World Cup South Africa » News

Stange: Don’t take Belarus lightly

Football — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 08:55:01 +0000

FIFA.com hears from Bernd Stange, the German coach currently masterminding the meteoric rise of a Belarus side currently challenging France for a place at UEFA EURO 2012.

Stange: Don’t underestimate Belarus

Football — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 08:33:02 +0000

FIFA.com hears from Bernd Stange, the German coach currently masterminding the meteoric rise of a Belarus side currently challenging France for a place at UEFA EURO 2012.

Petrovic: EURO 2012 will shape my destiny

Football — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 07:22:01 +0000

Serbia coach Vladimir Petrovic speaks to FIFA.com about the ambitions he has for his team and the challenge of marrying long-term goals to short-term success.

What was the Draw’s toughest group?

Football — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 19:33:01 +0000

FIFA.com wants to know which qualifying group on the road to Brazil 2014 is the toughest. Which teams have the most difficult fixtures ahead as they attempt to qualify for the FIFA World Cup™?

Ganso shouldering great expectations

Football — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 16:55:01 +0000

Paulo Henrique Ganso, Brazil’s prescise playmaker, speaks with FIFA.com about the great expectations resting on his shoulders ahead of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ and an early exit from the 2011 Copa America.

Herbert: We’ll make sure we do things right

Football — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 08:11:02 +0000

“We’ve got clarity now. We know what we need to do, who we’re playing and we can start preparing,” Ricki Herbert, New Zealand coach.

Etaeta: It is a well balanced group

Football — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 08:11:01 +0000

“I think the groups are well balanced and we will have a very competitive team… To qualify for a World Cup is the dream for all football players and we hope to make it come true,” Eddy Etaeta, Tahiti coach.

Hamren: Zlatan’s return has been huge

Football — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 07:11:01 +0000

Erik Hamren speaks exclusively to FIFA.com about rebuilding Sweden’s national team, and the role captain Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been playing since returning to the international fold.

Osieck: We can’t underestimate anyone

Football — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 09:11:04 +0000

“The Saudis look pretty strong at the moment, but you never know where you stand with Oman, and even Thailand will be hard. Our target is simply to reach Brazil,” Holger Osieck, Australia coach.

Taylor: All four have a chance

Football — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 09:11:04 +0000

“The draw has put us in a balanced group and all four teams have the equal chance to qualify for the next round.” Peter Taylor, Bahrain coach

Zaccheroni: We’ll focus on every match

Football — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 09:11:03 +0000

“We are the Asian champions, so our opponents will be doing their homework and come at us firing on all cylinders,” Alberto Zaccheroni, Japan coach.

Hamad: Jordan can make history

Football — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 09:11:02 +0000

“It is a good draw for us and I think we can make history by reaching the qualifying final round for the first time,” Adnan Hamad, Jordan coach.

Cho: The draw hasn’t been kind

Football — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 09:11:02 +0000

“The fixtures are absolutely not kind for us as we face a lot of travel to the Middle East and will have to overcome a lot of difficulties such as fatigue, the time difference, climate and pitch conditions,” Cho Kwang-Rae, Korea Republic coach.

Dely Valdes: Panama must respect opponents

Football — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 08:44:03 +0000

“I think any opponent we play we try to be protagonists and these are the ones who have been matched with us and we have to be first, we can’t be anything else.” Julio Dely Valdes, Panama coach

Capello: England need to be careful

Football — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 08:44:02 +0000

“England need to be careful, this will not be easy. We’ve seen already the strength of Ukraine, who we played in qualifying for the World Cup in South Africa, and Montenegro in qualifying for the EURO,” Fabio Capello, England manager.

Traore: We fear no opponent

Football — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 08:33:02 +0000

“The Senegal team should fear no opponent, but we also respect everybody,” Amara Traore, Senegal coach.

Bento: We’re not the favourites

Football — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 08:33:02 +0000

“We’re not favourites: Russia have a lot of talented individuals and Israel have proven they are very dangerous opponents for any team,” Portugal coach Paulo Bento.

Abdallah: We are not afraid of Ghana

Football — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 08:22:03 +0000

“We are not afraid of the big names, specifically Ghana. We know that we are capable of qualifying,” Mohamed ‘Mazda’ Abdallah, Sudan coach.

Mosimane: Attitude and emotion key factors

Football — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 08:22:01 +0000

“Botswana is a local derby. Most of their players play in South Africa and against them, the attitude and the emotions will be the key factors,” Pitso Mosimane, South Africa coach.

Camps: A good draw for T&T

Football — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 08:11:08 +0000

“This round two draw has turned out well for us. Round three, on the other hand, will be much trickier.” Oliver Camps, Trinidad and Tobago FA President

Hart: Nothing changes

Football — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 08:11:07 +0000

“We know we’ll soon have to face our first opponent and therefore know what’s in store. In reality, though, this doesn’t change our preparatory plan in the slightest,” Stephen Hart, Canada coach.

Griffith: Playing will be incredible

Football — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 08:11:01 +0000

“Just the idea of actually playing is truly incredible. There’s an expression I want you to note down: ‘If your mind can conceive it, then you can achieve it’,” US Virgin Islands Keith Griffith.

Neymar: Santos can meet Barça head on

Football — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 05:22:01 +0000

Speaking to FIFA.com, Brazilian starlet Neymar spoke of his excitement ahead of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™, the expectations on his shoulders and of Santos’ hopes in December’s FIFA Club World Cup.

Neymar: Santos can go toe-to-toe with Barça

Football — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 05:11:01 +0000

Wide open in Group A

Football — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 08:33:01 +0000

Group A is possibly the hardest to call out of all the European qualifiers, with every team no doubt thinking they at least have a chance of a play-off spot, and no game looking like an easy asking.

Gulf challenges await Australia

Football — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 09:55:02 +0000

Australia continue their Asian education in Group D with trips to west Asia to face Oman and Saudi Arabia as well as a night in Bangkok, Thailand.

Salvadorans in pole position

Football — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 09:33:09 +0000

Two-time FIFA World Cup finalists El Salvador lead the pack in CONCACAF Round 2′s Group A of qualifying for Brazil 2014, with Cayman Islands, Dominican Republic and Suriname chasing unlikely glory.

Rising neighbours look to test Bafana

Football — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 09:33:08 +0000

Previous FIFA World Cup hosts South Africa will be pleased with their draw in Group A of African qualifying, but nevertheless will face strong challenges from Botswana and Central African Republic.

Tunisia eye return to glory days

Football — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 09:33:07 +0000

Tunisia are the heavyweight team in African qualifying Group B and will be hard to beat in a section also containing Cape Verde Islands, Sierra Leone and the winner of the first round tie between Equatorial Guinea and Madagascar.

Tunisia eye return to glory days

Football — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 09:22:03 +0000

Côte d’Ivoire looking for a hat-trick

Football — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 09:22:02 +0000

Africa’s top-ranked side, Côte d’Ivoire, will be expected to cruise through Group C of African qualifying, with Morocco the most likely team to present the Ivorians with some difficulties.

Tricky tests ahead for Ghana

Football — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 09:11:07 +0000

Quarter-finalists at South Africa 2010, Ghana are aiming to reach a third consecutive FIFA World Cup, but standing in their way will be a pair of dark horses in Sudan and Zambia.

All to play for in even section

Football — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 09:11:05 +0000

Group E is set to be wide open with all four contenders looking in with a shot of qualification, as Burkina Faso, Gabon, Niger and first round favourites Congo all have reasons to talk up their own chances.

Familiar foes await England

Football — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 09:11:02 +0000

Ukraine, Poland and Montenegro, all of whom have taken points off England in previous qualifying campaigns, are once again preparing to challenge the Three Lions in Group H.

Super Eagles favoured to soar

Football — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 08:55:08 +0000

With Malawi drawn alongside two qualifiers, of which Namibia and Kenya look favourites, heavy-hitters Nigeria will fancy their chances in Group F, but a lacklustre record against minnows means they can’t relax.

Foxes hungry for more prey

Football — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 08:55:07 +0000

Algeria will remain hopeful of a second successive FIFA World Cup finals after their Group H draw, but they will need to remain consistent with Mali ready to pounce and Benin hoping to spring a surprise.

Cameroon favourites to progress

Football — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 08:55:01 +0000

In what could be a keenly contested Group I, once the first round qualifiers are decided, Cameroon and Libya will look to overcome recent inconsistencies to force their way through to the final qualifying round.

Duo waiting for Senegal slip

Football — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 08:44:01 +0000

Group J has the potential to be a tightly run contest with former FIFA World Cup finalists Senegal and Angola facing against a resurgent Uganda and one of either Liberia and Mauritius on the road to Brazil 2014.

Guatemala target a first

Football — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 08:22:01 +0000

Guatemala will line up as hot favourites in CONCACAF’s preliminary Group E, where they will be chased by Belize and Caribbean hopefuls St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada.

Panama back on the rise

Football — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 08:11:02 +0000

Panama lead the pack in CONCACAF’s Round Two Group C, with Nicaragua, Dominica and Bahamas hopeful of staging an upset in the race towards a place at the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil.

Wide open in Oceania’s Group A

Football — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 08:11:02 +0000

New Caledonia, Tahiti and Vanuatu will all have high hopes of progressing to Oceania’s final stage of qualifying after avoiding regional heavyweights New Zealand.

Korea Republic face familiar foes

Football — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 08:00:07 +0000

Korea Republic will have a sense of déjà vu as they set out to reach the FIFA World Cup for the eighth consecutive time, with Kuwait, United Arab Emirates and Lebanon their opposition in Group B.

History on Japan’s side

Football — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 08:00:06 +0000

Arguably the toughest group in Asian qualifying, Group C features Japan, who will have to be at their best to ensure qualification ahead of Korea DPR, Uzbekistan and Syria.

Kiwis head tight section

Football — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 07:55:01 +0000

New Zealand may be warm favourites in Oceania Group B, however, the presence of Fiji, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea will make for a fascinating four-way competition.

China, Iraq seek redemption

Football — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 07:22:01 +0000

In a group which seems to have no clear favourites, it looks likely to be a three-way battle between China, Iraq and Jordan.

Klinsmann: We will build a US style

Football — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 18:22:01 +0000

New USA boss Juergen Klinsmann was unveiled to the American press today in New York, and FIFA.com was on hand to hear the German coach’s ideas about the upcoming friendly with Mexico and moving the US program forward.

Prandelli aiming to win group

Football — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 11:11:01 +0000

Italy will be aiming to win their FIFA World Cup qualifying group according to coach Cesare Prandelli, who warned that the team’s immediate focus must remain on UEFA EURO 2012.

Blokhin wary of qualifying ‘minnows’

Football — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 10:22:03 +0000

Oleg Blokhin has said the “minnows” of 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ qualifying Group H are what are worrying him as Ukraine coach, as well as saying favourites England are not as strong as they once were.

Drama and derbies await in Europe

Football — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 00:33:01 +0000

The draw for the European zone yielded some potentially thrilling sections, with local rivalries set to be stirred and the world champions left to do battle with another winner of football’s ultimate prize.

CONCACAF draw stokes regional fires

Football — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 23:22:02 +0000

The road to Brazil 2014 features some intriguing match-ups in the North, Central America and Caribbean Zone with Round Two featuring several regional derbies and Mexico taking on Costa Rica in Round Three.