> check
THE SHOT LIVE for coverages on weekends
> You want to be notified
of coverages? Leave your e-mail address
week1 June
16-18, 2000
Whether this group will
become close depends on whether one of the three Congo, DR Congo, and Côte
d'Ivoire will take points from each other or whether there will emerge
a challenger for Tunisia.
Tunisia themselves will
have to do their job: On Sunday they play at Côte d'Ivoire, arguably
the top challenger. If the Ivorians win, this group will become a thriller
(at least for some time), otherwise it will be already a big leap forward
for the Tunisians.
In the second match DR
Congo will play at Madagascar, a team that will be a problem for many teams
at home.
(idle: Congo)
Côte d'Ivoire -
Tunisia 2:2
 detailed
match report on extra page
Madagascar - DR Congo
3:0
1:0 ('18) Andrianaivo, 2:0
('51) Rasoanaivo (pen.), 3:0 ('73) Andrianaivo
week2 July
8-9, 2000
Huge first week winners
Madagascar will be severely tested here: are they only a threat at home
or can they scare the big group favorite a bit?
Huge first week losers
Congo DR already with the backs to the wall while the little brother could
collect valuable points against opponents with a shaken confidence.
Tunisia - Madagascar
1:0 July 8
1800 GMT
detailed match report on extra page
Congo DR - Congo
2:0 July
9
Janson
Mayele 44, Ngidi Yemweni 74, att. 70,000
*
Congo later withdrew
week3 Jan
26-28, 2001
In Group D Côte d'Ivoire, already under
pressure, bravely continued their fight against any continuity by appointing
the 10000th coach since their success at the African Nations Cup 1992.
It is a group that could go the 'normal' way: Tunisia draws away, wins
at home, while the others take the points off each other. To avoid this
scenario Côte d'Ivoire had to win at Madagascar, which is most difficult,
and hope for a Tunisian slip in the difficult circumstances in the away
match at Congo, where every result seemed possible.
But Madagascar themselves had developed some decent football
and with the Ivorian problems in the background it looked still possible,
any of the three outsiders, Congo, Madagascar, DR Congo, could turn out
eventually as Tunisian challangers.
This option seems more unlikely now after as well the
Ivorians as the Tunisians achieved valuable away wins, blows which Madagascar
and Congo will have difficulties to overcome.
The Ivorians were lucky that their match was abandoned
an hour played, Madagascar 1:0 leading, because of heavy rain and replayed
a day later. This time they had the better end, winning 3:1.
Madagascar -
Côte d'Ivoire 1:3
0:1('38) Bakayoko, 0:2 ('46) Bakayoko, 1:2 ('58) Menakely,
1:3('86) Bakayoko
att. 50,000?
Congo - Tunisia
1:2
*
Congo later withdrew
between week3 and
week4
Congo has withdrawn form World Cup qualifiers in Group
D. The whole story sounds rather dubious although the arguments 'two big
competitions (CAN and World Cup) are too much for such a troubled country'
sound logical..
Clear is that it is essential for league sports that
all members of a league play all matches seriously and not stop playing
as soon as they cannot win a league anymore. But this is the reason that
Congo gave: they cannot qualify anymore and want to concentrate on the
other competition instead.
Meanwhile Congo has rejected reports it had withdrawn
from this withdrawl to avoid a costly punishment: Congo faces losing half
of the FIFA money paid for each team which participated at the World Cup
1998 (including qualification) which partly still has to be paid (reports
speak of 500,000 $ US).
What really went on behind the scenes remains speculation
and far more than two or three scenarios are possible here. The winners
now are Côte d'Ivoire because the Tunisians will lose the three valuable
away points they gained at Congo a few weeks ago.
Maybe the program CAF designed for the World Cup qualifiers
with 5 team groups was a bit overambitious when involving teams with such
a problematic domestic background as Congo or Sierra Leone, partly having
to play African Cup qualifiers at the same time and with so many teams
out of the race early because the system is 1 out of 5 in each group.
week4 Feb
23-25, 2001
In Group D Congo
has withdrawn from the competition and the points won from the matches
involving them are most likely to become worthless (yet has to be ruled
upon officially). A break for Côte d'Ivoire, the only remaining challengers
for the yet perfectly preperating and executing Tunisians who had already
taken three points from their difficult away match at Congo four weeks
ago.
On Sunday they proved the
superior quality of their domestic professionalism and demolished thoroughly
prepared any hopes left for the troubled DR Congo.
The question whether the
'Elephants' will really be able to challenge the North Africans will become
predecided in their upcoming two away matches: first at the now unpredictable
DR Congo and then the direct encounter at Tunis.
Tunisia - DR
Congo 6:0
detailed match report on extra page
week5 Mar
9-11, 2001
DR Congo - Côte
d'Ivoire 1:2
0:1 ('16) Guel, 0:2 ('45)
Bakayoko, 1:2 ('90) Kimoto, att. 60,000
Côte d'Ivoire, who
had prepared throroughly for one week at Kinshasa, have taken three most
crucial points in their away game at the DR Congo. DR Congo's team management
had been shaken after the disaster at Tunis which followed a intensive
preperation for the possibilities of the Congolese. Due to reports only
the coach himself had been left in the job but the changes did take no
effect resultwise.
With Congo (Brazzaville)
withdrawn the Ivorians now face the summit at Tunis against Tunisia and
after that two remaining home matches. They cannot count on Tunisia losing
points somewhere else and with the good Tunisian goal difference they might
have to go for three points in the match against a Tunisian squad which
might be suddenly irritated by the unexpected change of coach (Italian
Scolgio returned to Italy to 'save' his home club Genova and has been replaced
by German Krautzun).
week6 Apr
20-22, 2001
Côte d'Ivoire
- Congo 2:0
1:0 ('39) Kader Keita, 2:0
('85) Bakayoko
DR Congo - Madagascar
1:0
goal: pen. ('42)
Strange things are going
on behind the scenes of this group. Congo who had withdrawn from the qualifiers
have been 'talked' back in, by FIFA, as reports say. Strange because of
the patience FIFA had for Congo while they eliminated Guinea very quickly
from Group E and gave problems to organise dates for delayed matches als
a reason for the promptness of the decision. Strange because of the pushing
and shuffling over the dates of the cancelled Congo matches.
What looked like a break
for Côte d'Ivoire has now turned to their disadvantage. They had
prepared for the Tunisia match only to learn a fortnight before that the
match would be switched to May and they will have to play the Congo match,
(scheduled for May 27th) instead this weekend. Might be a break for Tunisia
who have to adjust to their coaching changes. And perhaps a problem for
the Ivorians: this weekend the French League does not play because of the
cup semifinals. On the new date the qualifier will collide with the last
weekend of the French Division 1 with some possibly crucial matches on
the agenda.
All this should not distract
the Ivorians from the match to take place this Sunday which is not automatically
won. It should feature the premiere for Lille's Dagui Bakary but he withdrew
his decision to play for the Ivorians who had to play without injured Bonaventure
Kalou also.
Meanwhile Madagascar is
trying to get over the tragic loss of their success coach and lost both
matches since, an important Nations Cup qualifier and todays rather meaningless
game at Kinshasa.
week7 May 4-6,
2001
Madagascar -
Tunisia 0:2
Since the first leg, in
which Madagascar had Tunisia on the verge of losing points at home, the
team from the East African island has lost a lot of momentum. Tunisia had
prepared thoroughly and everything else than a Tunisian victory would have
been a setback for the ambitious North Africans. But away matches in Africa
are never automatically won and Tunisia needed the required luck a second
time and scored two late goals by Ali Zitouni('84) and Mhdhebi ('90) to
win the match.
Congo - DR Congo
1:1
delayed match
May 19 or 20, 2001
Tunisia - Côte
d'Ivoire 1:1
detailed
match report on extra page
week8
Jun 29-Jul 1, 2001
Côte d'Ivoire
- Madagascar 6:0
Bakayoko 24, 39 pen., Kader
Keita 47, Yapi Yapo 72, Fadel Keita 76, Bakayoko '83
Tunisia - Congo
6:0
detailed
match report on extra page
week9 Jul
13-15, 2001
DR Congo - Tunisia
0:3
detailed
match report on extra page
Congo - Côte
d'Ivoire 1:1
2 goals in short time in
the last 5 minutes at Pointe Noire: 1:1, the Ivorians took the lead 4 minutes
to the end but Congo got a penalty 2 minutes later and spoiled the Ivorian
dream of going to the World Cup.
Tunisia are qualified
week10 Jul
27-29, 2001
|
