Algeria, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire Ghana and Nigeria sealed their places as the continent’s representatives for next year’s World Cup after the qualifying series that ended on 19th November, 2013 with the second leg of the Playoffs.
For the 2014 World Cup, 53 European nations have been competing for 13
spots at the tournament. But the 54-nation Confederation of African
Football will have only five teams in Brazil; thus as usual being woefully under-represented at the World Cup!
Europe currently provides 13 of the 32 teams at the finals, compared with five from Africa and four or five, depending on the winners of a playoff against a South American team, for the most populous continent Asia.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter says that "as long as this remains the case, African sides may never win an intercontinental trophy, regardless of progress on the playing side. This flawed state of affairs must be rectified."
Europe currently provides 13 of the 32 teams at the finals, compared with five from Africa and four or five, depending on the winners of a playoff against a South American team, for the most populous continent Asia.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter says that "as long as this remains the case, African sides may never win an intercontinental trophy, regardless of progress on the playing side. This flawed state of affairs must be rectified."
Similarly, UEFA chief Michel Platini wants the World Cup finals expanded to 40 teams from 2018 to allow more African and Asian countries into the tournament without reducing the number of European nations represented.
In a recent interview, Platini ssaid, “I totally agree with Mr Blatter that we need more African and Asian (teams). But instead of taking away some European, we have to go to 40 teams.
“We can add two African, two Asiatic, two American, one Oceania and one from Europe.’He stated that adding the teams would only extend the prestigious tournament by three days.
Africa patiently waits...
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