. “A gentleman defender,” boasted the official Ligue 1 Portuguese account.

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His path to the elite wasn’t easy. “I don’t think you know this, but this is my first game as a professional in Brazil. Strange, isn’t it? There’s nothing better. To debut in Brazil like this, with a win and qualification,” he boasted after defeating Paraguay.

These first few days with Ancelotti have been unique; I’ll remember them for the rest of my life. I’ve responded well not only to myself, but also to the coach and the Brazilian people.  I was able to demonstrate my ability to those who had doubts. Few people give me the opportunity that the manager has given me,”  he insists

The Lille centre-back took his first steps in Flamengo’s youth system, where he even met Vinicius. 

“When we played against Real Madrid, Vini came up to me and hugged me. He said, ‘I’m glad to see you here, brother.’ That inspired and motivated me even more,” he told ‘Globo Esporte’.

‘Fla’ cut him off. He had to make a living as a street vendor. He also collected trash, especially cans. “I was without a team for a year and a half, doing trials… and no club in Brazil wanted me, so I went to Europe to play in Portugal’s Third Division.”

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Praiense (2018-20), Amora (2020-21), and Chaves (2021-22)—the latter already in the Second Division—were his springboard to Lille. The Bulldogs signed him in 2022-23 for €2 million. He has become a more than worthy successor to his compatriot Gabriel Magalhaes.

Little by little, my name is spreading. My football is reaching everywhere. This includes Brazil,” he said before making his debut with the Seleçao. Now that he’s made it, he has another challenge: I want to continue it.”

-Marca

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