Pressure On France And Russia As Big Boys Fear Fall

Compiled by Gavin Hamilton, editor of World Soccer magazine

France coach Roger Lemerre has warned his team that their status as world champions will mean nothing when they play Iceland in Paris on Saturday in a crucial final Euro 2000 qualifier. "Let's forget we're world champions," he said. "It is a win or lose match, in which everything remains to be done."

Lemerre has recalled Monaco striker David Trezeguet and PSG goalkeeper Bernard Lama in place of the injured Nicolas Anleka and the suspended Fabian Barthez. France, currently third in Group 4, must win at Stade de France to qualify.
Anything less and Russia and Ukraine, who meet in Moscow, could leapfrog the world champions to take the automatic qualification spot.

The most likely scenario is a French win in Paris, and a Russian victory, which would put Russia top of the group and send France into the play-offs. Russia coach Oleg Romantsev has omitted out-of-favour Celta Vigo playmaker Alexander Mostovoi from his squad for the crucial decider in Moscow.

Ukraine could still top the group if they beat Russia. In a war of words leading up to their final match in Moscow, the Ukrainians called for the match to be switched to a neutral venue because of concerns over the recent spate of terrorist bombs in Russia.

An explosive encounter is expected in Group 8, where Croatia play Yugoslavia. Their last meeting, the first since the break-up of the former Yugoslavia, ended goalless despite the pre-match hype. This time around, Croatia must win to have any chance of qualifying.

Even then, a victory for the Republic of Ireland in Macedonia would put the Irish top of the group and send the Croatians into the play-offs. Inspirational captain Zvonimir Boban could be recalled to face the Yugoslavia, despite his lack of match fitness. Yugoslavia need a point to be sure of a play-off place. Victory would guarantee automatic qualification.

In Group 3, Germany meet Turkey in a match where the result could be academic. The Germans, who have called up the highly promising Hertha Berlin teenager Sebastian Deisler for the first time, are favourites to win in Munich. But even if Turkey lose they could qualify automatically as the best runners-up from across the nine qualifying sections.

England's hopes of qualifying from Group 5 lie with a Swedish victory over Poland in Stockholm. Sweden coach Tommy Soderberg has included 15 foreign-based players in his squad, but crucially omitted Anderlecht midfielder Per Zetterberg, the player many Swedes believe could unlock a tight Polish defence. The Poles are without the suspended Tomasz Iwan, but are otherwise unchanged from the side which drew 0-0 with England last month.

Italy need a point in Belarus to take top spot in Group 1. The Belarus federation sacked coach Mikhail Vergeenko last week. His successor is his predecessor Sergei Borovsky, who coached the national side between 1994 and 1996. The Italians are the clear favourites to top the group as Belarus will be without Dynamo Kiev midfielders Valentin Belkevich and Alexander Khatskevich and Spartak Moscow defender Miroslav Romashchenko.

Elsewhere, Israel and Cyprus are vying for second spot behind Spain in Group 6, and Scotland look a good bet for a play-off place in Group 9. The Czech Republic, Norway, Sweden and Spain have already qualified for next year's finals in Holland and Belgium.

Also this week, Holland play host to Brazil in a friendly, their third such Nike-sponsored meeting since the end of last season. Belgium travel to Sunderland to face England, and Denmark meet Iran in Copenhagen.

Last week FIFA president Sepp Blatter confirmed what this column has long suspected - that his call for the World Cup every two years was a throwaway remark which got out of hand. "The idea of the World Cup every two years has provoked discussion on the international calendar," Blatter said. "For the time being, I have put the idea in the safe, and I have lost the code. I'll take it out again after 2004."

Many suspect that Blatter's original comments were little more than a snipe at the ambitions of the Olympic Games football tournament. But there has been such a storm of criticism that the FIFA president now claims that his original intention was to spark debate about the role of international football.

South Africa won the Afro-Asian Cup last week following a 0-0 draw in Saudi Arabia. Oxford United goalkeeper Andre Arendse was the star of the show as the South Africans successfully defended a 1-0 lead from the first leg.

The Afro-Asian Cup is a biennial play-off between the African and Asian champions. This encounter had been postponed since 1998. European club commitments and injuries meant only captain and defender Mark Fish and midfielders Joel Masilela, Eric Tinkler and Ivan McKinley remained from the starting line-up in Cape Town 12 days ago.
Saudi Arabia sprang a surprise by recalling striker Sami Al-Jaber, but he missed his side's best chance before being substituted.