Group A: Brazil, Croatia, Mexico, Cameroon

[sledger]

Serbia maybe?

 

[sledger]

Oh, and Scotland. Always good to see them humiliated.

 

[King Pietersen]

Would liked to have seen Wales too. Feels weird that Bale and Ramsey aren't playing this tournament. Could do with a GB team really.

 

[sledger]

Would liked to have seen Wales too. Feels weird that Bale and Ramsey aren't playing this tournament. Could do with a GB team really.

Haha what? I wasn't suggesting having Scotland there would improve the tournament. My post was motivated entirely by a desire for schadenfreude.

 

[King Pietersen]

I worked that one out. I'd like to see Wales there though, even if they suck, Bale and Ramsey should be playing. If Algeria can qualify, I can't see Wales doing that badly.

 

[BeeGee]

Where would you give those places?

Oceania.

 

[silentstriker]

Think it would be a mistake to substitute sides from Africa with more teams from Europe. It's not like either can reasonably win, but I feel you lose a lot of the excitement of having a 'worldwide' tournament.

 

[BeeGee]

Think it would be a mistake to substitute sides from Africa with more teams from Europe. It's not like either can reasonably win, but I feel you lose a lot of the excitement of having a 'worldwide' tournament.

Yep. WORLD cup, not Europe and S America cup. Spread the joy, increase the audience.

 

[sledger]

Think it would be a mistake to substitute sides from Africa with more teams from Europe. It's not like either can reasonably win, but I feel you lose a lot of the excitement of having a 'worldwide' tournament.

I agree in principle, but there's no denying that on the whole the teams from Africa for the last few tournaments (with the exception of Ghana perhaps) have been really poor. As I said earlier, it's not like they're short on quality or anything, but the teams always seem to be disjointed, striking over pay or some other scandal, or show up at the tournament looking like they don't give a crap. Cameroon last night were a prime example of this, and it was the exact same story with them 4 years ago. Same with Nigeria, they played like dogs against Iran the other night, and they were a non-runner 4 years ago too. Ivory coast look a bit better this time, but they were also garbage 4 years ago.

 

[sledger]

Yep. WORLD cup, not Europe and S America cup. Spread the joy, increase the audience.

Yeah, again, this is fine on paper, but there's little joy to be had from watching a team full of players who look like they'd rather be on a beach somewhere.

 

[Burgey]

Never mind Africa, CONCACAF is a joke.

 

[Pothas]

Yeah, again, this is fine on paper, but there's little joy to be had from watching a team full of players who look like they'd rather be on a beach somewhere.

Only really Cameroon have been like that. Iran and Algeria both put in decent defensive performances, Honduras were atrocious but you could not really accuse them of not wanting to be there.

 

[sledger]

Yeah, I'm not trying to bash the smaller nations, it's just unfortunate that many of the African teams over the last few tournaments have shown up and really done little to suggest there they're for anything more than just making up the numbers.

 

[Pothas]

It is a shame Cameroon keep getting there, think they were one of the ones that got lucky with the teams getting deducted. Is a shame Egypt never make it, sure they would offer more.

 

[The Sean]

Egypt's continued failure to qualify for the World Cup, given their record in the African Nations Cup, always baffles me.

 

[sledger]

The 2006 World Cup was a weird one. Not quite sure how Togo and Angola managed to get in.

 

[Tangles]

Do the African players care more about the African Nations Cup? Some players always go even if it pisses their manager off.

 

[sledger]

I don't know, I've never really followed it. But as Pothas alluded to earlier, it's curious that the winner of the African Nations scarcely ever qualifies for the World Cup (i.e. Tunisia won it in 2004, Egypt won three in a row between 2006-2010, and Zambia won it in 2012). None of these nations have appeared at a World Cup since Tunisia in 1998.

 

[Tangles]

That is odd. Countries peaking between World Cups happens but to win 3 and not qualify is wierd.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

I was thinking today that the Ivory Coast team at this world cup probably looked like the most cohesive, complete African team I've seen at a world cup. Not to say they're a great side, but they're solid all round and very clearly the second best team in their group. They'll probably get knocked out in the second round but they're better than average I think.