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Safari for Shevchenko?

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(So to Group 6. Andorra and Kazakhstan will not feature here. Andorra belong in a preliminary stage, as discussed earlier. And Kazakhstan are better served keeping Australia company. Belarus will return as a more dangerous dark horse in qualification for Brazil 2014.)

Ukraine are two points behind Croatia, but have a game in hand and finish their campaign in Andorra. Pre-Capello conventional wisdom would have pointed to an already qualified England getting turned over in Dnepropetrovsk in October. An England win will not be the surprise it once would have been. Ukraine will probably have to rely on the Kazaks keeping the Croats quiet in Astana on October 14. Goal difference favours Ukraine.

Ukraine were the deeply disappointing dark horses of the last World Cup. Group results suggest Ukraine have regressed. Would you trust a Shevchenko retread for a South African safari?

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La Bomba

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Costa Rica have just fired their coach Rodrigo “La Bomba” Kenton Johnson.

Costa Rica were themselves bombing, failing to score in their last three World Cup qualifying games. “He was fired today. It still hasn’t been determined who will be named,” said Costa Rica FA, spokeswoman Gina Escobar.

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Subcommandante Maradona

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Paraguay have qualified. Chile can choke. Ecuador too. Argentina are at home to Peru next. Uruguay have superior goal difference. Venezuela are lurking. Colombia cannot be ruled out just yet.

There are so many permutations, yet it is difficult to discuss without getting drawn into the Argentine drama.

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All White Experience?

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While Omar and his boys from Bahrain were shooting down the Saudis in the Kingdom, New Zealand were in that other Kingdom kicking it with the Hashemites. It was an experience. New Zealand won the friendly 3-1. The Hashemites ain’t got game no mo’.

New Zealand fancy their chances now. Former captain, Steve Sumner, interviewed for the Christchurch Press, said Bahrain was their “best and easiet” route to the World Cup finals. Sumner also sees English Premier League experience as important for New Zealand, noting in the same interview, the presence of some hacker from New Zealand in Blackburn Rovers’ squad.

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Stain on the All White Shirt



New Zealand did not have it all the own way in the Oceania qualifiers. The Fiji “general public” had been demanding a good result.

Roy Krishna, the Lad from Lambasa, obliged with two goals. (If only Roy’s grandmother had been born in Kilmarnock…Scotland could have been coming down the road.)

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Babylon Fútbol Café



Rafik Saidi’s 59th minute winner in Algiers this past weekend looks to have ended Zambia’s hopes for South Africa. Rwanda must beat Algeria and Zambia must beat Egypt for Zambia to have any chance. The Phoraohs will be praying for Rwanda too.

Algerians can get busy securing their various vantage points for the tournament. Save me a Spec at the Babylon Fútbol Café!

One…Two…Three…Algérie !!!

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Ya Allah Bahrain



Nasser Al Shamrani scored the opener for Arabia, but in the 40th minute my man Abdulla Omar burst in the box and fed Brother Jaycee John. 1-1. It remained 1-1 until the 91st minute, when Hamad Al-Montashari nodded in what looked like the winner. The Kingdom gave all praises to Allah.

But Ismail Abdullatif had other ideas. And there was no Colombian referee to disallow Bahrain’s 92nd minute goal. Ya Allah Bahrain.

Bahrain will host New Zealand on October 10th. The 2nd leg will be in Wellington on November 14th.

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