Thursday, 4pm Uganda ?? vs Egypt ?? Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Cranes striker Farouk Miya is confident Uganda Cranes will build on their strong start to the 2018 World Cup qualifiers despite recent changes to the team’s coaching staff. Speaking to FIFA.com, Miya said the departure of coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic and arrival of Moses …
Read More »FIFA discloses damaging Qatar World Cup bid report
Lausanne, Switzerland | AFP | FIFA on Tuesday released a long-withheld report on alleged corruption in awarding the 2022 World Cup to Qatar after more leaks deepened the controversy surrounding the vote. World football’s governing body had previously declined to publish in full the 400-page report into awarding the …
Read More »Iran book ticket to 2018 World Cup
Tehran, Iran | AFP | Sardar Azmoun and Mehdi Taremi were on target as Iran confirmed their spot in the 2018 World Cup finals with a 2-0 victory over Uzbekistan at the Azadi Stadium in Tehran on Monday. It was Iran’s sixth win from eight matches in Group A which …
Read More »Russia almost ready for World Cup with a year to go
Moscow, Russia | AFP | Despite fears over security and construction delays at several stadiums, Russia looks largely on course one year from the kick-off of the World Cup in June 2018. There was already a whiff of scandal around the first World Cup to be held in Eastern Europe …
Read More »Mali face World Cup ban after officials fired
Bamako, Mali | AFP | Mali could be thrown out of the 2018 World Cup qualifying competition after the government sacked the national football federation leaders. The bottom-of-the-table west Africans are scheduled to play Morocco twice, group leaders Ivory Coast and Gabon this year. Global football body FIFA does not permit …
Read More »A 48-team World Cup, but who can host it?
Paris, France | AFP | FIFA’s decision to expand the World Cup to 48 teams starting with the 2026 tournament prompted one major question: who can host the global showpiece in its revamped format? North America is the favourite and in pole position with other former candidates relegated to outsiders. …
Read More »FIFA approves 48 team World Cup for 2026
Zurich, Switzerland | AFP | FIFA’s ruling council on Tuesday unanimously approved an expansion of the World Cup to 48 teams in 2026, with a format of 16 groups of three nations. “The FIFA Council unanimously decided on a 48-team #WorldCup as of 2026: 16 groups of 3 teams,” a …
Read More »Egypt beats Ghana, goes past Uganda in World Cup qualifying group
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | Egypt avenged a humiliating World Cup defeat by Ghana three years ago with a 2-0 victory Sunday in a 2018 African Group E qualifier before an 85,000 crowd in Alexandria. Ghana triumphed 6-1 in the first leg of a 2014 World Cup play-off to …
Read More »Saudi says foiled plot to bomb World Cup qualifier
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | AFP | Saudi authorities said Sunday they had foiled a plot to bomb a football stadium during a World Cup qualifying match and dismantled two “terrorist” cells linked to the Islamic State group. The interior ministry said in a statement that four suspects from each cell …
Read More »48 teams: FIFA boss makes gains on World Cup expansion
Zurich, Switzerland | AFP | FIFA president Gianni Infantino built momentum towards expanding the World Cup Friday as some powerbrokers appeared to back the move, while sceptics will have to be convinced before a final call in January. Growing the cash cow tournament from 32 to as many as 48 …
Read More »