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The outlook for next year's World Cup in Germany is stillhazy, with only 10 teams set for the 32-team field.
But the picture will become clearer in the next few days, with 76 qualifying games being played from Cameroon to Croatia and Portugal to Paraguay.
Play begins Saturday, with a few games Sunday, and continues Wednesday. When it ends, 27 of the 32berths will be decided. And some big-name teams are sure to be out.
Like Italy, many countries aretantalizinglyclose to reaching soccer's biggest stage.
"It's true, we can say we are within sight of the finish line, since we only need one point to qualify,'' said Italy coach Marcello Lippi, whose team hosts Slovenia in Palermo on Saturday. "But it would be an error to consider these games just a formality.''
Host Germany and four Asian teams - Iran, Japan, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia - are already in. Ukraine has qualified from Europe. Five-time winner Brazil and two-time champion Argentina have made it from South America, and Mexico and the United States have qualified from Central and North America.
Costa Rica can claim the third spot by beating the Americans on Saturday in San Jose. The fourth-place team in the region - probably Guatemala or Trinidad and Tobago - will face Bahrain or Uzbekistan in a two-game playoff.
On Saturday, all five African berths will be decided. Ghana is the surest bet, and can even lose at the Cape Verde Islands and still qualify for the first time. Togo can secure its first World Cup berth with a tie at the Republic of Congo.
"We are going to organize a big celebration on Saturday evening after your victory,'' Togo President Faure Gnassingbe told his players.
Cameroon is another good choice. The Indomitable Lions will qualify for an African record sixth time if they win at home against Egypt. Angola can clinch its first World Cup appearance with a victory at Rwanda, the last-place team in the group.
The other African spot will go to Morocco or Tunisia. They play each other near Tunis. Tunisia can advance with a tie, but Morocco must win.
South Africa, host of the 2010 World Cup, already has been eliminated and two other powers - Senegal and Nigeria - could miss out. All three played in the 2002 World Cup, and Senegal was a surprise quarterfinalist.
Europe is most confused, with Ukraine the only qualifier so far. The eight group winners and best two second-place teams advance automatically. The other six runners-up play off next month for three berths.
Saturday's 21 games, plus 23 on Wednesday, will determine nine more berths.
(Agencies)
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Updated: 2005-10-08 11:07
