AFC Asia Cup and Africa Cup of Nations

[brdst11]

Not sure if anyone else is following, and it's tough to get attention during the European season, but both are now in the knockout stages. Plenty of good players in the tournament, especially AFCON.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

Not sure if anyone else is following, and it's tough to get attention during the European season, but both are now in the knockout stages. Plenty of good players in the tournament, especially AFCON.

AFCON is crazy good but admittedly I’m not paying attention. Too much going on for me these last two weeks.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Not sure if anyone else is following, and it's tough to get attention during the European season, but both are now in the knockout stages. Plenty of good players in the tournament, especially AFCON.

Does FIFA require clubs to release players for these?

 

[Fk_Pitt]

Does FIFA require clubs to release players for these?

90% sure. Yes.

 

[brdst11]

90% sure. Yes.

I'm pretty sure that's right. I don't think the teams would voluntarily release the players and this year most of the good players are playing. Man U and Cameroon negotiated for Onana to get released late.

Two good matchups in the AFCON round of 16: Nigeria-Cameroon and Senegal-Ivory Coast (who are the hosts). Those could have been semi or final matchups.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Does FIFA require clubs to release players for these?

Yes.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

I'm pretty sure that's right. I don't think the teams would voluntarily release the players and this year most of the good players are playing. Man U and Cameroon negotiated for Onana to get released late.

Two good matchups in the AFCON round of 16: Nigeria-Cameroon and Senegal-Ivory Coast (who are the hosts). Those could have been semi or final matchups.

I like watching the sub-Sahafan African teams but unfortunately, they are underrepresented in the World Cup since North Africa takes all the spots. Then the Middle East takes all the Asian spots. So you have like Arab teams in the World Cup. I'd like to see more parts of the world represented. With 48 teams, here's how I'd break it down:

North America: 4
Carribbean: 1
South America: 6
Europe: 16
Middle East + North Africa: 5
Sub-Saharan Africa: 5
Central Asia: 1
Far East + Australia: 4
Oceania: 0

18 team pre-World Cup qualification tournament held at one site the March before the WC. Those 9 groups get 2 teams. 2 groups of 4. 2 groups of 5. Group winners advance to WC. 4 2nd place teams advance to play-off with winners moving on.

Using today's FIFA rankings, these teams would be in the qualification tournament:

Far East + Australia: 🇻🇳 Vietnam, 🇹🇭 Thailand

Central Asia: 🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan, 🇮🇳 India

North Africa + Middle East: Saudi Arabia, Qatar

North America: 🇨🇷 Costa Rica, 🇭🇳 Honduras

Carribbean: 🇭🇹 Haiti, 🇹🇹 Trinidad & Tobago

CONMEBOL: 🇨🇱 Chile, Venezuela 🇻🇪

Oceania: 🇳🇿 New Zealand, 🇸🇧 Solomon Islands

UEFA: 🇵🇱 Poland, 🇷🇸 Serbia

CAF: 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso, 🇬🇭 Ghana

Groups
Poland
Qatar
Ghana
New Zealand
 Thailand

Serbia
Burkina Faso
Honduras
India
Solomon Islands

Chile
Saudi Arabia
Haiti
Kyrgyzstan

Venezuela
Costa Rica
Vietnam
Trinidad & Tobago

 

[noelr]

i have zeroed in on senegal ivory coast for monday