Back in the race!
Sep 29, 2008
<b>2010 qualifiers</b><br>- October 11<br>Uganda v Benin<br>Angola v Niger<br><br>“Receive the table (below). Meanwhile you wait for further communication concerning the matter raised.â€
Norman Katende
2010 qualifiers
- October 11
Uganda v Benin
Angola v Niger
“Receive the table (below). Meanwhile you wait for further communication concerning the matter raised.â€
With those two sentences, world soccer governing body FIFA put Uganda’s 2010 Nations Cup and World Cup campaign firmly back on track yesterday.
The table standings FIFA sent to the local football governing body FUFA indicate that Uganda are second in Group 3 , and will be among the teams considered as best runners-up after next week’s final round, if they beat Benin.
The standings for Group 3 and Group 7 on the FIFA website www.fifa.com imply that head-to-head results are being considered.
With FIFA not giving FUFA an immediate explanation, it looks like the 2nd round of the qualifiers are being considered as a Nations Cup qualifier while the 3rd and final round will be considered as the World Cup qualifier.
Continental governing body CAF uses the head-to-head results to break ties in Nations Cup qualifying rounds while goal difference is used for World Cup qualifiers.
Article 5 (15) of the CAF Nations Cup qualifying regulations state that:
“...in case of equality of points between two or more teams after all the group matches have been played, the ranking of the teams shall be established according to the following criteria: (a) greater number of points obtained in the matches between the CONCERNED TEAMS...â€
Uganda had given up all hopes of advancing to the next round after a 3-1 drubbing in Niger last month.
Table standings produced in the world media after the result showed Angola ahead of Uganda because of a superior goal difference, forcing FUFA Chief Executive Officer Masembe to write to FIFA early this month for a clear interpretation.
Uganda beat Angola at Namboole 3-1 and went on to hold them to a goalless draw in Luanda. Although Angola have a superior goal difference, Uganda have a better head-to-head record.
Twelve group winners will qualify automatically and will be joined by the best eight runners up, who will have the points they gained from the bottom side in their group deducted.
Uganda are 9th in the runners-up table, but will have only three points they got against Niger to lose, while many teams ahead of them will forfeit six points.
Runners-up table
P W D L F A Pts
Tunisia 5 3 1 1 6 3 10
DR Congo 5 3 0 2 13 4 9
Gabon 5 3 0 2 7 3 9
Congo 5 3 0 2 7 6 9
Cape Verde 5 3 0 2 6 5 9
Guinea 5 2 2 1 6 3 8
Gambia 5 2 2 1 5 2 8
Sierra Leone 5 2 1 2 3 4 7
Uganda 5 2 1 2 6 8 7
Morocco 3 2 0 1 7 4 6
Madagascar 5 1 3 1 2 4 6
Swaziland 3 1 1 1 1 1 4
Group 3
P W D L F A Pts
Benin 5 4 0 1 11 6 12
Uganda 5 2 1 2 6 8 7
Angola 5 2 1 1 8 7 7
Niger 5 1 0 4 4 5 3
---------------------------------------
- FIFA letter puts Uganda second in Group 3
- Official standings posted on www.fifa.com
- CAF’s Nations Cup head-to-head tie breaker rules being used for Round two
- FIFA’s World Cup goal difference tie breaker rules to be used in Round 3
- Victory over Benin next week could guarantee Uganda place in Round 3
- Cranes resume training for Benin tie on Thursday.
2010 qualifiers
- October 11
Uganda v Benin
Angola v Niger
“Receive the table (below). Meanwhile you wait for further communication concerning the matter raised.â€
With those two sentences, world soccer governing body FIFA put Uganda’s 2010 Nations Cup and World Cup campaign firmly back on track yesterday.
The table standings FIFA sent to the local football governing body FUFA indicate that Uganda are second in Group 3 , and will be among the teams considered as best runners-up after next week’s final round, if they beat Benin.
The standings for Group 3 and Group 7 on the FIFA website www.fifa.com imply that head-to-head results are being considered.
With FIFA not giving FUFA an immediate explanation, it looks like the 2nd round of the qualifiers are being considered as a Nations Cup qualifier while the 3rd and final round will be considered as the World Cup qualifier.
Continental governing body CAF uses the head-to-head results to break ties in Nations Cup qualifying rounds while goal difference is used for World Cup qualifiers.
Article 5 (15) of the CAF Nations Cup qualifying regulations state that:
“...in case of equality of points between two or more teams after all the group matches have been played, the ranking of the teams shall be established according to the following criteria: (a) greater number of points obtained in the matches between the CONCERNED TEAMS...â€
Uganda had given up all hopes of advancing to the next round after a 3-1 drubbing in Niger last month.
Table standings produced in the world media after the result showed Angola ahead of Uganda because of a superior goal difference, forcing FUFA Chief Executive Officer Masembe to write to FIFA early this month for a clear interpretation.
Uganda beat Angola at Namboole 3-1 and went on to hold them to a goalless draw in Luanda. Although Angola have a superior goal difference, Uganda have a better head-to-head record.
Twelve group winners will qualify automatically and will be joined by the best eight runners up, who will have the points they gained from the bottom side in their group deducted.
Uganda are 9th in the runners-up table, but will have only three points they got against Niger to lose, while many teams ahead of them will forfeit six points.
Runners-up table
P W D L F A Pts
Tunisia 5 3 1 1 6 3 10
DR Congo 5 3 0 2 13 4 9
Gabon 5 3 0 2 7 3 9
Congo 5 3 0 2 7 6 9
Cape Verde 5 3 0 2 6 5 9
Guinea 5 2 2 1 6 3 8
Gambia 5 2 2 1 5 2 8
Sierra Leone 5 2 1 2 3 4 7
Uganda 5 2 1 2 6 8 7
Morocco 3 2 0 1 7 4 6
Madagascar 5 1 3 1 2 4 6
Swaziland 3 1 1 1 1 1 4
Group 3
P W D L F A Pts
Benin 5 4 0 1 11 6 12
Uganda 5 2 1 2 6 8 7
Angola 5 2 1 1 8 7 7
Niger 5 1 0 4 4 5 3
---------------------------------------
- FIFA letter puts Uganda second in Group 3
- Official standings posted on www.fifa.com
- CAF’s Nations Cup head-to-head tie breaker rules being used for Round two
- FIFA’s World Cup goal difference tie breaker rules to be used in Round 3
- Victory over Benin next week could guarantee Uganda place in Round 3
- Cranes resume training for Benin tie on Thursday.