World Cup Corner

Five countries have already qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals. None of those teams are from Africa. That could change this weekend, especially if the hopes of Côte d’Ivoire are to be realised.

The penultimate round of qualifiers is bringing a wave of anticipation and excitement across the continent. Millions will be watching nervously as their respective teams seek to book their place at next year’s tournament in Germany. In most of the groups the permutations are still complicated and the outcome not yet distinctly clear, even though there are just two games to go.

Saturday, September 3, Columbus, Ohio, United States vs. Mexico, 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany.

This is the big one in North, Central America and the Caribbean – the intriguing trans-Rio Grande ‘clasico’. Undefeated Mexico – with the best scorer in Germany 2006 qualifying – are perched atop the final-round table imperiously with 16 points. But with enhanced pedigree and an increasingly respectable reputation, second-placed USA, only one point behind, will in no way be overawed by their neighbours to the south when the sides meet in Columbus, Ohio.

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Reuters - Striker Wayne Rooney says stopping his club team mate Ryan Giggs will be the key to winning Saturday’s World Cup qualifier against Wales.

The Manchester United pair will face each other in a Group Six game in Cardiff, with Rooney expecting England to be given a hard time after beating Wales 2-0 at Old Trafford last October.

“He’s a great player,” Rooney told reporters after training on Wednesday. “I work with him every day, so I see what he can do. If we can keep Giggsy quiet then we should win the game.

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“A genuine leader is a man for hard times,” says Fatih Terim and upcoming fixtures against Denmark and Ukraine certainly fit that description for the coach recently restored to the helm of the Turkey team.

When Terim replaced Ersun Yanal following Turkey’s goalless home draw with Greece in June, he was under no illusions about the task ahead. Turkey lie second in their qualifying group but with leaders Ukraine all but out of sight, they face a three-way battle for the runners-up spot and a play-off berth.

A 3-1 loss against Bulgaria in a Sofia friendly on 17 August was hardly a happy start and defeat by Denmark in Istanbul on 3 September would leave them just a point ahead of both Greece and their Danish opponents, with away fixtures against Ukraine and Albania to come. Little wonder Terim tells FIFAworldcup.com: “We do not have the luxury to lose. We have three difficult games to get to Germany. We must win all these games and that’s what we are working towards.”

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