2014 World Cup Countdown Diary

Snippets from around the World

CAF (Africa)

Zambia gets ready to kick off its World Cup Qualifying campaign for Brazil in 2014 in a slightly odd position.  They are continental champions and deserved ones at that, besting Ghana and Ivory Coast to win the 2012 African Nations’ Cup.  However they are not the top ranked team in the continent, not even one of the top few.  And given that the groups were seeded and drawn based on rankings from July 2011, Zambia’s stock falls even further, as they were placed based on a FIFA ranking of 74.  Arguably, they aren’t even favourites to progress from their own group, as they kick off against Ghana (still smarting from their defeat at AFCON 2012), Sudan and Lesetho in Group D.  The ten group winners progress to the final qualifying round where they square off in five ties to determine the African qualifiers.  Matchday 1 is on June 1 2012.  The hard road to Brazil begins at Sudan for Herve Renard.  Wonder if he’ll call up Otto Rehhagel and ask about the latter’s experience with Greece after Euro 2004.  Five teams will reach World Cup 2014.

Extra Time - Dortmund's Dynasty

Many people expected normal service to resume in the Bundesliga this season, as 2011’s impressive championship winners Borussia Dortmund, were expected to fall back in place and Bayern Munich were widely expected win the domestic shield.  And after the runaway start that the Bavarians had in the fall of 2011, it looked that way. However, after a slightly indifferent start, Dortmund have quietly gathered pace and moved back up the table to the summit. Going back to their basics of pace, counterattacking poise and constant running, they shrugged off a disappointing Champions’ League campaign to storm to the top of the Bundesliga.  At the time of writing, they are just two points and one win away from retaining their domestic crown. More tellingly, they are on course for a domestic double and have just beaten Bayern, their closest challengers, for the fourth time in a row.  Manager Jurgen Klopp has brushed off claims linking him to Chelsea and talented tyro Marco Reus, at Borussia Moenchengladbach, spurned the attentions of Bayern and instead decided to accept a switch to Westphalia; where he will join the most exciting stable of young footballing talent outside of Catalonia.

Time to Step Up - Germany's a Leading Contender

Another smooth build up sees the Mannschaft firing on all cylinders as they look to challenge outright

While Germany’s progression to the final of Euro 2008 was seen as a surprise, it was in fact the continuation of a trend of attacking brilliance that saw its birth at home during World Cup 2006 under the sparkling intent of Jurgen Klinsmann’s team.  While both ’06 and ’08 versions contained some of the deadwood of former captain Michael Ballack’s generation, the complete retool was completed under Klinsmann’s successor Joachim Low and unleashed to spectacular effect in South Africa at the 2010 World Cup.  Although some sceptics would point out that Germany’s precociously talented team may have overachieved both there and previously in Austria-Switzerland in 2008, the fact is that Germany’s progression to both tournaments’ latter stages, their form during qualification, and the impression they have made at youth levels, suggest that the national team is ready to take the final step – and win it all.