FIFA World Cup teams from North and Central America, Asia, Africa and Oceania

North and Central America:

Thirty eight countries from North and Central America and the Caribbean are affiliated to CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football). After the conclusion of the first two rounds, the six remaining teams meet in one round-robin group with home and away matches between February 9 and October 12, 2005. The successful first, second and third finishers ascertain their passage to Germany and participation in 2006.  The fourth-placed team plays-off, home and away, against the fifth finisher in the Asia qualifications, to determine a further finalist.

Analysis: At “half-time” of the  CONCACAF qualification – five of the total ten competition days have been concluded – the two clear favourites, Mexico (13 points) and the United States (13 points), are leading clearly as expected.  The two superior teams, ranked seventh and tenth in the FIFA World rankings in May 2005, will not be stopped on their road to Germany. Mexico’s current record in the qualification is impressive: altogether eleven victories, one draw and 46-4 goal tally.

The USA improved visibly during the qualification stages, and recently had the fortune to call on the experience of Landon Donovan (formerly with German Bundesliga club, Bayer Leverkusen). Four clear wins and one defeat in Mexico, is the record so far for the team coached by Bruce Arena.

 There is a tough battle for third place. Costa Rica (7 points) is currently holding on, followed by Guatemala and Trinidad & Tobago (4 points each). Even Panama (2), still without a win, have a chance. The battle for third place could go to the very last day, October 12, when Costa Rica play in Guatemala.

Latest North and Central America table and top scorers...

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Asia:

The Asian Football Confederation, AFC, has 45 member countries and may send four or five teams to the FIFA World Cup™ finals.  With one playing day remaining before the conclusion of the third and decisive group phase, four FIFA World Cup™ places have already been decided.

June 8 proved the decisive day in Asia. It started with Japan: at 13:20 hrs CET the first World Cup participant, besides hosts Germany, was determined. The 2002 FIFA World Cup™ co-hosts ensured their third FIFA World Cup™ appearance with a 2-0 win over North Korea in a match played in Thailand’s capital Bangkok. North Korea was forced to play the match in a neutral country, and without spectators, following violent assaults on the referee during the FIFA World Cup™ qualifier versus Iran on March 30, 2005, which Iran won 2-0.  Though Japan’s Brazilian coach Zico had to play without some regulars – notably Shinji Ono (Feyenoord, Rotterdam), Hidetoshi Nakata (AC Florence) and Naohiro Takahara (Hamburger SV) – victory was never in doubt.

Just a few hours later, the other 2002 FIFA World Cup™ co-hosts, South Korea, also joined the FIFA World Cup™ final ranks for the seventh time since 1954. The fourth-placed team of 2002 did not miss their opportunity in KuwaitCity. Ju-YoungPark scored after 16 minutes to take a 1-0 lead over the team of Dutch coach Jo Bonfrere. Twelve minutes later Dong-Gook Lee made it 2-0 with a penalty. In the second half Dong-Gook Lee (55th) and Ji-SungPark (58th) sealed the 4-0 scoreline over their weak opponents.

Iran booked their 2006 slot with a 1-0 win over Bahrain at home. Mohammad Nosrati scored the decisive goal in the 48th minute in front of 90,000 enthusiastic fans. Thus Iran, with German Bundesliga professionals Mehdi Madavikia (Hamburger SV), Vahid Hashemian (Bayern Munich), Ferydoon Zandi (1. FC Kaiserslautern) and future Bayern player Ali Karimi, will be playing in their third FIFA World Cup™ finals, following 1978 and 1998.

The Asian quartet in Germany was finally completed by Saudi-Arabia. Saudi-Arabia’s team captain Sami Al Jaber became the celebrated hero of the day in Riyadh. The 32-year-old, recalled at the beginning of this year by the new Argentine coach Gabriel Calderón (1990 FIFA World Cup™ runner-up as a player), scored two goals in the 9th and 60th minutes, thus ensuring his country was on the road to a fourth successive FIFA World Cup™ final. Saad Al Harthi’s 87th minute goal made the final score 3-0.

Prior to the last competition day, Bahrain knew their hopes were still alive with a place in the fifth spot play-off. Their opponents will be the winners of the Uzbekistan versus Kuwait clash in Uzbekistan on August 17, with the guests needing just one point. Should Uzbekistan turn out the winners, the match for fifth place would see a duel between German coaches, Hans-Juergen Gede (Uzbekistan) and Wolfgang Sidka (Bahrain). The winner of this tussle will then face a further play-off this autumn against the fourth-placed team of the CONCACAF qualifications.

Latest table and top scorers in Asia ...

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Africa:

Africa’s Football Association, CAF (Confédération Africaine de Football) with 52 affiliated members, will send five teams to the 2006 FIFA World Cup™.  They play the qualification in five groups, with six teams each. The group winners qualify directly. The qualifying rounds started on June 4, 2004 and will end on October 9, 2005. Seven of ten competition days have been concluded.

Group 1: Three playing days before the conclusion of the qualification, Togo have taken the lead, thanks to a 4-1 victory over Zambia. The favourites, and previous leaders, 2002 FIFA World Cup™ finals participants Senegal, surprisingly drew 0-0 with Congo in Brazzaville.

Mali handed over last place to Liberia with their first win – by finally displaying some of the form that took them to the semi-finals of the 2004 Africa Cup.

Group 2: South Africa are the Group 2 team to be beaten on the road to Germany. The 2010 FIFA World Cup™ hosts won 2-1 in the Cap Verde Isles thus increasing their lead. Their hottest pursuers are the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ghana, both three points behind.

Group 3: Cameroon may once again hope for their sixth FIFA World Cup™ finals since 1982. Since it once looked as if the “Indomitable Lions” were out of the race, they have worked their way back and now sit just two points behind the leaders, Ivory Coast. Even Egypt cannot be ruled out yet.

Group 4: Everything is leading to a duel between Nigeria and Angola in Group 4. These joint leaders meet each other in Lagos on June 18. Zimbabwe, three points behind, could still have a say in the final result.

Group 5: Morocco sits at the top with an advantage of one point over Tunisia. The decisive match for the FIFA World Cup™ ticket will probably be the encounter between the two finalists of last year’s Africa Cup on the last playing day in Tunis. Guinea still lie in wait.

Latest African group tables ...

Latest overview of Africa’s leading scorers...

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Oceania:

Qualifying is almost over in the Oceanian continental confederation, the OFC (Oceania FootballConfederation), to which eleven nations belong. The red-hot favourite Australia and the SalomonIslands, who surprisingly eliminated New Zealand, will meet on 3 and 7 September in the play-off. The winner will go on to two further play-off games against the fifth-placed team in the South American group to decide who will be awarded a ticket to the FIFA World Cup finals in Germany.

Latest Oceania table and an overview of the leading scorers...