African qualification format

Once again, the African qualification format is the least forgiving format of all six continental confederations. With 52 teams attempting to qualify for just five precious spots at Brasil 2014, African qualification does not take kindly to second-place finishers. In South America, fifth-place finishers stay alive. In North America, fourth-place finishers survive. In Europe, second place may be good enough for the playoffs. In Asia, third place can see a team through to Brasil. This is not the case in Africa, for CAF once again has not provided its top teams with a safety net should they falter in qualification, a phenomenon with which Egypt is all too familiar. Then again, this lack of margin for error is what allows surprise packages like Angola and Togo in 2006 to qualify for the sport's grandest stage.

The first round of CAF qualifying will feature the 24 lowest-ranked teams in the July 2011 FIFA rankings. Teams seeded 29-40 will be placed in Pot 5. Teams seeded 41-52 will be placed into Pot 6 and will be drawn against a team in Pot 5 for a home-and-away series. The twelve winners will advance to the second round.

The second round will consist of ten groups of four teams each. Teams seeded 1-10 will be in Pot 1, teams seeded 11-20 will be in Pot 2, and teams seeded 21-28 will be in Pot 3. In addition, Pot 3 will include the winners of the first two first round matchups to be drawn. Pot 4 will consist of the other ten first round winners. Teams will play all other teams in their group home and away for a total of six matches. Only the ten group winners advance to the third round.

CAF, true to its winners-only attitude, forwent the opportunity to model its ten-team final round after that of AFC. In Asia, the ten teams are split into two groups of five with the top two in each group advancing to the FIFA World Cup final stage and the third-place teams meeting a playoff to determine fifth-place. CAF does not take kindly to this seemingly more fair way of determining its delegates. CAF would rather deliver drama, and boy did they ever! The ten teams will be drawn into five home-and-away series with the five winners advancing to Brasil. No word has been given whether the ten second-round winners will be seeded into two pots according to FIFA ranking or whether the draw will be free-form.

Short and simple is the CAF way. Perhaps wear and tear and travel costs came into play in CAF's final decision for its qualification format. Had CAF used the AFC's format for its ten-team final round, teams qualifying for Brasil 2014, would have had to play either 12, 14, or 16 qualifying matches. In the 2010 FIFA World Cup cycle, Africa's delegates to South Africa had to play 12 games. Under the chosen format for the 2014 cycle, teams will only have to play either 8 or 10 matches to reach the final stage of the FIFA World Cup.