Innehållsförteckning för December 2017 från World Soccer

The 2018 World Cup draw dominates our coverage this month. By the time you read this, the eight opening-round groups at next summer’s finals in Russia will be known. The countdown has well and truly begun. Suddenly, everything feels real. Travel plans can be finalised, opponents scouted, pre-tournament friendlies arranged. Last month thoughts briefly turned to those who won’t be there: Italy for the first time since 1958, along with continental champions Chile and Cameroon, not to mention Holland and USA. But now we can concentrate on getting to know the 32 finalists in greater detail. The challenges facing favourites Germany, Spain and Brazil are obviously vastly different to those of debutants Iceland and Panama. Similarly Peru, back at the World Cup after 36 years, and the returning Senegal, Tunisia…

“Germany has changed managers 10 times in the last 90 years. Serbia has changed managers 10 times in the last 10”Serbian tv commentator borislav Papi on the sacking of national coach slavoljub muslin (left) 1 EMRE CAN Liverpool v Maribor Combines with James Milner to cut open the opposition before finishing with a low shot into the bottom corner. 2 ALBERTO DE LA BELLA Real Sociedad v Vardar A cross from the right by Andoni Gorosabel is met with a first-time left-footed volley. 3 NAHITAN NANDEZ Boca Juniors v River Plate Scores with a sliding volley after Pablo Perez floats a ball to the far post. 4 KEISUKE HONDA Pachuca v Tijuana Dribbles from the halfway line, beating five players, to score a wonderful solo goal. 5 MARCELO Brazil v…

International fixtures revolution on the horizon Prepare for a major restructuring of world football’s competitive face. This is not only through UEFA’s launch of the pocket-fattening Nations League but also because FIFA is seeking to re-design its own competitive clothing. FIFA runs nine competitions for men, four for women and the eWorld Cup. It also manages the men’s and women’s competitions for the International Olympic Committee. All of them, with the exception of the World Cup, run at a loss. This means revenue from the World Cup must support everything else – including the development programme and FIFA administration. At a time when president Gianni Infantino is handing out more cash than ever, when the major multinationals continue to steer clear in the wake of FIFAGate, when two years’ thumping…

From the opening 2-0 defeat at home to Ecuador, to the 3-1 away win against the same opponents in their final game, it was drama all the way in a fraught qualifying campaign as Argentina flirted dangerously with missing out on a first World Cup since 1970. Three coaches were used, and just 19 goals scored in 18 rounds. KEY EVENTS IN QUALIFYING • Oct 2015 With Lionel Messi absent through injury, Argentina’s lack of attacking guile is cruelly exposed as they lose 2-0 at home to Ecuador. • Jun 2016 After a Copa Centenario Final loss to Chile, Messi announces his retirement from international football. Thankfully for the national team, he quickly has a rethink and says he’ll carry on playing. • Mar 2017 Messi is accused of abusing…

A desperate struggle – Brazil were down in sixth place with a third of the campaign gone – turned into a triumphant and exhilarating victory parade from the moment that Tite replaced Dunga as coach. Following the new coach’s appointment, Brazil then put together 10 wins and two draws to seal their place in Russia next summer with four rounds to spare. Question marks remain over the team’s temperament, particularly that of Neymar. Against Ecuador he was overconcerned with drawing fouls and a routine game became a tense occasion. He lost control, picked up a yellow card for a crude foul and missed four games through suspension. It remains to be seen whether he or others explode under pressure. KEY MOMENTS IN QUALIFYING • Jun 2016 Failure to get out…

After reaching the 1998 and 2014 finals via the play-offs, Croatia again had to book their ticket at the eleventh hour – although they were never in any danger of coming unstuck against Greece. A thoroughly inconsistent route march all in all: one moment, sublime, the next, downright careless. KEY MOMENTS IN QUALIFYING • Nov 2016 Marcelo Brozovic scores both goals in a 2-0 win against Iceland. The game was one of two Croatia qualifiers played behind closed doors as punishment for “discriminatory chants” by supporters. • Jun 2017 A 1-0 loss in Iceland is the moment the wheels start to come off. From beginning to end, a flat and ineffective display in which they conceded in the 90th minute. • Oct 2017 After a draw at home to Finland,…

England qualified comfortably without setting the world alight. They were unbeaten in 10 games but scored only 18 goals and often struggled to break down defensive-minded teams. Gareth Southgate stepped up from an under-21 role following Sam Allardyce’s surprise exit. There were disappointing crowds at Wembley – but England still had the highest average attendance of any European qualifier. KEY MOMENTS IN QUALIFYING • Sep 2016 Sam Allardyce quits as manager after 67 days and one game in charge – the 1-0 victory over Slovakia – following a newspaper “sting”. • Jun 2017 An injury-time equaliser from Harry Kane earns a 2-2 draw with Scotland at Hampden Park. • Sep 2017 After struggling to break down a Malta side that put 10 men behind the ball, England score three times…

Amazingly, Iceland reached their first World Cup finals as winners of their group. They are by far the smallest nation ever to qualify and – at a mere 339,000 – the first with a population under a million. The team were a bit rusty at first, following an amazing run at their first major tournament at Euro 2016, where they were unbeaten until losing in the quarter-finals to hosts France. The players grew in strength and, against all odds, won seven of their 10 games, including all of their home games. KEY MOMENTS IN QUALIFYING • Sep 2016 A lucky 3-2 win over Finland with two goals in injury time, including a disputed winner. • Sep 2017 Strangely, a 1-0 loss to Finland in Tampere, with three more games to…

As seems to be the case every four years, Mexico will arrive in Russia with the mission to advance to the quarter-finals while wrapped in doubts and in the middle of a heated public debate about the quality of the team and its coach. However, unlike on most other occasions, this time El Tri topped the CONCACAF qualifying table with ease. Given the quality at their disposal, if the draw is kind to them, this time around the team might just end its streak of six consecutive round-of-16 exits. KEY MOMENTS IN QUALIFYING • Nov 2016 Mexico beat USA 2-1 with a last-minute goal by Rafa Marquez. It is El Tri’s first victory in the American stronghold of Columbus, Ohio, where they had previously lost four times in a row.…

After going agonisingly close four years ago, Panama finally booked their first ticket to a World Cup by finishing third in the CONCACAF qualifying group after a dramatic victory against Costa Rica. With a team more hard working than talented, and players who have been playing together for a long time, the Canaleros hope the draw will be kind and allow them to get at least a point at their debut finals. KEY MOMENTS IN QUALIFYING • Nov 2016 A goal from Fidel Escobar earns a surprise victory in Honduras at the start of the fifth round. • Mar 2016: After a good draw with Mexico, the team begins to stutter. A defeat in Trinidad & Tobago and a draw at home to the USA sees Panama lose the advantage…

Spearheaded by the irrepressible Cristiano Ronaldo – just the 15 goals for the captain in nine World Cup qualifiers – Portugal’s near faultless campaign of nine wins in 10 games only confirmed that the Selecao are experiencing a golden age. Coach Fernando Santos has won all but one of the 17 qualifying matches that Portugal have played since he took the reins in September 2014, with the small matter of a European Championship triumph in the middle. In what will be Ronaldo’s last shot at leading his country to the ultimate prize, Portugal travel to Russia in optimistic mood, although there are concerns about younger alternatives for central defenders Pepe, Jose Fonte and Bruno Alves – who have a combined age of over 100 years. KEY EVENTS IN QUALIFYING •…

Senegal are back at the World Cup for a second time, after becoming only the second African country to reach the quarter-finals when Japan and South Korea co-hosted in 2002. Drawing his side from a large number of players with clubs in Europe, coach Aliou Cisse – who was captain of the 2002 team – has put together a formidable squad. KEY MOMENTS IN QUALIFYING • Nov 2015 Two goals down after an hour of the first leg of their preliminary round tie in Madagascar, Senegal are flirting with shock elimination until they come back to draw the game and then win 5-2 on aggregate. • Nov 2016 A 2-1 loss in South Africa sees Senegal submit a protest to FIFA over the officiating as Ghanaian ref Joseph Lamptey awards…

“I wouldn’t want to face Spain at the World Cup,” said Lionel Messi. And by the end of their qualifying campaign, others must have felt the same way. Spain finished top of their group, and ultimately did so with an authority and assuredness that was unexpected after the way they exited the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Euros. Their progress was virtually secured when they outclassed Italy at the Santiago Bernabeu, going on to collect 28 points and score 36 goals, while conceding just three. KEY MOMENTS IN QUALIFYING • Sep 2016 Hammering Liechtenstein 8-0 may not sound much, but Julen Lopetegui’s first game reveals a coach who is thoughtful about tactical shifts and is willing to change things. • Sep 2017 Led by Isco, Spain are superb as…

Tunisia saw off the Democratic Republic of Congo in two key games over the space of five days and concluded their campaign unbeaten, coming through a preliminary round and then the group phase with six wins from eight games. They had been neck and neck with the fast-improving Congolese before beating them at home and drawing away, despite a change during the campaign, with Polish coach Henryk Kasperczak departing and Nabil Maaloul returning for a second stint in charge. KEY MOMENTS IN QUALIFYING • Feb 2017 Kasperczak leaves after Tunisia limp out against Burkina Faso in the quarter-finals of the African Nations Cup, less than three months after winning the opening two games in their World Cup group. • Sep 2017 Ghailene Chaalali scores the winner just after half-time in…

Just one picture and just one word dominated the front page of La Gazzetta dello Sport on the morning of Tuesday, November 14. The word “Fine” (the end) accompanies only a shot of skipper Gigi Buffon in a moment of total despair seconds after Italy’s elimination from next summer’s World Cup finals, following a 0-0 play-off draw with Sweden at the San Siro the previous evening. Monday, November 13 will go down in the annals of Italian football as an infamous date, a night of unthinkable failure, the night when Italian football first teetered on the edge of the abyss and then fell in, head first. Gazzetta’s front-page leader conveyed something of the sense of national disaster: “Italy at Year Zero. Buffon’s tears and the stunned silence of the San…

“Football is emotion, errors come with the territory. Players no longer know whether to celebrate a goal or not”Juventus’ German midfielder Sami khedira argues that vAr is “killing the game” in Serie A Suave and charming away from the game, there is a steely side to Herve Renard that has served him well during a dramatic ascent to the top of the coaching game in Africa. Less than a decade ago, the Frenchman was an anonymous assistant to the evergreen Claude Le Roy, with whom he had first hooked up in China and then spent time at Cambridge United. Now he has qualified Morocco for the World Cup, having already won the African Nations Cup with an unprecedented two different countries In between he has managed to convince his compatriots…

A ban on heading? Surely there’s no point To head or not to head; that was the question pondered recently in a television documentary featuring a thoughtful and objective Alan Shearer, who looked sound and serene, despite the fact that, as he told us, in training when a player he had headed the ball hundreds of times. Interesting but ultimately irrelevant, since dementia, if it is to set in, will not do so for years, as in the sad case of World Cup winners Nobby Stiles, Ray Wilson and Martin Peters, it has done. The Professional Footballers Association have announced that they mean to initiate a full inquiry. But what of any use will it tell them? Any more than Peter Crouch, that engaging, towering figure, can know what is…

Australia’s torturous path through qualification encompassed 22 games (the most of any nation in history), 11 different opponents and 250,000 kilometres of travel. They only lost twice, but too many draws meant they missed automatic qualification on goal difference to Saudi Arabia. Four tight play-off games followed, before a fourth consecutive World Cup qualification was secured with a 3-1 home win over Honduras in front of nearly 80,000 in Sydney. KEY MOMENTS IN QUALIFYING • Mar 2017 Ange Postecoglou introduces a new back-three system which is unconvincing in a 1-1 draw in Tehran against Iraq. • Sep 2017 Australia rack up 44 shots on goal against Thailand, but can only win 2-1. The same night, Saudi Arabia beat Japan 1-0 to consign Australia to the play-offs. • Oct 2017 A…

Since making their World Cup quarter-finals debut in 2014, Colombia have been consistently disappointing, and their qualification campaign for Russia was a laboured, uninspired affair with few high points from a group of players who would seem to be capable of better. KEY MOMENTS IN QUALIFYING • Nov 2015 Abandoning midfield elaboration for a more direct game plan by playing straight up to the front three, a 1-1 draw in Chile sees the hosts drop points for the first time. • Mar 2016 After taking just four points from their first four games, Colombia let slip a two-goal lead before finding a late winner to triumph 3-2 away to Bolivia – a notoriously difficult fixture in which Uruguay were the only other team to have left with all three points.…

Denmark’s qualifying campaign was a crescendo, starting abysmally as new coach Age Hareide struggled to impose his ideas, but rising to the brilliance of a 5-1 away triumph in the concluding play-off game. It is surely the best trajectory towards the nation’s fifth World Cup finals. While this side do not possess the vivid quality of the 1986 “Dynamite” team or the 1998 side that reached the quarter-finals, in Christian Eriksen they have a player every opponent will respect and fear. Optimism is high in a happy squad of underdogs who believe they can cause some shocks at the tournament as the most accomplished of the Scandinavian trio of nations. KEY MOMENTS IN QUALIFYING • Sep 2016 The team is jeered off the pitch after a 1-0 home defeat by…

France qualified by topping European Group A, but Sweden pushed them all the way to the final round of matches. Didier Deschamps’ team needed a win in their last game against Belarus to be sure of going to Russia and delivered a 2-1 victory at Stade de France. KEY MOMENTS IN QUALIFYING • Oct 2016 Memories of a laborious 0-0 draw with Belarus are banished by an impressive 4-1 home win over Bulgaria – despite falling behind to a sixthminute penalty. • Jun 2017 Facing Sweden in Solna, keeper Hugo Lloris commits a howler in added time, messing up a clearance that allows Ola Toivonen to score from the halfway line as France lose 2-1. • Aug 2017 Thomas Lemar scores twice in a 4-0 win over Holland. Kylian Mbappe…

By far the best qualifiers in Asia, Iran never looked in danger of not making a second successive World Cup – the first time in their history they have achieved such a feat. Unbeaten in 10 games in the final group stage and conceding only twice, Carlos Queiroz has developed a wellorganised, well-oiled and well-drilled machine. Now it is all about taking the team to the next level. KEY DATES IN QUALIFYING • Sep 2016 The opening game of the final round, in front of almost 80,000 fans in Tehran, and Iran are frustrated by Qatar until Reza Ghoochannejhad breaks the deadlock in the fourth minute of injury time. • Oct 2016 A 1-0 win over South Korea in Tehran puts Iran in control of the group as a masterclass…

Morocco have long been underachievers on the African footballing stage, given the depth of their squad and the talent they have at their disposal, but in recent years they have ramped up their ambition and they now return to the World Cup stage. They last played in the finals in France in 1998, but are back after hiring Herve Renard to guide their fortunes. A creative midfield is complimented by a strong defence but, although they won one of their qualifying games 6-0, striking is still a problem. KEY MOMENTS IN QUALIFYING • Nov 2016 Held to a goalless draw at home in Marrakech by group favourites Ivory Coast, Morocco have just two points from their opening two Group C games and are already trailing in the standings. • Jun…

Seventy eight years after Peru last went 10 games unbeaten, they repeated the feat. And this time their prize was not a first Copa America crown but a return to the World Cup after 36 years. Their route to a first finals since 1982 was as dramatic as it was unexpected. Halfway through the campaign they seemed doomed to yet another dismal failure, but a stroke of luck helped Ricardo Gareca’s side gain confidence and momentum, before making it through after two nervy playoff games against New Zealand. KEY MOMENTS IN QUALIFYING • Sep 2016 A 2-0 loss away to Bolivia is later awarded as a 3-0 victory to the visitors after Paraguayan-born sub Nelson Cabrera is later deemed ineligible. As a result, Peru win their first qualifier away from…

With no qualifiers to play, hosts Russia have been desperately looking for sparring partners – even playing a friendly against club side Dynamo Moscow in September. Things only became easier when the top European and South American teams had finished their qualifying campaigns, with Argentina coming to Moscow and Spain visiting Saint Petersburg in November, and friendlies against Brazil and France planned for March. Stanislav Cherchesov is trying to build a new squad after his predecessor Leonid Slutsky’s unimpressive Euro 2016 outing. In the absence of top-quality players and the departure of a number of the old guard, Cherchesov has had to look increasingly at young talent, although such players are scarce and lack experience. Fans eagerly awaiting next summer’s tournament are more sceptical about the team’s chances than ever…

Having failed to qualify for the last three major tournaments, Serbia made it to Russia – against all the odds – as group winners. However, it was a mixed campaign, at the end of which the Serbian FA sacked coach Slavoljub Muslin, whose 3-4-3 system was regarded as being too defensive – even though Serbia scored 20 goals. KEY MOMENTS IN QUALIFYING • Oct 2016 Having allowed Austria to twice come from behind in Belgrade, Dusan Tadic scores the winner in a 3-2 victory. • Nov 2016 Aleksandar Mitrovic equalises in the 86th minute in Wales before Gareth Bale hits a post for the hosts in a 1-1 draw. • Sep 2017 Despite playing for more than 25 minutes with 10 men when centreback Nikola Maksimovic was sent off, Serbia…

Amid all the euphoria of their remarkable play-off victory over Italy, it should not be forgotten how impressive Sweden were in the group phase, pipping Holland to the runners-up spot, beating France in Solna and being undefeated at home. Under coach Janne Andersson, they are first and foremost a highly effective defensive unit. The proof? Their seven clean sheets. KEY MOMENTS IN QUALIFYING • Jun 2016 The inimitable Zlatan Ibrahimovic retires from international football. After years of everything revolving around their talismanic superstar, coach Andersson has no other option but to cultivate a greater team ethic. • Sep 2016 Sweden’s solidity and flair for a counter-attack is there for all to see in a 1-1 draw at home to Holland in the opening qualifier. The Dutch enjoyed the bulk of…

Uruguay started like a train and then came badly off the rails, with three defeats in the middle of a run of six games with just one win. But with a refreshed midfield they regained momentum and qualified in relative comfort. KEY MOMENTS IN QUALIFYING • Oct 2015 Despite the absence of Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani, they kick off with convincing wins away to Bolivia and at home to Colombia providing a morale-boosting start and a tribute to the depth of the squad. • Nov 2015 Still without Suarez, Uruguay are ruthless in their use of setpieces and with quick, direct attacks they chalk up a comfortable 3-0 win at home to continental champions Chile. • Mar 2017 A 2-1 loss to Peru is their third defeat in a…

Timothy WEAH Striker, age 17 (22.02.00), Paris Saint-Germain (Fra) & USA In a sentence It’s all in the genes for the US hot-shot attacker who is the son of former FIFA Player of the Year and Ballon d’Or winner George Weah. What they say USA coach John Hackworth after a stunning goal against Paraguay: “By the way, the second goal he scored tonight wasn’t only brilliant; it was world-class. I’m sure a lot of people are taking notice.” Francois Rodrigues, PSG youth coach: “He’s one of our top talents, one of those youngsters who has all the necessary qualities. But we’re still only talking about potential. Sometimes those top of the class players don’t make it.” George Weah: “He’s not good because he’s my son, he’s good because he loves…

Footballing success is in short supply in Swaziland, but a controversial league expansion could provide benefits. This season, Vovovo and Mbabane Highlanders were added to make the Swazi Premier League a 14-team competition. A total of 4.1 million Swazi lilangeni (£220,000) has been put into the league for the 2017-18 season by MTN Swaziland and there is also money from Swazi public television – although they must compete with an influx of games from abroad, mostly from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo. While clubs are limited to five overseas players, expanding the league should give opportunities for domestic players, who are mainly part-time. Thami Dlamini, chief executive of Moneni Pirates, says: “We are semi-professionals except for a few teams. Swallows are one, that’s why…

2018 WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS AFRICA section O 5 finals places available 3rd round Group A Nov 11 - Kinshasa DR Congo 3 (Sidibe og 61, Bolingi pen 90+2, Kebano 90+3) Guinea 1 (Karamokoba 71) HT: 0-0. Ref: Alioum (Cam) DR Congo: Matampi - Mpeko, Moke Abro, Tisserand, Ngonda, Mubele (Bokila 60), Mbemba, Maghoma (Mabidi 69), Kebano, Bolingi, Kabananga (N’Gbakoto 83). Guinea: Traore - Sidibe, I Conde, Landel (Karamokoba 68), Ibrahima Conte/D, S Diallo, Issiaga Sylla, O Balde, Kante, Alkhali Bangoura (Lamah 79), Kamano. Nov 11 - Rades Tunisia 0 Libya 0 Ref: Nampiandraza (Mad) Tunisia: A Mathlouthi - Nagguez, S Ben Youssef, Meriah, Maaloul (Haddadi 70), Badri (Sassi 84), Ben Amor, Chaalali, Khazri (F Ben Youssef 70), Khenissi, Msakni. Libya: Nashnoush - Al Maghasi, El Trbi, S Al Warfali, Sabbou,…

“In terms of of organisation, we’re light years behind Germany, France and Spain. We lack a plan and ideas”Ex-Italy coach Arrigo Sacchi winces at the prospect of a World Cup without the Azzurri LEE DONG-GOOK Became the first player in the K-League’s 34- year history to score 200 goals. His late header helped Jeonbuk Motors claim their fifth title in the last nine seasons. LAYVIN KURZAWA The left-back took just 26 second-half minutes to become the first defender in history to score a Champions League hat-trick, doing so in Paris Saint-Germain’s 4-0 win away to Anderlecht. PAUL BASTOCK The 47-year-old non-league goalkeeper set a new world record when he made his 1,250th competitive appearance in club football, playing for United Counties League Premier Division side Wisbech as they won 4-1…

Soulama ABDOULAYE (1979-2017) Goalkeeper who won 42 caps for Burkina Faso and played twice at the 2013 African Nations Cup when his country finished runners-up. He played for club sides in Algeria, Turkey and Ghana as well as in his homeland. Stefano SALVATORI (1967-2017) Italy Under-21 international who won the 1989 European Super Cup with Milan, later helping Atalanta gain promotion to Serie A and winning the Scottish Cup with Hearts in 1998. Hans SCHAFER (1927-2017) Had been the oldest living World Cup-winner – having been directly involved in two of West Germany’s goals in their 3-2 win over Hungary in the 1954 Final – until he passed away aged 90. Dionatan TEIXEIRA (1992-2017) The former Stoke City defender, who had been playing for Sheriff in Moldova, passed away in…

“When I watched him play, he was so good that I used to wonder if I should opt for another career. I had nothing in common with him. It was like comparing chocolate with Nutella”Gennaro Gattuso (left) pays a typically idiosyncratic tribute to former italy team-mate Andrea Pirlo, who has announced his retirement IN EUROPE Out of work since resigning as Sunderland boss following their relegation from the Premier League in May, DAVID MOYES is appointed manager of West Ham United. CHRIS COLEMAN, who left his role as manager of Wales, took over at Sunderland. CLAUDE PUEL, who was dismissed in June after leading Southampton to the League Cup Final, took charge of Leicester City. Sturm Graz’s FRANCO FODA will replace Marcel Koller as coach of Austria at the end…

Belgium qualified from a group where Bosnia-Herzegovina were their main rivals. They scored a record number of goals, 43, while conceding only six. Yet defensive concerns remain and injuries to key players could lead to disaster – just as they did in France in 2016. KEY MOMENTS IN QUALIFYING • Oct 2016 Belgium convincingly beat their main rivals Bosnia 4-0 in Brussels. • Aug 2017 Roberto Martinez omits Radja Nainggolan from his squad to meet Gibraltar and Greece, which causes a media frenzy. • Sep 2017 Belgium beat Greece 2-1 in Athens and become the first European team to qualify for Russia. • Oct 2017 Belgium win 4-3 in Sarajevo after trailing Bosnia at half-time. Three days later, Belgium score four against Cyprus to equal Germany’s record for goals scored…

After a qualifying phase with its fair share of ups and downs, and some very disappointing results in the latest friendlies, there’s a fear in Costa Rica that the team is not up to the standards they set in Brazil 2014 and that their “golden generation” has already seen its best years pass. The team qualified with two games to spare, but their only victories in the CONCACAF Hexagonal were against the two teams that didn’t even make the play-offs: USA and Trinidad &Tobago. KEY MOMENTS IN QUALIFYING • Nov 2016 A great start to the final qualifying round, with victories away to Trinidad & Tobago (2-0) and at home to the USA (4-0). However, they would be the only teams they would beat in the tournament. • Mar 2017…

For decades, Egypt have failed to turn their dominance of the African game into World Cup qualification – until a last-gasp penalty ensured their place in the field for Russia 2018. They last participated at the finals in 1990 and since then they have suffered the agony of several close misses, including a rare play-off game after finishing level with Algeria in the 2010 preliminaries. Over the years a myriad of coaches – including Ruud Krol, Marco Tardelli and Bob Bradley – have tried to take them to the promised land, but it was Hector Cuper who finally got them over the line. KEY MOMENTS IN QUALIFYING • Nov 2015 A 1-0 loss away to Chad in the first leg of a preliminary game held out the possibility that the…

Compiling the best-ever World Cup qualifying campaign by a European team, Germany were absolutely ruthless, winning all 10 of their games and ending up with a gargantuan goal-difference of +39. Coach Joachim Low would have been especially pleased with the way his team shared the goals out, with no fewer than 21 players on the scoresheet. KEY MOMENTS IN QUALIFYING • Sep 2016 Keeper Manuel Neuer makes his bow as captain, while Thomas Muller ends a 10-month international goal drought in a 3-0 win over Norway. • Oct 2016 A 2-0 win in Hanover against Northern Ireland makes it three wins out of three, courtesy of goals from Julian Draxler and Sami Khedira. • Sep 2017 Mats Hummels’ header secures a 2-1 victory in the Czech Republic but, furious at…

Japan qualified automatically for their sixth consecutive World Cup with commanding performances in the games that mattered, but there were also hiccups along the way – such as a home loss to the UAE. Coach Vahid Halilhodzic has never stopped tinkering and bringing in young talent, so the team is far from settled yet. KEY EVENTS IN QUALIFYING • Jun 2015 Japan draw 0-0 at home to Singapore but win every other game in the group after that, keeping clean sheets in each. • Sep 2016 An uphill struggle is in prospect after they lose 2-1 at home to the UAE in their round-three opener. • Nov 2016 A controversial penalty gives Japan the edge shortly before half-time as they beat Saudi Arabia 2-1. • Aug 2017 Yosuke Ideguchi sets…

Nigeria romped through the toughest of Africa’s World Cup qualifying groups with such ease that it is difficult to offer a convincing argument against their credentials. However, this current crop of Super Eagles remain a side in need of improvement. It is a young squad, much changed from the team that reached the second round at the last World Cup in Brazil. Kelechi Iheanacho and Alex Iwobi are yet to deliver on the impact that has been expected of them, although Iwobi did get the goal that ensured World Cup qualification when they beat Zambia 1-0. KEY MOMENTS IN QUALIFYING • Oct 2016 After the embarrassment of missing out on qualifying for the 2017 African Nations Cup finals, Nigeria go to Zambia for their opening game of their World Cup…

Back at the World Cup finals after a 12-year absence, expectations are high after the euphoria of reaching the Euro quarter-finals in France last year. However, September’s 4-0 loss to Denmark – Poland’s worst defeat in a competitive game for 15 years – and a total of 14 goals conceded in qualifying (the most of any team finishing in the top two in a European group) provide a dose of realism. KEY MOMENTS IN QUALIFYING • Oct 2016 After a 2-2 draw in Kazakhstan, things get back on track with wins over Denmark and Armenia. • Mar 2017 A 2-1 victory in Montenegro puts Poland top of their qualifying group at the halfway stage. • Sep 2017 A 4-0 loss to Denmark reduces their lead at the top to three…

Saudi Arabia used to qualify for World Cups as a matter of course, but failure to make 2010 and 2014 had fans desperate to reach Russia. Led by Bert Van Marwijk (top right), they did. Just. There was some luck along the way, but a last-day victory over an already qualified Japan did the trick and put the Green Falcons above Australia on goal difference. Yet qualification was followed by chaos, as Van Marwijk was replaced by Edgardo Bauza – who then left himself. KEY EVENTS IN QUALIFYING • Sep 2016 The opening game against Thailand in Riyadh was proving to be a frustrating experience until the softest of penalties six minutes from the end allowed Nawaf Al Abed to secure the points. Five days later, the midfielder scores twice…

South Korea qualified for Russia, but that is about the only positive thing that can be said about the final round of the campaign. In their 10 games the Taeguk Warriors won just four and picked up a single point in five games on the road. That they qualified says as much about the failings of others as it does about Korea. KEY MOMENTS IN QUALIFYING • Nov 2016 Koo Ja-cheol scores with five minutes left to give Korea, smarting from defeat by Iran, a come-from-behind win against Uzbekistan. • Mar 2017 There is massive pressure on coach Uli Stielike after Korea lose in China – a first competitive defeat against their neighbours. • Jun 2017 Stielike is fired after Korea lose 3-2 to bottom team Qatar, in which serious…

Switzerland won their first nine qualifiers but were still edged into second place on goal difference by Portugal after they lost 2-0 in Lisbon. They then squeezed through the play-offs, winning 1-0 on aggregate against Northern Ireland. This should be a team at its peak, with a number of key players – such as Ricardo Rodriguez, Fabian Schar, Xherdan Shaqiri, Granit Xhaka and Haris Seferovic – all now in their mid-twenties. KEY MOMENTS IN QUALIFYING • Sep 2016 Fresh from winning the Euro 2016 title, and without the injured Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal are caught off guard in Basle as Switzerland beat them 2-0 in the opening match of the campaign. • Oct 2017 Both teams win their next eight games, setting up a showdown in Lisbon. Portugal win comfortably to…

Praful Patel was in fine form. The president of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) hosted and attended the FIFA Council and pitched India’s bid for the 2019 Under-20 World Cup. He even cracked a joke with FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who praised Patel for introducing FIFA “values” to the local game. “This is the beginning of the renaissance of Indian football,” said Patel on the eve of the Under-17 World Cup Final. “This entire exercise must continue. We have to have another major tournament to keep this momentum. This has been a great learning experience for us. We have now delivered on giving good infrastructure, which over the years was one of the major concerns.” In 2013, FIFA chose India to host the Under-17 World Cup. The Indians were…

There were some notable absentees from FIFA’s ludicrously overblown “The Best” awards night at the London Palladium, with Lieke Martens and Sarina Wiegman, winners of the women’s player and coach gongs respectively, otherwise engaged in preparing for Holland’s international against Norway the following night. That the show clashed with qualifying ties for the FIFA Women’s World Cup might be regarded as an unfortunate coincidence were it not for the absence of almost everyone else connected with the women’s game as well. There were a few females in the testosterone-soaked arena. Some, such as Arsenal’s ex-England defender Alex Scott, were presenting an award; others, such as American Carli Lloyd, had been nominated. But most of the very few women present were there as an adjunct to their husband or boyfriend. Not…

Exactly 25 years on from their first title, Wydad of Casablanca are continental champions once more after edging record-winners Al Ahly 2-1 over two legs in the African Champions League Final. A workman-like team, Wydad were semi-finalists last year after initially looking the most impressive team in the group phase, only to then implode against Zamalek. But this time around they were able to hold their nerve against the other Egyptian giants, finishing above Al Ahly in the group stage and then beating them in the deciding tie. In between, they were fortunate to dispatch defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns on penalties in the quarter-finals but proved to be far too strong for USM Alger in the semis. Wydad conceded just one goal in seven home games during the 2017 competition…

EUROPE ESTONIA 1Relegated after being refused licence for next season because of financial difficulties FINLAND 1Relegated after losing rel/prom play-off KAZAKHSTAN 1Stay in top division after winning rel/prom play-off 23pts deducted for failing to pay former player 36pts deducted for failing to pay former player LATVIA 1Enter rel/prom play-off 2Excluded from the league mid-season on suspicion of being involved with match-fixing; results expunged LITHUANIA After the 28-round regular season, the top 6 formed the championship group (carrying forward their full regular-season record), 7th-placed (second bottom) team Stumbras went into the rel/prom play-off – which they won to stay in the top division – and the 8th-placed (bottom) team, Kauno, were relegated REPUBLIC OF IRELAND SWEDEN 1Relegated after losing rel/prom play-off CONCACAF CONCACAF LEAGUE Final 1st leg Oct 19 Olimpia (Hnd)…