Africa change World Cup qualifying format for 2022

[Bigpokey24]

CAIRO, July 15 (Reuters) - African teams will contest a final playoff round in their World Cup 2022 qualification campaign, a system last employed for the 2014 tournament, the Confederation of African Football has decided.

Qualifiers for the next World Cup in Qatar will be divided into three stages with two rounds of knockout ties on either side of league competition, officials said.

The 28 lowest ranked sides on the continent will first contest a knockout round over two legs, with the 14 winners advancing to the group stage.

The 28 include Madagascar, who reached the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals last week.

The winners will join the 26 highest ranked sides in a 40-team, 10-group pool phase that will be played over 18 months.

The group winners will then be drawn into five playoff ties over two legs with the victors qualifying for the World Cup. The first leg is hosted by the lower ranked country.

For the 2018 finals in Russia, there were two preliminary rounds to cut the field down to 20 countries, who then contested the five places for Africa in a group competition.

The changes come despite no alteration in the number of World Cup places for African teams.

FIFA have left each continental confederation to decide its qualifying format for the 2022 World Cup and set its own date for the preliminary round draw.

CAF have not announced the date of draw but officials told Reuters on Monday it would be in Cairo at the end of the month.

Africa's World Cup qualifiers will overlap with qualifiers for the next Africa Cup of Nations in 2021 but a suggestion to combine them was rejected by CAF's executive committee. (Reporting by Mark Gleeson; Editing by Christian Radnedge)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/soccer-afric ... 40997.html

[Bigpokey24]

with Rohr , forget about the playoffs... bobo will say he was waiting for extra time for the oppositions to get tired

[EMIR KONGI JAFFI JOFFA]

What a waste! More games that they don’t have the money for.

[Robotnik]

I now understand why Nigeria may not qualify lol. Imagine Nigeria vs ALG in the playoffs.

[zee]

What a waste! More games that they don’t have the money for.

shut up.......silly wowo

[zee]

I now understand why Nigeria may not qualify lol. Imagine Nigeria vs ALG in the playoffs.

With a Nigerian coach like Amunike..............we will thrash Algeria.

[vancity eagle]

I now understand why Nigeria may not qualify lol. Imagine Nigeria vs ALG in the playoffs.

With a Nigerian coach like Amunike..............we will thrash Algeria.

the same Amunike who coached the WORST team out of 24 teams in this past ANC.

I just laugh and the stupid logic of some forumers.

[zee]

I now understand why Nigeria may not qualify lol. Imagine Nigeria vs ALG in the playoffs.

With a Nigerian coach like Amunike..............we will thrash Algeria.

the same Amunike who coached the WORST team out of 24 teams in this past ANC.

I just laugh and the stupid logic of some forumers.

Your opinion has always been JUNK on CE....................you are JUNK like wowo Rohr.
Nobody takes you serious.

[walesvilla]

not even sure Africa has got what it takes to make major impact on world stage especially with this VAR
the Europeans will always be 10 steps ahead of us in mastering VAR to favor them

[Bigpokey24]

we will not qualify for the worldcup with Rohr , come back 2 years from now

[Odas]

I now understand why Nigeria may not qualify lol. Imagine Nigeria vs ALG in the playoffs.

... and you believe the result of the games will favor Algeria? Isn't it too soon to know which team will and will not qualify?

[zee]

I now understand why Nigeria may not qualify lol. Imagine Nigeria vs ALG in the playoffs.

... and you believe the result of the games will favor Algeria? Isn't it too soon to know which team will and will not qualify?

Rohr is done...............the players don't respect his tactics and are not inspired by the clown.

When your captain looks up to his LATE Coach for inspiration.............that should tell any sane person the whole story.

[Rawlings]

Bad idea. why will teams put any effort when they don't have a chance after say 3 group matches
Runners up should be considered in the groups

[Kabalega]

This format heavily favours the so-called big teams and burdens the smaller FAs.

It is unfair especially considering that the big teams have failed us at the World stage.
CAF tried it and abandoned it for a reason.

Amhad must go!

[joplass]

By the time Africans hit the first ball at the WC they won't have any legs to stand on. We already have a rough time advancing to serious stages of the WC, from here on forget it.