World Cup 2010

[chaminda_00]

I would be very concerned for the fate of the North Korean team had they lost to South Korea.

They lost to them a fair bit recently in East-Asia Cups. The expectations of North Korean side to quaifly or just beat South Korean is more hopeful then expected. These days there is more focus and expectation on Women's football in North Korean then Men's.

[Samuel_Vimes]

Iraq suspended from international competition after the government disbanded their football association.

Not sure what this implies - for one, it can be overturned by tomorrow if the Iraqi government reverses their decision - but I would think all results against Iraq are cancelled.

Unposted results:
30 March:
Cayman Islands 1-3 Bermuda (Bermuda qualify 4-2 on aggregate - now play Trinidad/Tobago)
British Virgin Islands 2-2 Bahamas (Bahamas won on "away goals" rule despite both games played in Bahamas...now play Jamaica.)

Fixtures:
Africa (12 group winners + 8 group runners-up through to next round):
31 May:
12.30, Blantyre, grp 12: Malawi v Djibouti
13.00, Dar-es-Salaam, grp 1: Tanzania v Mauritius
13.00, Kampala, grp 3: Uganda v Niger
13.00, Gaborone, grp 7: Botswana v Madagascar
13.30, Kigali, grp 8: Rwanda v Mauritania
14.30, Yaoundé, grp 1: Cameroon v Cape Verde
14.30, Libreville, grp 5: Gabon v Lesotho
15.00, Windhoek, grp 2: Namibia v Kenya
15.30, Accra (Ghana), grp 10: Togo v Zambia
17.00, Omdurman, grp 10: Sudan v Chad
19.00, Casablanca, grp 8: Morocco v Ethiopia (!)
19.30, Dakar, grp 6: Senegal v Algeria (!)
1 June:
13.30, Bujumbura, grp 9: Burundi v Seychelles
14.30, Luanda, grp 3: Angola v Benin
14.30, Malabo, grp 4: Equatorial Guinea v Sierra Leone
15.00, Abuja, grp 4: Nigeria v South Africa (!)
16.00, Kumasi, grp 5: Ghana v Libya
16.00, Monrovia, grp 6: Liberia v Gambia
16.00, Abidjan, grp 7: Ivory Coast v Mozambique
16.00, Rades, grp 9: Tunisia v Burkina Faso
17.00, Conakry, grp 2: Guinea v Zimbabwe
18.00, Bamako, grp 10: Mali v Congo
18.00, Cairo, grp 12: Egypt v DR Congo

Asia:
31 May:
11.00, Seoul, grp 3: South Korea v Jordan
1 June:
07.00, Brisbane, grp 1: Australia v Iraq (?)
2 June:
10.20, Yokohama, grp 2: Japan v Oman (Japan need to reinstate credibility after a loss in Bahrain)
11.30, Bangkok, grp 2: Thailand v Bahrain (Bahrain on an unbeaten run)
11.30, Singapore, grp 4: Singapore v Uzbekistan (Uzbekistan have two wins - Singapore not totally out of it with loss here, but rely on Uzbeks to win in Saudi Arabia if they don't)
12.00, Ashgabat, grp 3: Turkmenistan v North Korea (last chance for Turkmens - no points from two games)
13.30, Teheran, grp 5: Iran v UAE (UAE top the group, but Iran are presumably the strongest side. UAE could fall to third with a poor result here)
16.00, Doha, grp 1: Qatar v China (Qatar looking to keep their good home run and a chance to stay in the hunt for 2nd spot)
17.00, Damascus, grp 5: Syria v Kuwait (Syria are unbeaten, but Kuwait came back from 0-2 down to get a point against Iran)
18.00, Riyadh, grp 4: Saudi Arabia v Lebanon (should be a walkover for the hosts after a disappointing result in Uzbekistan)

There will be matches in Africa and Asia each weekend until 22 June. On 15 June and 22 June, there'll be knockout games in North America and league games in South America and Oceania

[superkingdave]

Queenland Roar to replace Iraq itbt

[Johnners]

There still is some hope that the game might go ahead tbh. Apparently some head honchos in Iraq are currently in negotiations with FIFA. Kinda sucks tbh.

[Johnners]

Game on as Iraq ban lifted

Good stuff.

[Samuel_Vimes]

Game on as Iraq ban lifted

Good stuff.

Quote: "On Wednesday, Baghdad sent a letter to FIFA confirming the IFA had not been sacked and was not covered by 'resolution 184' that dissolved the national Olympic committee last week."

Bizarre stuff, this. Seems to have been mostly down to a misunderstanding. Good for football though.

[NUFAN]

Quote: "On Wednesday, Baghdad sent a letter to FIFA confirming the IFA had not been sacked and was not covered by 'resolution 184' that dissolved the national Olympic committee last week."

Bizarre stuff, this. Seems to have been mostly down to a misunderstanding. Good for football though.

Yes good for football alright, I'm going to the match, can't wait, never been to an International Football match.

[Matteh]

I've seen Australia play

Got dicked by Denmark though. (n)

[chaminda_00]

I've seen Australia play, but it was against Oman. Still was a good night. Would be good to see a full strength or semi full strength side play. You know with Garcia and all.........oh wait.

[Samuel_Vimes]

Results

Africa, 31 May:
12.30, Blantyre, grp 12: Malawi 8-1 Djibouti (can see why Djibouti usually withdraw from these things)
13.00, Dar-es-Salaam, grp 1: Tanzania 1-1 Mauritius (very disappointing start from Tanzania - got two minnow island nations, but need points to be assured of next stage as Cameroon will surely win)
13.00, Kampala, grp 3: Uganda 1-0 Niger (close group, Uganda off to a good start)
13.00, Gaborone, grp 7: Botswana 0-0 Madagascar (should be bottom dwellers match)
13.30, Kigali, grp 8: Rwanda 3-0 Mauritania (not the result a comparison of populations would indicate)
14.30, Yaoundé, grp 1: Cameroon 2-0 Cape Verde (good start for a big favourite)
14.30, Libreville, grp 5: Gabon p/p Lesotho (air controllers strike)
15.00, Windhoek, grp 2: Namibia 2-1 Kenya (andruid weeping aws)
15.30, Accra (Ghana), grp 10: Togo 1-0 Zambia (early goal sealed game for 2006 qualifiers)
17.00, Omdurman, grp 10: Sudan p/p Chad (due to political issues)
19.00, Casablanca, grp 8: Morocco 3-0 Ethiopia (early goals seal an excellent start for Morocco - Ethiopia and Rwanda to battle out for second)
19.30, Dakar, grp 6: Senegal 1-0 Algeria (Senegal easily in pole in this group)
1 June (to be updated):
13.30, Bujumbura, grp 9: Burundi 0-0 Seychelles (yawn.)
14.30, Luanda, grp 3: Angola 3-0 Benin (late flurry of goals, so Benin will need to win in Uganda or Niger)
14.30, Malabo, grp 4: Equatorial Guinea 2-0 Sierra Leone (second half goals. Not that it'll matter much, both teams v weak)
15.00, Abuja, grp 4: Nigeria 2-0 South Africa (easy win for Nigeria, both goals in first half. Apparently had 65 % possession. Probably good for SA they're already qualified.)
16.00, Monrovia, grp 6: Liberia 1-1 Gambia (bottom-dwellers stuff)
16.00, Abidjan, grp 7: Ivory Coast 1-0 Mozambique (but for Sekou Cissé's goal, Mozambique nearly )
17.00, Kumasi, grp 5: Ghana 3-0 Libya (Ghana showing they're one of the best in the region)
17.00, Conakry, grp 2: Guinea 0-0 Zimbabwe (big point for Zimboks, four teams of decent quality here)
17.10, Rades, grp 9: Tunisia 1-2 Burkina Faso (Tunisia have fallen from grace. Burkina Faso now in box seat)
18.00, Bamako, grp 10: Mali 4-2 Congo (Mali could go through unbeaten here - a big outsider to reach their first World Cup ever - West African football )
18.00, Cairo, grp 12: Egypt 2-1 DR Congo (turnaround for Egypt, who were a goal down with 25 minutes to go, though they're still second due to Djibouti's whipping boy status)

Asia:
11.00, Seoul, grp 3: South Korea 2-2 Jordan (Jordan pick up another point. North Korea could go first here now. South Korea could face embarrassment if they lose in Jordan in a week)
07.00, Brisbane, grp 1: Australia 1-0 Iraq (gritty stuff, obv. But enough to win, and the visitors probably shut up shop?)

[chaminda_00]

07.00, Brisbane, grp 1: Australia 1-0 Iraq (gritty stuff, obv. But enough to win, and the visitors probably shut up shop?)

Nah Iraq came out to play and pushed our defence pretty hard. Lack quality finishing and after the first half they ran out of legs a bit. They could have been 2-nil up by half time if they finished better.

[Johnners]

Mmmm, was a surprisingly attacking game. Although, I guess Iraq had no option but to play for the win given their poor showings in the first 2 games.

[andruid]

Kenya lose 2-1 to a last minute goal. Almost got ourselves banned again with a rebel faction of the football federation appointing its own head coach and national team

[Samuel_Vimes]

Burundi vs Seychelles corrected to 1-0. Would be a poor team to not dispatch the Seychelles tbh.

Asia results:
2 June:
10.20, Yokohama, grp 2: Japan 3-0 Oman (Japan confirmed credibility)
11.30, Bangkok, grp 2: Thailand 2-3 Bahrain (Bahrain took the lead twice and dropped it twice. Third time lucky though, all but eliminated Thailand. Nice away win for Bahrain, Japan & Bahrain easily through here)
11.30, Singapore, grp 4: Singapore 3-7 Uzbekistan (Uzbeks still haven't dropped a point, things look harsh for Singapore's imported squa)
12.00, Ashgabat, grp 3: Turkmenistan 0-0 North Korea (Turkmenistan's first point, but North Korea failed to take the advantage given to them when their southern neighbours dropped a point)
13.30, Teheran, grp 5: Iran 0-0 UAE (Iran still struggling. Could face a very early exit.)
16.00, Doha, grp 1: Qatar 0-0 China (all Aussies cheer now)
17.00, Damascus, grp 5: Syria 1-0 Kuwait (goal by a defender - Syria go second and have a two-point cushion on Iran, this seems to be the group of death now)
18.00, Riyadh, grp 4: Saudi Arabia 4-1 Lebanon (goal glut in second half - group 4 sewn up)

Tables Asia

Group 1      Pt GD  Group 2      Pt GD  Group 3      Pt GD  Group 4      Pt GD 
Australia     7 +4  Bahrain       9 +3  South Korea   5 +4  Uzbekistan    9 +8 
Qatar         4 -1  Japan         6 +5  North Korea   5 +1  Saudi Arabia  6 +2 
------------------  ------------------  ------------------  ------------------  
China         3  0  Oman          3 -3  Jordan        4 +1  Singapore     3 -4  
Iraq          1 -3  Thailand      0 -5  Turkmenistan  1 -6  Lebanon       0 -6  

Group 5      Pt GD  
UAE           5 +2
Syria         5 +1
------------------
Iran          3  0
Kuwait        1 -3

Top two qualify for next round

[Matteh]

Good work there Haakon (y)