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World Cup qualifiers in Africa kicks off with Nigeria’s Group

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BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

Wednesday NOV 15

Group C: Rwanda v Zimbabwe – 2pm

Group H: Equatorial Guinea v Namibia – 2pm

Group B: Congo DR v Mauritania – 5pm

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Group A: Ethiopia v Sierra Leone – 8pm

The African qualifying series for the 2026 World Cup gets under way this Wednesday afternoon as the first ball is kicked in the Group C harbouring Nigeria, South Africa, Lesotho, Rwanda, Benin and Zimbabwe.

 

It is Rwanda hosting Zimbabwe that will set rolling, the projected 260-match series spanning 47 months. The matches could have been 270, but the 10 matches involving Eritrea in Group E have to be cancelled following the country’s  withdrawal.

Zimbabwe who are away to Rwanda are just returning to the international competitions after the country was suspended by FIFA. The suspension was only lifted in July.

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Rwanda, the hosts will be hoping for a good start having not won any competitive match since their  1-0 win over Mozambique on March 24, 2021.

They will be hoping for good form of the trio of Djihad Bizimana, Hakim Sahabo and Lague Byiringiro .  The trio can be decisive to the result.

Djihad Bizimana

After a torrid time at Belgian side KMSK Deinze which affected his output in the national team, Bizimana has burst into form again with series of fantastic displays for his new club FC Kryvbas in the Ukrainian Premier League.

The Rubavu-born defensive midfielder has featured in 13 league games this season providing one assist and went on to establish himself as a key figure at the heart of Kryvbas’ form.

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Bizimana remains the orchestrator in the Rwandan midfield and his leadership as the new national team captain could add value to the country’s performance against Zimbabwe. If the former Waasland Beveren player exerts his authority in the game, he can propel his side to victory.

Hakim Sahabo

Despite Rwanda finishing at the bottom of Group L in the 2023 AFCON qualifiers, teenager Hakim Sahabo proved himself to be one of the revelations in the Amavubi set up.

The 18-year-old attacking midfielder assisted Gilbert Mugisha as Rwanda held Benin to a 1-1 draw in Cotonou as Rwanda.

In the youngster, Rwanda has a player who has the eye to give that “final” pass. Against Zimbabwe, he is expected to operate just behind the main striker as a number 10.

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One moment of brilliance from the Standard Liege II wonderkid can decide the game. Currently, he is even playing professional football on Belgian Challenger Pro League and his maturity in the game has been improving.

Lague Byiringiro

The Rwandan forward will be going into the game against Zimbabwe with so much confidence against the back drop of his sterling performance for Sandviken IF in Sweden.

He scored 10 goals in Sweden in the just-ended 2023 season where his club secured promotion to the second league.

The former APR forward is capable of operating on both flanks, either as a supporting striker or as the main striker. With Rwanda struggling for goals in recent games and considering his fine form, Spittler might be tempted to use him as the number 9 against Zimbabwe.

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He is physical, great technique and ability to dribble past defenders.

You can’t forget that Amavubi’s last win in a competitive match was thanks to his goal against Mozambique on March 24, 2021. Byiringiro can be the saviour again.

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.

World Cup

Saudi Arabia open to 64-team World Cup in 2034

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 World Cup - AFC Qualifiers - Third Round - Group C - Saudi Arabia v China - Al Awwal Park, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - March 20, 2025 Saudi Arabia fans in the stands REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo

Saudi Arabia would be ready and willing to host a 64-team World Cup in 2034 if FIFA accepts a controversial proposal to expand the tournament from 48, according to the kingdom’s sports minister.

South America’s CONMEBOL has officially suggested staging the centenary 2030 World Cup in Spain, Portugal and Morocco with 64 teams, but the idea has been opposed by some other continental confederations.

Next year’s tournament, hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, will have 48 countries participating, up from 32 in 2022.

Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal told a select group of reporters at the Saudi Arabian Formula One Grand Prix in Jeddah that his country would have no objection to an increase in the numbers for 2034.

“We’re ready, or we will be ready, inshallah (God willing). If that’s a decision that FIFA takes and thinks that that’s a good decision for everyone, then we’re more than happy to deliver on it,” he said.

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He pointed to the infrastructure already in place for Islamic pilgrims, with four million people attending Mecca for Umrah during Ramadan this year and five million expected for the Hajj.

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 FIFA expected to confirm Saudi Arabia as 2034 World Cup hosts – Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – December 11, 2024 A model of the proposed Roshn Stadium is seen inside the Saudi Arabia World Cup bid exhibition REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo

The global soccer governing body officially announced Saudi Arabia as hosts of the 2034 men’s World Cup in December, a bid that was uncontested but strongly criticised by rights organisations.

The Kingdom has invested heavily in sport over the last few years, but critics accuse it of ‘sportswashing’ its human rights record. The country denies accusations of human rights abuses and says it protects its national security through its laws.

The bid book pledged 15 stadiums, new or refurbished, by 2032 and which are expected to be completed with the help of migrant labour.

Al-Faisal said worker safety was of the highest priority and Saudi organisers were talking regularly with FIFA and 2022 hosts and neighbours Qatar, the first World Cup in the region, to learn from their experience.

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He said the death, reported last month, of a worker at the Aramco Stadium construction site in Al Khobar had come after millions of hours without issue.

“Every incident we take seriously, we file an investigation, we look what went wrong,” said the minister. “Unfortunately, in construction, these things happen.”

He said Saudi Arabia was part of the International Labour Organisation and a 2021 Labour Reform Act had abolished the kafala system that binds migrant workers to one employer and prevents them from leaving without the employer’s approval.

Alcohol, prohibited for observant Muslims, is banned in Saudi Arabia and Al-Faisal confirmed the World Cup would be dry.

“The law now here in Saudi is that there’s no alcohol. Will that change in the future? We don’t know. But I don’t see it really affecting our sporting events at all,” he said.

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“We’ve had more than 100 international events so far. We’ve had people come from all over the world to attend these sporting events. And everyone’s happy with the hospitality, the setup, the experience that they get.

“I don’t see it as an issue, to be honest. So I hope it’s not going to be an issue”.

Alcohol was not sold at stadiums in Qatar, where drinking in public is illegal, in 2022 but beer was available at designated fan zones and in some hotels.

-Reuters

 

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World Cup

Another continental body, CONCACAF opposes CONMEBOL’s 64-team World Cup 2030 proposal

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Inglewood, California, USA; Concacaf president Victor Montagliani is interviewed for TV before the Concacaf Nations League final between Mexico and Panama at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images/File Photo

A 64-team World Cup in 2030 should not be considered, CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani has said, joining some other confederations in opposing a plan presented by CONMEBOL.

CONMEBOL President Alejandro Dominguez last week officially proposed staging the 2030 World Cup with 64 teams, up from the 48 set to take part in next year’s edition, with the tournament to be hosted largely by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco.

The opening matches will take place in Uruguay, where the first World Cup was hosted in 1930, along with Argentina and Paraguay.

“I don’t believe expanding the men’s World Cup to 64 teams is the right move for the tournament itself and the broader football ecosystem, from national teams to club competitions, leagues, and players,” Montagliani told ESPN, opens new tab.

CONCACAF did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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The CONMEBOL plan would have a long way to go for approval, with the 48-team 2026 edition already expanded from the 2022 tournament, when 32 countries took part.

The 2026 tournament is set to be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States.

“We haven’t even kicked off the new 48-team World Cup yet, so personally, I don’t think that expanding to 64 teams should even be on the table,” said Montagliani.

His comments echoed complaints by UEFA boss Aleksander Ceferin, who this month voiced opposition to the idea, and Asian Football Confederation President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, who told AFP, opens new tab he fears expansion would lead to chaos.

-Reuters

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Asian Confederation Rejects South America’s 64-Team 2030 World Cup Proposal

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“Yalla, Vamos” is official slogan for historic 2030 World Cup

Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa has strongly opposed South American football body CONMEBOL’s proposal to expand the 2030 FIFA World Cup to 64 teams, warning such a move would lead to “chaos” in the tournament structure.

Speaking on the sidelines of the 35th AFC Congress in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, Sheikh Salman rejected the expansion plan put forward by CONMEBOL president Alejandro Dominguez earlier this week.

“Personally, I don’t agree,” the Bahraini leader told AFP, insisting the 2030 edition had already settled on 48 teams “so the matter is settled.”

The AFC president warned that continually increasing the tournament size would create significant problems for the competition’s structure and organization.

“If the issue remains open to change, then the door will not only be open to expanding the tournament to 64 teams, but someone might come along and demand raising the number to 132 teams,” said Sheikh Salman. “Where would we end up then? It would become chaos.”

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The 2030 World Cup, set to commemorate the centenary of the tournament, is already planned as an unprecedented multi-continental event.

While Spain, Portugal and Morocco will host the majority of matches, three opening games will be staged in South America – in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay – recognizing Uruguay as the host of the inaugural 1930 World Cup.

The tournament will feature 48 teams, expanding from the 32-team format used in Qatar 2022. This expansion was already approved for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

CONMEBOL’s Dominguez formally proposed the further expansion to 64 teams during the South American body’s 80th Congress on Thursday, suggesting it as a one-time increase to celebrate the centennial.

“We are proposing, for the only time, to hold this centennial with 64 teams on three continents, simultaneously, so that all countries have the opportunity to experience a World Cup and so that no one on this planet is left out of this celebration,” Dominguez said.

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The South American proposal would likely guarantee all 10 CONMEBOL member nations a place in the tournament. Venezuela is currently the only South American country that has never qualified for a World Cup.

If approved, the expansion would effectively double the tournament size to 128 matches, compared to the 64-game format used from 1998 through 2022.

While Sheikh Salman rejected changes for 2030, he did not dismiss potential format adjustments for future tournaments beyond the 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia.

“If we want to discuss subsequent tournaments… that’s a different matter,” he said.

The proposal has received a mixed response from football’s governing bodies. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin previously dismissed it as a “bad idea,” while FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom said the world governing body would “analyse” the suggestion.

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“There are many things that need to be studied, and we will take our time, consult everyone,” Grafstrom said.

Critics argue that expanding to 64 teams would dilute the quality of play and devalue continental qualifying competitions, while supporters suggest it would give more nations the opportunity to participate in football’s premier event.

The idea was initially raised at a FIFA Council meeting in March by Uruguay Football Federation chief Ignacio Alonso, before being formally proposed by CONMEBOL’s Dominguez this week.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who participated in Thursday’s CONMEBOL Congress via videoconference, has previously supported tournament expansions during his presidency, which began in 2016, seeking increased revenue for FIFA’s 211 member federations and more opportunities for national teams to qualify.

The final decision on the tournament structure remains with FIFA, which must balance the celebration of the World Cup’s centenary with maintaining the tournament’s competitive integrity and logistical feasibility.

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