More than 3 To See this Weekend: World Cup Qualifier Rundown

On a weekend like this one it is nigh on impossible to choose a mere 3 To See. We are at the sharp end of four years worth of toil and gruelling hard work, which all culminates over the next few days with the tangible prospect of a place at the World Cup finals in South Africa next year. This weekend’s final qualification games and playoffs will decide exactly who goes to World Cup 2010 to rub shoulders with the rest of the planet’s finest footballing nations and which teams will be staying at home feeling sorry for themselves crying about having nothing to do over the summer. Here are the deciding fixtures:

AFC/OFC Playoff 2nd leg:
New Zealand vs Bahrain (0700hrs GMT)

Africa World Cup qualifiers:
Kenya vs Nigeria (1300hrs GMT)
Mozambique vs Tunisia (1300hrs GMT)

Morocco vs Cameroon (1530hrs GMT)
Togo vs Gabon (1530hrs GMT)

Egypt vs Algeria (1730hrs GMT)

Europe (UEFA) World Cup Playoff 1st legs:
Russia vs Slovenia (1600hrs GMT)
Greece vs Ukraine (1800hrs GMT)
Ireland vs France (2000hrs GMT)
Portugal vs Bosnia-Herzegovina (2030hrs GMT)

Sunday 15.11.2009

Intercontinental Playoff 1st leg:
Costa Rica vs Uruguay (0200hrs GMT)

As intriguing as all these games surely are, the match of the weekend for me has to be the aptly named ‘hate match’ in Africa between Egypt and Algeria. As Brian Oliver writes in the Guardian, these two have history, one that already threatens to boil over yet further as seen when the Algerian team bus was attacked upon arrival in Cairo. Algeria can afford anything up to a 1-0 defeat and still qualify for the World Cup. But if Egypt win 2-0 they will maintain their 2010 hopes and take it to a playoff, as both sides would be inseparable on points. A 3-0 win or better sends Egypt to South Africa. It sounds a tough ask, but with the advantage of what will no doubt be a raucous home crowd it might not be impossible.

Elsewhere Nigeria need to win in Kenya and hope Tunisia lose to Mozambique in order to qualify for 2010, while Cameroon will secure their passage across the continent to South Africa next year if they beat Morocco away. Gabon lurk dangerously in the background, hoping to pounce on any slip up by Samuel Eto’o and co.

Meanwhile on the other side of the globe, New Zealand and Bahrain face off in Wellington with the final Asia/Australasian World Cup place up for grabs. New Zealand hope to make it to their first World Cup since 1982. Bahrain have never made it before. The first leg ended 0-0 so its advantage All Whites, but that doesn’t make it a foregone conclusion.

Which games will you be watching this weekend and what are your predictions? Feel free to discuss the weekend’s football in the comments section.

Algeria, Bahrain, Cameroon, Costa Rica, Egypt, Gabon, New Zealand, Nigeria, Tunisia, Uruguay, World Cup 2010