The most important qualifier for each region during the next week:


AFC: 9/6 - Saudi Arabia vs Iran

Three teams in Group 2 are expected to compete for the two automatic bids; they are these two and South Korea. Iran struggled a bit during the last round, waiting until the final matchday to advance. Click to continue reading...

It seems like just yesterday we were blogging about the finals of the African Cup of Nations tournament in Ghana.

But things move quickly in the world of football.

Today, news that the host nation of the 2010 African Cup of Nations, Angola, is confident their infrastructure will be ready in time for the tournament. Click to continue reading...

FIFA have just released their new world ranking table and there are some surprises.

Coming in at first place is newly crowned Euro 2008 champions Spain, who knocked former #1 Argentina off the top with their exceptional performance in Austria/Switzerland.

Argentina had held the top spot since October 2007. Click to continue reading...

From The Independent:

He terrorised Premier League defenders for over a decade, now he has a different challenge to face – but none of it is as important to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as building schools in Africa.

After officially retiring from a knee injury 10 months ago, Solskjaer has now been given the job of reserve team manager at Manchester United by Sir Alex Ferguson.

Click to continue reading...

Right, catching up on what is, to most of you, very old news.  Let's start with Andranik, the Iran midfielder picked up on a free. Incidentally, I've seen him before: Iran v Angola, Leipzig, World Cup 2006.  We were there, baking in the German sunshine. Anyway.  He looks quite good on YouTube (doesn't everyone? Click to continue reading...

After squandering an early 2-0 lead, Cameroon needed a 92nd minute goal from Stade Rennais midfielder Stéphane Mbia to beat Tunisia today and advance to the semifinals. The extra time goal was Mbia's second of the game and spoiled any hope of a Tunisian upset, which was only made possible in the first place after an 81st minute tally from Yassine Chikhaoui levelled the match at 2-2. Click to continue reading...

Egypt vs Angola just has such a charming nature about it. African football's superpower versus the new kid on the block. The most successful team in Cup of Nations history against a nation making only their fourth ever appearance. The current champions taking on a side that has never before made the knockout phase. Click to continue reading...

Both teams said they were playing to win the game. Both teams only needed a point to advance the quarterfinals. What was the result? As I predicted here a few days ago, the Tunisia-Angola match yesterday ended in a boring 0-0 draw. The crowd was depressingly small, it was a hot afternoon, the match was played at an incredibly slow pace, and there were only a few real chances all game long. Click to continue reading...

Manchester United are looking smarter and smarter for their interest in Manucho as the Angolan striker scored twice in seventeen minutes in the second half to propel his country to a come-from-behind 3-1 win yesterday over Senegal.

Manucho now has three goals in two games in this edition of the African Cup of Nations, Angola has four points and is sitting in the driver's seat to qualification for the quarterfinals, and Senegal is without their head coach as he resigned after the loss. Click to continue reading...

I'll tell you what, this year's edition of the African Cup of Nations is getting better and better. The quality of some of the goals scored has been absolutely fantastic and yesterday we saw more of the same.

The 2010 World Cup hosts, South Africa, earned a point out of nothing against Angola as substitute Elrio van Heerdeen blistered a long-range effort in the 87th minute to equalize the game at 1-1, where it would end. Click to continue reading...

The venues are being scrubbed clean, the tickets are printed and the cities are bubbling with anticipation.

The African Cup of Nations is but a mere 2 weeks and 2 days away from taking over the minds and hearts of football fans around the globe.

Cup finalists begin their pre-tournament preparations in earnest this weekend, led by defending champions Egypt who host Namibia in a friendly. Click to continue reading...

According to my eyes and ears in Africa, Mr. Mark Gleeson (respected Reuters journalist and African football scribe, a.k.a. Man I'd Like to Become One Day) South Africa will become the first World Cup hosts in more than 70 years to participate in its own qualifying competition, although they will play in the finals regardless of their performance, officials confirmed on Tuesday. Click to continue reading...