adexkola
Doesn't understand sportswashing.
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2008
- Messages
- 48,423
- Supports
- orderly disembarking on planes
Regarding the quality of African representation at the WC, I think the current qualification system doesn't expose the cream of the crop to serious competition enough. You play in groups that usually contain fodder teams mostly from East/Southern Africa (no offense guys, love y'all), and it all comes down to a two legged tie to determine qualification. Doesn't expose top teams across the continent to better competition (steel sharpening steel).
So, with the WC expanding to include 9 teams from Mama Africa, I submit the following proposal to select the best out of 54, and ensure they are hardened and battle ready:
Seed teams based on a combination of the following:
1. Performance at the last WC
2. Performance at the last 2 AFCONs
3. Performance in CAF qualifiers
Divide the teams into 3 categories:
1: Teams ranked 1-6
2: Teams ranked 7-16
3: Teams ranked 15-54/55/5X (depending on what happens with Somaliland/Western Sahara republic/wherever)
How does it go?
A: teams in group 3 compete such that 10 countries come out.
B: these teams are seeded against teams in group 2 in 2 round home and away ties.
C: the 10 winners from B are combined with the 6 teams in group 1. They are divided into two by seed.
Each team in the group plays every other team in the group, home and away, for a total of 14 games. 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 for a loss. Ties are determined by factors like away wins, goals scored, and so on.
At the end, the top 4 from each group book their ticket to the world cup. The 5th team from each group play a final match in a neutral venue to determine the last representative to the WC.
This ensures the following:
1. Teams are rewarded for great performances at the WC and AFCON by higher seeds
2. Quality African teams are forced to improve their base level by regular exposure to the best teams on the continent. You can't get by on using local players to coast through weak groups before recalling the big guns for big ties. Imagine a team that comes through a group containing Mali, Nigeria, Algeria, Egypt, Ivory Coast, South Africa, Gabon and Guinea?
3. It provides incentive for worse teams on the continent to improve. Currently the 15-16 teams are Guinea and Zambia. It wouldn't be pretty at first, but eventually regular exposure to better competition will hopefully force them to improve.
4. It removes the currently stochastic nature of qualification, or moves it down the aisle. Mali were eliminated by Tunisia primarily because of a boneheaded error by a defender. Burkina Faso deserve a fair shot at the WC one day. A league format removes that volatility in results.
So, with the WC expanding to include 9 teams from Mama Africa, I submit the following proposal to select the best out of 54, and ensure they are hardened and battle ready:
Seed teams based on a combination of the following:
1. Performance at the last WC
2. Performance at the last 2 AFCONs
3. Performance in CAF qualifiers
Divide the teams into 3 categories:
1: Teams ranked 1-6
2: Teams ranked 7-16
3: Teams ranked 15-54/55/5X (depending on what happens with Somaliland/Western Sahara republic/wherever)
How does it go?
A: teams in group 3 compete such that 10 countries come out.
B: these teams are seeded against teams in group 2 in 2 round home and away ties.
C: the 10 winners from B are combined with the 6 teams in group 1. They are divided into two by seed.
Each team in the group plays every other team in the group, home and away, for a total of 14 games. 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 for a loss. Ties are determined by factors like away wins, goals scored, and so on.
At the end, the top 4 from each group book their ticket to the world cup. The 5th team from each group play a final match in a neutral venue to determine the last representative to the WC.
This ensures the following:
1. Teams are rewarded for great performances at the WC and AFCON by higher seeds
2. Quality African teams are forced to improve their base level by regular exposure to the best teams on the continent. You can't get by on using local players to coast through weak groups before recalling the big guns for big ties. Imagine a team that comes through a group containing Mali, Nigeria, Algeria, Egypt, Ivory Coast, South Africa, Gabon and Guinea?
3. It provides incentive for worse teams on the continent to improve. Currently the 15-16 teams are Guinea and Zambia. It wouldn't be pretty at first, but eventually regular exposure to better competition will hopefully force them to improve.
4. It removes the currently stochastic nature of qualification, or moves it down the aisle. Mali were eliminated by Tunisia primarily because of a boneheaded error by a defender. Burkina Faso deserve a fair shot at the WC one day. A league format removes that volatility in results.