International Football
Calculator and African Qualifiers for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 after Matchday 4
Just two more matchdays remaining in the group stage of African Qualifiers for FIFA World Cup, Qatar 2022. Senegal and Morocco guaranteed their place in the third and final round which will determine the five African representatives next year in Qatar.
Here is a look on “how it stands” in the Round 2 ten groups after concluding Matchday 4 this week.
Key: {Q} Qualified – {E} Eliminated
Group A
Algeria and Burkina Faso share the top spot, and will go toe-to-toe till the last minute. It’s a race likely to be decided in the final matchday when Algeria hosts Burkina Faso in a decider, while Niger and Djibouti are already eliminated.
Standings
1. Algeria – 10 points (+17)
2. Burkina Faso – 10 points (+8)
3. Niger – 3 points (-9) {E}
4. Djibouti – 0 points (-16) {E}
Remaining matches
Djibouti – Algeria
Burkina Faso – Niger
Algeria – Burkina Faso
Niger – Djibouti
Group B
Tunisia remained on top without conceding a goal in the process. Carthage Eagles could secure qualification to the final round should they win in Equatorial Guinea in the next matchday. Mauritania are out of the race with a lone point.
Standings
1. Tunisia – 10 points (+8)
2. Equatorial Guinea – 7 points (0)
3. Zambia – 4 points (-3)
4. Mauritania – 1 point (-5) {E}
Remaining matches
Equatorial Guinea – Tunisia
Zambia – Mauritania
Tunisia – Zambia
Mauritania – Equatorial Guinea
Group C
Mathematically the race is still open for all sides, with Nigeria leading the pack on 9 points, two more than Cape Verde and five ahead of Central African Republic, with Liberia trailing with three points. The Super Eagles need four points from their remaining games to go through.
Standings
1. Nigeria – 9 points (+4)
2. Cape Verde – 7 points (+1)
3. Central African Republic – 4 points (-2)
4. Liberia – 3 points (-3)
Remaining matches
Cape Verde – Central African Republic
Liberia – Nigeria
Nigeria – Cape Verde
Central African Republic – Liberia
Group D
A two-horse race between giants Cote d’Ivoire and Cameroon is likely to continue till they lock horns in the final matchday. Cote d’Ivoire leads the pack with 10 points, one more than Cameroon, with Malawi (3 points) and Mozambique (1) eliminated.
Standings
1. Cote d’Ivoire – 10 points (+5)
2. Cameroon – 9 points (+4)
3. Malawi – 3 points (-5) {E}
4. Mozambique – 1 point (-4) {E}
Remaining matches
Malawi – Cameroon
Cote d’Ivoire – Mozambique
Cameroon – Cote d’Ivoire
Mozambique – Malawi
Group E
It will be another two-horse race between Mali and Uganda, as The Eagles are on 10 points, two more The Cranes, with both sides yet to concede a goal in the qualifiers. Kenya and Rwanda are already eliminated.
Standings
1. Mali – 10 points (+7)
2. Uganda – 8 points (+2)
3. Kenya – 2 points (-6) {E}
4. Rwanda – 1 point (-3) {E}
Remaining matches
Uganda – Kenya
Rwanda – Mali
Mali – Uganda
Kenya – Rwanda
Group F
Egypt moved close to guarantee the group’s lone ticket to the third round. The Pharaohs are on ten points, four points clear on top above second placed Libya, with Gabon following while Angola are already eliminated.
Standings
1. Egypt – 10 points (+5)
2. Libya – 6 points (-2)
3. Gabon – 4 points (-1)
4. Angola – 3 points (-2) {E}
Remaining matches
Angola – Egypt
Gabon – Libya
Libya – Angola
Egypt – Gabon
Group G
The tight race between South Africa and Ghana will go to the wire as both sides continued pressing each other. South Africa leads the group on ten points, one more than Ghana, with the last matchday encounter between them likely to be the decider.
Standings
1. South Africa – 10 points (+4)
2. Ghana – 9 points (+3)
3. Ethiopia – 3 points (-3) {E}
4. Zimbabwe – 1 point (-4) {E}
Remaining matches
South Africa – Zimbabwe
Ethiopia – Ghana
Ghana – South Africa
Zimbabwe – Ethiopia
Group H
Everything is over with Senegal completing 100% winning record and securing the group’s lone ticket to the third and final round. The remaining games will be for clinical use.
Standings
1. Senegal – 12 points (+9) {Q}
2. Togo – 4 points (-2) {E}
3. Namibia – 4 points (-4) {E}
4. Congo – 2 points (-3) {E}
Remaining matches
Togo – Senegal
Congo – Namibia
Namibia – Togo
Senegal – Congo
Group I
Morocco have guaranteed their place in the final round, winning all their four games in the group to go through, leaving the remaining two matchdays as dead rubber.
Standings
1. Morocco – 12 points (+13) {Q}
2. Guinea Bissau – 4 points (-6) {E}
3. Namibia – 3 points (-3) {E}
4. Sudan – 2 points (-4) {E}
Remaining matches
Sudan – Morocco
Guinea – Guinea Bissau
Morocco – Guinea
Guinea Bissau – Sudan
Group J
The race is still open for all four sides in the upcoming games. Tanzania and Benin share top spot with seven points each, two more than DR Congo while Madagascar have three to their name.
Standings
1. Tanzania – 7 points (+1)
2. Benin – 7 points (+1)
3. DR Congo – 5 points (+1)
4. Madagascar – 3 points (-3)
Remaining matches
Benin – Madagascar
Tanzania – DR Congo
Madagascar – Tanzania
DR Congo – Benin
-cafonline
International Football
Former Brazil coach Tite taking break to take care of mental, physical health
Former Brazil coach Tite said he is taking an indefinite career break in order to take care of his mental and physical health.
The 63-year-old, who led Brazil to the 2019 Copa America title, was hospitalised due to a heart issue last August. He was sacked by Flamengo the following month and had most recently been linked with the Corinthians job.
“I realised that there are times when you have to understand that, as a human being, I can be vulnerable and admitting that will certainly make me stronger,” Tite said in a statement posted on his son Matheus Bachi’s Instagram on Tuesday.
“I’m passionate about what I do and I’ll continue to be so, but after talking to my family and observing the signals my body was giving off, I decided that the best thing to do now is to take a break from my career to look after myself for as long as it takes.
“As has become public, there was a conversation in progress with Corinthians, but it will have to be paralysed by a difficult but necessary decision.”
Tite, who stepped down as Brazil coach after their quarter-final exit from the 2022 World Cup, has previously coached a string of Brazilian sides including Gremio, Atletico Mineiro and Palmeiras.
-Reuters
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Brazil have sacked head coach Dorival Jr, the country’s football confederation (CBF) said on Friday after the five-time world champions were thrashed 4-1 away to fierce rivals Argentina in a humiliating qualifying loss in Buenos Aires.
The 62-year-old was appointed in January 2024 after the team spent a year under two caretaker coaches as the Brazilian FA were unable to lure Italian Carlo Ancelotti from Real Madrid.
“The Brazilian Football Confederation informs that coach Dorival Jr is no longer in charge of the Brazilian national team,” the confederation said in a statement.
“The management thanks (Dorival) and wishes him success in continuing his career … the CBF will work to find his replacement,” it added.
Dorival was handed the job after his success with Flamengo in 2022 where he won the Copa Libertadores and Brazilian Cup, a trophy he lifted again the next year with Sao Paulo.
However, he never seemed to get to grips with the national team job and failed to earn the trust of Brazil’s demanding fans after winning only seven of his 16 games in charge.
Sources told Reuters the CBF was not confident in Dorival’s work, considering there had been little to no progress since a lacklustre Copa America campaign when Brazil were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Uruguay last year.
Still, the CBF was willing to wait and see until the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Paraguay in June to reassess the situation following the end of the European season and the Club World Cup in the U.S. in June and July.
But after Brazil slumped to their heaviest-ever loss in a qualifier when they were thrashed by Argentina this week, CBF president Ednaldo Rodrigues decided to pull the trigger.
IDEAL CANDIDATE
Sources told Reuters Ancelotti was still the ideal candidate but he is under contract with Real until July 2026 and there is no indication he would leave the European and Spanish champions.
Brazilian media have reported that Al Hilal’s Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus is the favourite to replace Dorival.
Brazil have been in unfamiliar territory for over two years since crashing out of the 2022 World Cup against Croatia on penalties in the quarter-finals, a heartbreaking elimination that led to the exit of long-time manager Tite.
Their humbling defeat in Buenos Aires was the latest of a series of negative records Brazil have set under caretakers Ramon Menezes and Fernando Diniz and with Dorival in charge. They had never conceded four goals in a World Cup qualifier.
Brazil are in the midst of their worst-ever World Cup qualifying campaign. They are fourth in the South American standings with 21 points, a point above sixth-placed Colombia who currently occupy the final direct qualifying berth.
Never have Brazil lost so many games, conceded so many goals or set so many negative records in the qualifying competition. They have lost five of their 14 games and conceded 16 goals.
Brazil’s 1-0 defeat by Argentina in the Maracana late in 2023 was their first-ever qualifying loss on home soil.
They also lost to Colombia for the first time, saw the end of their unbeaten run against Uruguay stretching back over two decades and were defeated by Morocco and Senegal, having never previously lost to an African nation.
-Reuters
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International Football
England’s German manager Tuchel will not sing the English anthem in his first game
England manager Thomas Tuchel said he would have to “earn the right” to sing the national anthem, God Save the King, after announcing his 26-man squad on Friday ahead of the team’s World Cup qualifiers.
Tuchel, who was appointed as Gareth Southgate’s successor in October and named his first squad to face Albania and Latvia this month, said he would not sing the anthem in his first games in charge.
“It means a lot to me, I can assure you, but I can feel that because it is so meaningful and it is so emotional and it is so powerful, the national anthem, that I have to earn my right to sing it,” the 51-year-old German told a news conference.
Former caretaker manager Lee Carsley was criticised last year for not singing the anthem during his tenure.
However, Tuchel added that while he is proud to be in charge of the team and knows the words to the anthem, he plans to earn the right with results.
“Maybe I have to dive more into the culture and earn my right from you, from the players, from the supporters, so everyone feels like ‘he should sing it now, he’s one of our own, he’s the English manager, he should sing it’,” he said.
-Reuters
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