From: halchuk@seismo.emr.ca (Steve Halchuk)
Subject: WC94: AFRICA changes to qualifying groups
Reply-To: halchuk@seismo.emr.ca
Organization: Dept. of Energy, Mines & Resources, Canada
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1993 21:55:28 GMT

At the request of a few, here are the changes that have occurred to 
the African WC qualifying groups. None of the 9 groups have remained
constant since the original draw in December 1992. Only 2 of the 9
groups still have 4 teams competing. Perhaps the African FA should
consider larger groups (6 groups of 6, top 2 advance to 3 groups of 4
with the winner advancing, possibly?) so the loss of 1 or even 2 teams
is not so drastic. In the present situation, two of the following four
teams - Zimbabwe, Morocco, Egypt and Tunisia - will not advance even
though they have all played well while Guinea (through no fault of
their own) will almost assuredly advance after having trounced Kenya 4
- 0 (Kenya will need a 5 goal miracle to save themselves). Playing only
one good match should not have the same merit as playing 4 or 5 good
matches. Perhaps some teams should be seeded with a bye to later rounds
as in the CONCACAF zone. Of course, hindsight is 20 - 20 and the
African FA could not have foreseen the large number of withdrawals but
a better structure to qualifying should be considered in order to
minimize the political/economic problems that are likely to occur. 

Despite all this complaining, I am still looking forward to the next
set of matches to be played this weekend (Jan 30/31)

Stephen

CHANGES TO AFRICAN WORLD CUP QUALIFYING GROUPS SINCE DECEMBER 1992

ORIGINAL DRAW                                PRESENT FORM

Africa Group A                               Africa Group A  
Ghana		                             Ghana
Algeria		                             Algeria
Burundi		                             Burundi
Uganda         Uganda withdrew

Africa Group B                               Africa Group B  
Cameroon	                             Cameroon
Swaziland	                             Swaziland
Zaire         		                     Zaire
Liberia        Liberia withdrew

Africa Group C                               Africa Group C  
Zimbabwe	                             Zimbabwe
Egypt		                             Egypt
Angola		                             Angola
Sierra Leone Sierra Leone replaced by Togo   Togo

Africa Group D                               Africa Group D  
Nigeria		                             Nigeria
Congo    	                             South Africa
Libya     	                             Congo
Sao Tome e Principe   Libya suspended
                      Sao Tome e Principe replaced by South Africa

Africa Group E                               Africa Group E
Cote d'Ivoire	                             Cote d'Ivoire
Niger		                             Niger
Botswana	                             Botswana
Sudan          Sudan withdrew

Africa Group F                               Africa Group F  
Morocco 	                             Morocco
Tunisia		                             Tunisia
Ethiopia 	                             Ethiopia
Malawi         Malawi replaced by Benin      Benin

Africa Group G                               Africa Group G
Gabon		                             Gabon
Senegal 	                             Senegal
Mozambique	                             Mozambique
Mauritania     Mauritania withdrew

Africa Group H                               Africa Group H
Madagascar	                             Madagascar
Zambia	                                     Zambia
Namibia 	                             Namibia
Tanzania       Tanzania withdrew

Africa Group I                               Africa Group I
Guinea		                             Guinea
Kenya                                        Kenya
Mali           Mali and Gambia withdrew
Gambia



---
 +============+     | S. Halchuk, halchuk@seismo.emr.ca
 |  o \0\     |}    |"I've never been asked, 
 |      \     | }   | And I've never replied
 |      \\    |  }  | If I supported Glasgow Rangers" :-) The Pogues