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Goal.com Know Your Rivals Special: Dream and nightmare draws – Africa
With the World Cup draw only days away, fans of the 32 teams are hoping for a favourable draw, or at least to avoid some of the favourites…
1 Dec 2009 09:56:17
In Goal.com’s new dedicated World Cup section called Know Your Rivals, experts on the 32 teams involved in the tournament give their take on various issues regarding the World Cup.
With the Final Draw fast approaching, we asked them about the ideal draw for their respective teams, and of course the sides they are hoping to avoid when the groups are decided in Cape Town on Friday. With that in mind, we posed three questions to each of them, and this is what the African experts had to say…
1. Who would you want to avoid in the draw?
2. Who do you want to get in the draw?
3. If you get a bad draw, how will your fans drown their sorrows?
South Africa
1) As we are seeded in Pot 1, we will avoid many of the better sides, but South Africa would still prefer to avoid teams like Portugal and Netherlands, with technically gifted players and the ability to force the hosts to struggle for scraps in the game. A second round berth is important to the host nation, and the big teams will need to be avoided to secure it.
2) Perhaps North Korea or Honduras, as two of the minnows in the tournament. Bafana know that they need to secure a win to progress to the next stage, and a match up against one of the lesser known footballing nations would favour the South Africans, with confidence at low levels and a FIFA ranking reminding the nation that they are one of the weaker sides at the tournament.
3) Beer is big in South Africa, and it will no doubt be used as a mood-altering device if Bafana happen to find themselves in a group with Cristiano Ronaldo or Wesley Sneijder's team-mates, but South Africans love a challenge, so bring on the draw.
Peter Pedroncelli
Cameroon
1) In more cases than not, African teams rarely fare well against South American teams, so it would really be a bad draw to get either Brazil or Argentina, which would oblige Cameroon to play the game more physically than technically. Also European teams with strong midfields like the Netherlands or Spain would not be a walk in the park.
2) With a lot of international experience, getting teams like France or England would be a dream draw as the level of motivation would help the players elevate their game to new heights. Plus with Cameroon's history against England in the World Cup and the colonial past against France, it would be the de facto game where the players will want to shine.
3) At a local maquis, drinking some beer and dreaming of the eventual upset.
Massaer Ndiaye
Nigeria
1) Brazil. Nigeria are yet to beat the South Americans at whatever level. It would also not be great to pitch the Eagles against European champions Spain, who play as a team, while Nigeria are very individualistic.
2) New Zealand. Most Nigerians would fancy the Eagles' chances against the team from Oceania, who are making only their second appearance at the finals.
3) By engaging in another round of heated debate with regard to the suitability of the players and coach for the World Cup.
Samm Audu
Ghana
1) Spain are a team to avoid in the group stages of the World Cup. They have a very strong midfield and players of class – Xabi Alonso, Francesc Fabregas, and Fernando Torres. They have been consistent and have won all their international friendlies this year. Beating England 2-0 in February and Argentina 2-1 in November is enough to make one shiver.
2) Honduras and Japan would be nice to play against in the group stages. Honduras are not a strong team as far as Ghana is concerned. Although Japan had a tough time beating Ghana 4-3 in an international friendly it would be great to get revenge in a competitive game.
3) Keep fingers crossed for positive moments ahead of the real game.
Kent Mensah
1) I don’t believe that any draw will be considered bad for Algeria, because for us anything at a World Cup is a bonus. We return to the World Cup from so long ago, that nothing worries us from now on. On the contrary, we are delighted to be able to face the best nations in the world after an absence of twenty-four years. However, and to be likely to pass the first round, the Algerians would be quite glad to avoid the group of death.
2) If there is a team that Algeria want to face it is Germany. The Algerian people have very good memories of that encounter, because in our first match of the World Cup, we beat them 2-1. If not, a match against France would give pleasure to many people. In addition, and like all the other African countries, the men of Saadane hope to draw teams who are classified below them in the FIFA world rankings.
3) Reaction of our fans if there is a bad draw? I predict more excitement as opposed to apprehension. Algeria was isolated from world tournaments for a long time, and today I think that the supporters will be pleased to see their players confronted with the best stars in the world.
Naim Beneddra
Ivory Coast
1) The Elephants do not have the patience or personality to wait for an opponent's mistakes. They go fully into the game to get the victory and are rarely succesful against teams organised well enough but with the agenda of getting a draw. So teams such as Serbia who were able to get to the World Cup thanks to their on-field patience, are to be avoided.
2) With the country's infatuation with all things Brazilian, Brazil would be a dream draw for the fans. A lot of players who show promise and skills on the pitch are given Sao-Paulo sounding nicknames and some of them even hold on to those names at the highest of levels (eg. Gervinho) and it would definitely be a party in the stands. Orange and yellow craze, dancing fans, the spectacle would be off the pitch as much as it would be on it.
3) In the club, faded, to the sound of some "Coupé décalé."
Goal.com Cote d'Ivoire
With the Final Draw fast approaching, we asked them about the ideal draw for their respective teams, and of course the sides they are hoping to avoid when the groups are decided in Cape Town on Friday. With that in mind, we posed three questions to each of them, and this is what the African experts had to say…
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1. Who would you want to avoid in the draw?
2. Who do you want to get in the draw?
3. If you get a bad draw, how will your fans drown their sorrows?
South Africa
1) As we are seeded in Pot 1, we will avoid many of the better sides, but South Africa would still prefer to avoid teams like Portugal and Netherlands, with technically gifted players and the ability to force the hosts to struggle for scraps in the game. A second round berth is important to the host nation, and the big teams will need to be avoided to secure it.
2) Perhaps North Korea or Honduras, as two of the minnows in the tournament. Bafana know that they need to secure a win to progress to the next stage, and a match up against one of the lesser known footballing nations would favour the South Africans, with confidence at low levels and a FIFA ranking reminding the nation that they are one of the weaker sides at the tournament.
3) Beer is big in South Africa, and it will no doubt be used as a mood-altering device if Bafana happen to find themselves in a group with Cristiano Ronaldo or Wesley Sneijder's team-mates, but South Africans love a challenge, so bring on the draw.
Peter Pedroncelli
Underperforming| South Africa are struggling at the moment
1) In more cases than not, African teams rarely fare well against South American teams, so it would really be a bad draw to get either Brazil or Argentina, which would oblige Cameroon to play the game more physically than technically. Also European teams with strong midfields like the Netherlands or Spain would not be a walk in the park.
2) With a lot of international experience, getting teams like France or England would be a dream draw as the level of motivation would help the players elevate their game to new heights. Plus with Cameroon's history against England in the World Cup and the colonial past against France, it would be the de facto game where the players will want to shine.
3) At a local maquis, drinking some beer and dreaming of the eventual upset.
Massaer Ndiaye
Nigeria
1) Brazil. Nigeria are yet to beat the South Americans at whatever level. It would also not be great to pitch the Eagles against European champions Spain, who play as a team, while Nigeria are very individualistic.
2) New Zealand. Most Nigerians would fancy the Eagles' chances against the team from Oceania, who are making only their second appearance at the finals.
3) By engaging in another round of heated debate with regard to the suitability of the players and coach for the World Cup.
Samm Audu
Ghana
1) Spain are a team to avoid in the group stages of the World Cup. They have a very strong midfield and players of class – Xabi Alonso, Francesc Fabregas, and Fernando Torres. They have been consistent and have won all their international friendlies this year. Beating England 2-0 in February and Argentina 2-1 in November is enough to make one shiver.
2) Honduras and Japan would be nice to play against in the group stages. Honduras are not a strong team as far as Ghana is concerned. Although Japan had a tough time beating Ghana 4-3 in an international friendly it would be great to get revenge in a competitive game.
3) Keep fingers crossed for positive moments ahead of the real game.
Kent Mensah
Top of their game| Ghana are in inspiring form
Algeria
1) I don’t believe that any draw will be considered bad for Algeria, because for us anything at a World Cup is a bonus. We return to the World Cup from so long ago, that nothing worries us from now on. On the contrary, we are delighted to be able to face the best nations in the world after an absence of twenty-four years. However, and to be likely to pass the first round, the Algerians would be quite glad to avoid the group of death.
2) If there is a team that Algeria want to face it is Germany. The Algerian people have very good memories of that encounter, because in our first match of the World Cup, we beat them 2-1. If not, a match against France would give pleasure to many people. In addition, and like all the other African countries, the men of Saadane hope to draw teams who are classified below them in the FIFA world rankings.
3) Reaction of our fans if there is a bad draw? I predict more excitement as opposed to apprehension. Algeria was isolated from world tournaments for a long time, and today I think that the supporters will be pleased to see their players confronted with the best stars in the world.
Naim Beneddra
Ivory Coast
1) The Elephants do not have the patience or personality to wait for an opponent's mistakes. They go fully into the game to get the victory and are rarely succesful against teams organised well enough but with the agenda of getting a draw. So teams such as Serbia who were able to get to the World Cup thanks to their on-field patience, are to be avoided.
2) With the country's infatuation with all things Brazilian, Brazil would be a dream draw for the fans. A lot of players who show promise and skills on the pitch are given Sao-Paulo sounding nicknames and some of them even hold on to those names at the highest of levels (eg. Gervinho) and it would definitely be a party in the stands. Orange and yellow craze, dancing fans, the spectacle would be off the pitch as much as it would be on it.
3) In the club, faded, to the sound of some "Coupé décalé."
Goal.com Cote d'Ivoire
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| Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25 |
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