footBAll - Doha Stadium Plus

8
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
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international
WORLD champions Spain
will face 1998 winners
France in their campaign
to qualify for the 2014 world cup
finals in Brazil following last week’s
gala preliminary-round draw.
Spain, who are also the European
champions, were the last name
drawn in the European qualifying
zone and the last of the 166
countries to be allocated a place in
the 107-minute globally televised
event in a windswept auditorium at
Rio’s glamorous Marina da Gloria.
High winds buffeted the
temporary building before the draw
started, causing slight damage to
the roof. But inside, stars of showbiz
and football were unaffected with
Pele given a huge welcome when
he was introduced to the audience.
Brazilian striker Ronaldo, the
world cup’s record scorer with
15 goals, drew Spain’s name out
to place them alongside Belarus,
Georgia and Finland in the fiveteam
Group I.
the other eight European groups
consist of six teams.
with only the group winner
assured of an automatic place in
the finals, one of Spain or France
will most likely have to qualify
through the play-offs to reach
Brazil.
the European draw produced
some tantalising battles when the
footBAll
exciting duels
A few exciting duels, featuring some of the biggest teams in the world, are in store for
fans as the 2014 world cup qualification draws are made in Brazil, writes Mike collett.
“France are
sleeping giants.
After South Africa
they’ve initiated a
process of renewal
and will be terrible
rivals.
Vicente del bosque, Spain.
“It’s a difficult
draw. But you
can’t change it.
You’ve to beat all
your opponents,
that’s it.
bert van Marwijk,
netherlands.
qualifiers start in the autumn of ’12
after the European championship
in Poland and Ukraine.
coincidentally, those two
co-hosts were drawn into Group
H, along with top-seeded England,
Montenegro and tiny San Marino.
croatia and Serbia, once part of
the old Yugoslavia, will meet each
other in Group A, which includes
British rivals Scotland and wales as
well as Belgium and Macedonia.
Four-time world champions Italy
seem to have a fairly comfortable
draw with Denmark and the
czech Republic being their main
opposition. Bulgaria, Armenia and
Malta complete Group B.
Germany should have little
woRLD cHAmPIons sPAIn wILL fAce 1998
wInneRs fRAnce In tHeIR gRoUP I cAmPAIgn.
“England need to
be careful. Ukraine,
Poland and
Montenegro won’t
be so easy to beat.
fabio capello, England.
trouble qualifying from Group c
that includes Sweden and Ireland,
Austria and the Faroe Islands.
the netherlands, runners-up to
Spain in ’10, face Hungary, turkey,
Romania, Estonia and Andorra in
Group D.
wHAt tHe mAnAgeRs sAID
“naturally our
task is to prepare
a team as strong
as possible to
meet whichever
countries qualify
to come here (in
Brazil).
Mano Menezes, Brazil.
Draws for five of FIFA’s six
confederations took place with
no draw for the South American
zone as their nine teams play in
one league. Hosts Brazil qualified
automatically while four or five
South American neighbours will
hope to join them.
Four will qualify automatically
and an extra one will take their
place if they beat an Asian qualifier
in a play-off.
African champions Egypt should
coast through after being paired
with Guinea, Zimbabwe and either
comoros or Mozambique who play
in a preliminary qualifier.
“we had to face
one of the top
seeded teams, and
we got the biggest
(Spain). we
should’ve been in
the first group, but
you’ve no choice.
laurent blanc, France.
FIFA General
Secretary Jerome
Valcke, left,
presides as Brazil’s
Felipe Bastos
draws the name of
an Oceania country
out of the bowl.
“Even small
European teams
are tough to beat
now. Sweden and
Ireland are difficlut
opponents, but
beatable.
oliver bierhoff,
General Manager, Germany.