FIFA WORLD CUP QATAR 2022: WHY IT IS NOT YET UHURU FOR SUPER EAGLES

The World’s biggest football tournament, the FIFA World Cup is just over a year away. Teams have started to earn qualification, although many spots still remain. The Super Eagles may have qualified for the play offs, but the ticket to Qatar is still far from secured.

Qualifying windows in September and October paved the way for some intense clashes in November, which resulted in a number of European teams clinching their tickets for Qatar 2020. The South Americans also marked their registers during the week. 

In the European Continent, the group stage is over. This means nine group winners have booked their spots. Three additional spots are still up for grabs through the playoffs. 

While it will likely take quite a little longer for things to be sorted out in North America’s Concacaf region and elsewhere, there has been some clear statements in South American as Argentina and Brazil have already booked their spots. The Brazilians, five-time World Cup champions, are the only team to have featured in every single tournament since inception in 1930.

Twelve teams have officially qualified for the tourney so far. More are expected to join the list in the next window. In Europe, what’s more notable, perhaps, is which nations haven’t qualified as giants like Italy and Portugal are on their way to the playoffs. 

In Africa, qualifications have reached a crescendo. The final rounds were decided on Tuesday night. Ten countries have made it into the last stage, the playoffs. These teams will be placed in two pots of five teams each at a draws coming up on the 18th of December, 2021. 

There will be a two legged play off in March 2021. It will be between the teams in pots one and two. Teams in pot one are: Algeria, Morrocco, Nigeria, Senegal and Tunisia. Teams in pot two will be: Cameroun, DR Congo, Egypt, Ghana and Mali. 

Although the Super Eagles topped group C in the qualifying stages, fans hope and abroad have constantly expressed worry over the team’s obvious lapses in key areas of the game. The Eagles had a dismal six positive goal difference and thirteen points from a possible eighteen.

The questions and doubts in the minds of Nigerian football faithfuls, at home and in the diaspora at this time are quite justified. How can a team who struggled and settled after six matches against supposed minnows like Cape Verde, Liberia and Central African Republic hold it down over two legs against either Cameroun, DRC, Egypt, Mali or Ghana? 

In all, these are the teams that have already secured their place at the mundial: Germany, Denmark, Brazil, France, Belgium, Croatia, Spain, Serbia and England. 

Credit: Eons Intelligence