> 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
In the probably toughest
group anything can happen. Though Morocco and Egypt are favorites, depending
on the outcome of matches, Algeria and dark horse Senegal could become
a surprise. They play each other Friday at Algeria.
In the second match Morocco
plays at Namibia. It could become very important in the end not to lose
any points here.
Algeria - Senegal
1:1
Dark horse Senegal tried
everything to bag in the 3 points but eventually almost lost everything
by two penalties against them. In a group where a high number of draws
is expected it would have been valuable to win here. Nevertheless it is
not a bad start.
Judging from this match
Snegal has the potential to race for the world cup spot, Algeria is a decent
team, but should hardly a chance.
1st half:
Senegal strong like champions
in the first minutes: Senegalese counter ('7), another clear opportunity
for #7 ('8), great goal ('17): low cross from the left hand side exactly
on the right spot and at the second goal post a player, Diop, has no problem
to score for Senegal
next big opportunity ('21),
Senegal would like to get a penalty here, referee waves on and a shot hits
the outside of the net
After 23 minutes some excitement
on the other side, Algerians also want a penalty but referee sees it differently.
Algeria with some good looking
attacks and eventually they get the penalty they were seeking ('26): #10
Saifi scores - 1:1
oppoertunities Senegal ('38),
Algeria ('43), and a huge one for Senegal in injury time
2nd half:
Algeria has the better start,
but the best looking attack is by Senegal ('55). Something like a bottle
is thrown by the spectators towards a Senegalese player and the referee
('56),
Very good Senegalese attack
but shot across the bar ('64), more half chances by the Senegalese ('70+),
it is all Senegal now but there is still a threat of Algerian counter attacks
('78) Senegal, attacking,
but with difficulties to produce clear cut chances now.
('82) after a free kick
cross Senegal #13 is all free in front of the goal but his header has neither
power nor accuracy
('84) out of the blue a
second penalty for Algeria, frusttration, scuffles, the match is interrupted
for minutes until the penalty gets executed:
-('88) the keeper is sendt
into the wrong corner, but the low shot goes wide
-5 minutes into injury time
a last opportunity for Senegal, but the players are not calm enough
Namibia - Morocco0:0
detailed match report on extra page
week2 July
8-9, 2000
Egypt were the real winners
of week1 in a group that looks like it will produce a high number of draws.
Senegal are the dark horse for a surprise and this is one of the most crucial
matches. Can Egypt confirm their new poition as group favorites or can
Senegal enter the race for a place at Korea/Japan?
While Algeria cannot
be counted as a strong enough contender for first place, they might be
still able to take away a numbber of points from the three favorites Egypt,
Morocco, and Senegal. Morocco had a disappointing start and their reshuffled
national team has disappointed several times now. Originally the top seat
of the group the outcome is completely open now. In this match they are
favourites anyway.
Senegal - Egypt
0:0 July 9
1630 GMT?
detailed match report on extra page
Morocco - Algeria
2:1 July 9
1900 GMT?
detailed match report on extra page
week3 Jan
26-28, 2001
Group C is a wide
open affair, suggesting a head to head race at least between Egypt and
Morocco. Those two cancelled each other out Sunday night at Cairo and this
will most likely not be the last draw in this group. Algeria is seeking
a way back into the race and have taken the expected three points against
Namibia without concincing. But this group with a low percentage of 3-point-games
give winners a fast opportunity to catch up with the leaders. Morocco has
a slight advantage now, two more key game look to be the encounters in
February.
Algeria - Namibia
1:0 Jan 26,
1430 GMT
detailed match report on extra page
Egypt - Morocco
0:0
detailed match report on extra page
week4 Feb
23-25, 2001
In Group C it is
the discourse of the ultimate football thriller: three exceptionally strong
teams, Senegal, Morocco, and Egypt battle for a World Cup spot, cancelling
each other out, and Algeria as outsiders, having taken maximum points from
their last but unconvincing performance against Namibia, are still in the
race with them.
Although none of the teams
has yet been able to work out any bit of advantage, Egypt seem on the verge
of losing faith after rather strong appearances especially in the first
two matches have brought only 1 goal and three points while Morocco has
gained a lot of momentum since the arrival of Humberto Coelho, their Portuguese
coach.
But if there is any Cinderella
fairytale role it will belong to Senegal. The team seems to be a second
success story of the French football school: 15 of 18 players of the squad
which held Morocco to a draw are professionals at France and the team is
led by French coach Bruno Metsu.
The upcoming home matches
against Namibia and Algeria will demand the answer to the question whether
Senegal can perform as concentrated in the role of favorites as they have
done in the role of outsiders.
Namibia - Egypt
1:1
detailed match report on extra page
Morocco - Senegal
0:0
detailed match report on extra page
week5 Mar
9-11, 2001
Egypt - Algeria
5:2
detailed match report on extra page
Senegal - Namibia
4:0
1:0, 2:0, 3:0 El Hadj
Diouf, '20?, '42, '46 - 4:0 '63 Henri Camara)
Namibia had had some difficulties
on their journey to this away game and once again displayed their second
face - the one of a weak away team. Or was it Senegal so strong in front
of the 50,000 crowd? Henri Camara was a key figure in attack and one of
only about 6 players left over from the squad that impressed at the Nations
Cup a year ago. This already surprising team has now been transformed into
a hungry, in majority French based, group which is pursueing a dream
observers would have only smiled about only three years ago.
week6 Apr 20-22, 2001
Senegal - Algeria
3:0
detailed match report on extra page
Morocco - Namibia
3:0
detailed match report on extra page
This group is supposed to
be a thrilling affair between Egypt, Morocco, and Senegal. But a lot of
draws, and thus 2-point-matches have been played in this group and so Algeria
had still been left with a good chance.
They arrived to play at
Dakar without Ali Benarbia but with Moussa Saib but sugffered again a loss
by a three goal margin. Now a lot will have to go their way and a qualification
seems quite unrealistic.
For Senegal it had been
rather a must win game to keep up the deadlock with Egypt and Morocco as
both had won their home matches against Algeria. El Hadj Diouf of Lens,
France, more and more turns out as the scoring hero for the West Africans
but as remarkable is him and Henri Camara functioning as a dangerous tandem.
The same pressure had been
on Morocco who needed patience in their match against Namibia: any
slip could have spoiled their World Cup campaign. They are still some goals
behind now as they had beat Algeria only by a one goal margin.
This group should be wide
open until the last matches. Yet all three leaders have reached similar
results in comparable matches.
week7 May 4-6, 2001
Algeria - Morocco
1:2
detailed match report on extra page
Egypt - Senegal
1:0
detailed match report on extra page
A thrilling affair between
Egypt, Morocco, and Senegal. But a lot of draws, and thus 2-point-matches
have been played in this group and so Algeria had still been left with
a minimal chance before the encounter with North African neighbours Morocco.
But Morocco had another
lucky match, escaping by a very good defending and profiting from two fatal
Algerian errors to take valuable three points on a weekend where the 'normal'
results in this group would have been two draws.
Algeria by this result are
now mathematically eliminated.
Senegal have impressed,
showing qualities that have been known from the French national team rather
than from West African teams yet, finally were beaten the first time at
Cairo. They now have to rely on the help of others to find back into the
race as they have only drawn 2 points from 3 very strong away matches at
Algeria, Morocco, and Egypt.
Egypt have made a big step
and if they can hold Morocco in the next match they will be very close
to qualification.
week8
Namibia - Algeria
0:4
Both teams with no more
chance on qualification and without their key players. Both in instabile
condition concerning coaching and administration.
goals: Fadel Settara, Brahim
Ouahid (2), Fares el Aouni
halftime 0:3, att. 5,000
Morocco - Egypt
1:0
detailed match report on extra page
After Morocco has beaten
Egypt, Senegal, too, are back in the race. If they beat Morocco and win
at Namibia, it might become a race for the better goal difference with
Egypt. But for this the North Africans will need to win themselves their
remaining matches and the away match at Algeria is difficult to predict.
For Morocco the receipe
is easy: not lose their last match at Senegal. This means secure qualification.
Anything else would leave them paralysed watching in front of their TV's
on the last weekend of the qualifiers when they then will need Senegal
and Egypt to fail in their away matches at Namibia and Algeria.
week9 Jul
13-15, 2001
Egypt - Namibia
8:2
detailed match report on extra page
Senegal - Morocco
1:0
detailed match report on extra page
between week 9 and week 10:
detailed preview
contains words and comments
on the confusions before the matches because of the shift of dates and
times
week10 Jul 27-29,
2001
Namibia - Senegal
0:5 *Senegal qualified
Algeria - Egypt
1:1
detailed match report on extra page
|
