From GWEN CHIPASULA Windhoek, Namibia –
WITH the final round of draws for the Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiers set for tomorrow, Council for Southern African Football Association (COSAFA) president Sekutu Patel does not see a team from the region making the finals.
Zambia and South Africa are the two only COSAFA members remaining in the draws that will see 20 teams drawn in five groups with the team to finish top qualifying for the World Cup finals.
And both sides face potential strong groups with Zambia in Pot Four while South Africa is in Pot Three and there is a high possibility that two rivals might be bundled in the same group.
This has made Patel believe that no team in the region will make it to the finals in Russia.
Zambia beat Sudan 3-0 on aggregate in the preliminary round while South Africa eliminated Angola 4-1 on aggregate.
Patel said in an interview here that it is practically impossible for a team in the region to qualify to the World Cup looking at the results from the first round and also the groupings of the final round draws.
“To be honest, I don’t think at the moment I can see regional representation at the World Cup because the qualifiers are very static.
The results up to date and the possibilities of the getting good results in the next stage look extremely difficult.
“The groupings are such that it will be difficult for our teams in the region,” Patel said.
