International Football
Five African countries await their fate at Friday’s FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 draw
The five African countries that have qualified for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ will know their fate on Friday night, 01 April 2022 at the Final Draw in Doha, Qatar.
African champions Senegal are among the five teams from the continent that booked their places following Tuesday night’s second-leg of the FIFA World Cup playoffs.
The four other countries that joined the Teranga Lions are the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, Ghana’s Black Stars, Atlas Lions of Morocco and Tunisia’s Eagles of Carthage.
All the 32 sides that will be involved in the tournament will be drawn into eight groups of four for the tournament that will be played in November and December 2022.
Host nation Qatar, as it is the norm, will be placed in position one of Group A of the draw.
Road to Qualification:
CAMEROON: Eighth appearance
Group stage:
The indomitable Lions topped Group D with 15 points, off five wins and a single loss. Their only defeat was against Ivory Coast away from home. They completed home and away doubles over Mozambique and Malawi.
They sealed qualification to the play-off round on the final day, with a 1-0 win over Côte d’Ivoire in Douala.
In the group phase, the Cameroonians scored 12 goals and conceded only three. Vincent Aboubakar, Christian Bassogog, Eric Choupo-Moting, Karl Toko Ekambi and defender Michael Ngadeu scored two goals each.
Play-off-
In the play-off round, Cameroon lost 1-0 at home to Algeria, but a never-say-die attitude in Blida saw them win 2-1 with a last minute goal and progress to Qatar on the away goal rule.
GHANA: Fourth appearance
Group Stage:
The Black Stars sealed a ticket to the play-off round on the final day, with a win over South Africa at home as the two sides finished with 13 points each. With similar goal difference, Ghana edged out Bafana Bafana on account of scoring more goals.
Ghana won four matches, drew one and lost one, against the South Africans in Johannesburg. They scored seven goals in six matches and conceded three, skipper Andre Ayew being their top scorer with three.
Play-off:
In the play-off round, Otto Addo’s boys progressed on the away goal rule after drawing 1-1 with Nigeria in the return leg in Abuja. They had drawn 0-0 at home in Kumasi but Thomas Partey’s goal at the Moshood Abiola Stadium proved vital.
SENEGAL: Third appearance
Group Stage:
The African champions had an unbeaten record in Group H, winning five of their six matches. Their only blemish was a 1-1 draw away to Togo on the penultimate round of matches with Habib Diallo scoring a last gasp equalizer.
They scored 15 goals and conceded only four. Famara Diedhiou was their top scorer with four goals while Sadio Mane and Ismaila Sarr scored three each.
Play-off:
The Lions of Teranga prevailed 3-1 over Egypt on penalties after winning the return leg 1-0 in Dakar. The result pushed the aggregate score to 1-1, having lost by a solitary goal in the first leg in Cairo.
Keeper Edouard Mendy saved one penalty with Sadio Mane striking home the winner to send them to Qatar.
MOROCCO: Sixth appearance
Group Stage:
The Atlas Lions were the only side to progress through the group phase with a 100pc record. They completed home and away victories over Guinea Bissau, Guinea and Sudan to attain a maximum 18 points.
They scored 20 goals and conceded only once, away to Guinea in a match they won 4-1. Ayoub El Kaabi was their top scorer with five goals while Ryan Mmae had four.
Play-off:
The Moroccans were in free-flowing form in the play-off round. Despite a 1-1 draw with DR Congo in the first leg in Kinshasa, they ran riot at home in Casablanca, winning 4-1 to easily make the plane to Qatar.
TUNISIA: Sixth appearance
Group Stage:
Tunisia topped Group B with 13 points off four wins, a draw and a loss. They dropped points in the 0-0 draw away to Mauritania, and their only defeat also came on the road, a 1-0 loss against Equatorial Guinea in Malabo.
The Carthage Eagles scored 11 times with veteran Wahbi Khazri contributing to three goals as their top scorer. They conceded only two goals.
Play-off:
The Tunisians were forced to sweat by Mali, though they eventually edged them out 1-0 on aggregate. An own goal in Bamako gave them a slight 1-0 edge and they were held to a 0-0 draw at home in the return tie.
But, the return on the road proved to be vital as it hoisted them into Qatar.
-Cafonline
Soccer chiefs from Europe and South America will hold a final meeting before a Thursday deadline to decide whether and where this month’s “Finalissima” between Spain and Argentina will be played, with London emerging as the leading candidate after doubts over Doha, multiple sources told Reuters on Tuesday.
The match between European champions Spain and Copa America holders Argentina had been scheduled for March 27 at Lusail Stadium in Doha.
However, it has become increasingly unlikely that Qatar will host the fixture after the Qatar Football Association suspended soccer tournaments indefinitely following U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran and retaliatory missiles fired at the Arabian Peninsula.
The Spanish FA (RFEF) has been pushing for a swift resolution, mindful that the March international break is viewed as vital preparation ahead of the June-July World Cup in North America.
“I know that negotiations are underway,” Spain coach Luis de la Fuente told Spanish Public Radio (RNE) on Monday. “The first thing, as a society, is to stop the conflict, but once you are immersed in it and you don’t know how long it will last, the solution would be, as long as you can’t play there, to find another venue as soon as possible.
Wembley Stadium staged the previous edition in 2022, when Argentina beat Italy, but it is set to host England v Uruguay on March 27. London, however, has other stadiums capable of staging the showpiece, leaving the English capital as the most likely alternative should Doha be ruled out, sources confirmed.
ALTERNATIVE OPPONENTS CONSIDERED
While keen to face Argentina and high-profile players such as Lionel Messi, sources told Reuters that Spain had made clear their priority was not to waste the last window of international fixtures before the World Cup and they were already contemplating alternative opponents.
With Spain also due to face Egypt three days later, any change would require agreement between the RFEF and European soccer body UEFA, South American confederation CONMEBOL, global governing body FIFA and the Argentine FA (AFA).
The RFEF, AFA and UEFA did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.
A spokesperson for South American confederation CONMEBOL told Reuters that several meetings between the parties had taken place in recent days but did not confirm Thursday’s deadline or London as the preferred venue.
Madrid was initially proposed by the RFEF but rejected by the AFA, who preferred a neutral venue rather than giving Spain home advantage.
Morocco offered to stage the game, but the RFEF was unwilling to back their Mediterranean neighbours amid tensions behind the scenes over the 2030 World Cup, which Spain, Morocco and Portugal will co-host. Both Spain and Morocco are campaigning to stage the final.
Miami was also considered, with Messi based there at Inter Miami, but Hard Rock Stadium is hosting the Miami Open tennis tournament at the same time.
-Reuters
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International Football
Spain-Argentina ‘Finalissima’ in Qatar at risk amid US, Israel attacks on Iran
The match between Spain and Argentina, tagged “Finalissima” in Doha, is in doubt after the Qatar Football Association suspended soccer tournaments indefinitely following U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran and retaliatory missiles fired at the Arabian Peninsula.
The contest between European Championship winners Spain and Copa America champions Argentina was scheduled for March 27 at Doha’s Lusail Stadium, with potential big-name draws including Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi.
“Qatar Football Association announces the postponement of all tournaments, competitions and matches, effective from today and until further notice,” the association said in a statement on Sunday.
“The new dates for the resumption of competitions will be announced in due course through the Association’s official channels.”
The final call on whether to postpone the game rests with event organisers UEFA and CONMEBOL.
The Bahrain Football Association postponed all its matches until further notice, while the Asian Football Confederation on Sunday announced it was delaying Champions League Elite fixtures in the region.
The Asian Champions League Two, currently at the quarter-final stage, has also been impacted, along with games in the Challenge League.
Countries across the Middle East have been on high alert since Saturday, when the U.S. and Israel launched air strikes against Iran, aimed at diminishing Iran’s military capability.
Iran retaliated by attacking U.S. targets around the region, including in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
On Sunday, Qatar’s interior ministry reported a fire in an industrial zone after debris fell from an intercepted missile.
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International Football
Iran Conflict Casts Uncertainty Over Super Eagles’ Four-Nation Tournament Opener
Nigeria’s Super Eagles may face fresh uncertainty ahead of their scheduled participation in a Four-Nation Invitational Tournament in Amman, Jordan, following reports that Iran — their intended first opponents — is now at war after attacks by the United States and Israel.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) had earlier confirmed that the Super Eagles would compete in the mini-tournament during the FIFA Men’s International Window in March 2026. The competition is slated to run from March 27 to 31 in the Jordanian capital.
Under the original fixture schedule, Nigeria were due to open the tournament on Friday, March 27 against Iran’s senior national team at the 17,000-capacity Amman International Stadium. Hosts Jordan were set to face Costa Rica the same day at the 62,000-capacity King Abdullah Sports City Stadium.
However, the escalating military confrontation involving Iran has cast serious doubt over the participation of the Iranian national team and the viability of the opening fixture.
While tournament organisers in Jordan have yet to issue an official statement regarding possible changes, the developing security situation is expected to force urgent consultations between the participating federations, tournament organisers and FIFA.
The competition was designed to provide competitive match exposure during a window initially reserved for the intercontinental play-off for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Nigeria’s inclusion in the tournament had already generated debate at home, with observers questioning whether the NFF’s commitment signalled a shift in focus away from potential qualification disputes.
The new geopolitical crisis further complicates matters. International conflicts often trigger travel restrictions, airspace closures and security advisories that can directly affect national teams’ ability to assemble and travel.
Should Iran withdraw or be unable to participate, organisers may be compelled to seek a replacement team or adjust the fixture format entirely.
Nigeria are scheduled to face hosts Jordan on March 31 in their second match of the tournament, while Costa Rica and Iran were originally billed to meet the same day at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium.
Kick-off times for the four fixtures had yet to be officially announced before the outbreak of hostilities.
For the Super Eagles, the tournament was seen as an opportunity to build cohesion and test tactical adjustments ahead of future competitive engagements. Now, attention will turn to whether the event can proceed as planned — and whether Nigeria’s opening match will require a late reshuffle.
The NFF is expected to monitor developments closely and may issue further clarification in the coming days as the regional and international situation evolves.
Meanwhile, Reuters has quoted a senior Israeli official as saying that Iran’s Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is dead. But the Iranians have dismissed the claim, saying that the leader is ‘firmly commanding the field’. Both Israel and the US launched strikes on Iran.
President Donald Trump says action will give Iranians a chance to topple their rulers. Hits were reported in Israel and Gulf states as Iran retaliated. The attack has triggered fear and panics as as Iranians flee cities.
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