Bahrain v Uzbekistan-a fascinating decider. (No, really!)

[Nottseagull]

Imagine this. You are bottom of the final qualifying group with just four points out of 21 and one game left. Australia and Japan have already qualified automatically with 20 and 15 points respectively, yet you still have a realistic chance of making it to South Africa! This is the position Uzbekistan find themselves in where a win in Bahrain this evening will lift them to the vital third spot. This would mean they qualify for a play-off against the third team in the other group (either North Korea, Iran or Saudi Arabia) to decide who will be Asia's fifth highest nation.
And all this just for the right to play –off against New Zealand, who won the Oceania federation’s qualifiers.
This means there is every chance of a true minnow appearing in the finals. Kick off in Manama is 17.30 BST.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

New Zealand Should not have to play off.

Its a joke, 5 teams out of 8? can get through from South America.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

New Zealand Should not have to play off.

Its a joke, 5 teams out of 8? can get through from South America.

Yes they should, because they are shit.


If they didn't have to win ONE competitive play-off, they'd basically be guaranteed a place at every finals, now that Australia have ridiculously been allowed to pretend they are in Asia.

 

[SurreySeagulls]

The game is still locked at 0-0

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Bahrain win 1-0.

Mahmood Abdulrahman in the 74th minute.

 

[Taybha]

Sign him up,manhood cox and dicker on the same field

 

[Keeping The Dream Alive.]

North Korea have qualified.
BBC SPORT | Football | Internationals | North Korea qualify for World Cup.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Assuming The Jong Family behave themselves and they do not get thrown out before then...

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Assuming The Jong Family behave themselves and they do not get thrown out before then...

 

[Keeping The Dream Alive.]

Ok, saw it the first time..

 

[Frutos]

Might as well get this out of the way quickly (someone was bound to do it) -

Last time North Korea qualified was 1966, when England won. Clearly this is an omen for next summer.

 

[Keeping The Dream Alive.]

Bloody hell, didn't know they did this:

In the 1966 event in England North Korea famously defeated Italy at Middlesbrough's Ayresome Park.

Well I suppose I wasn't born then.

 

[1066gull]

Yes they should, because they are shit.


If they didn't have to win ONE competitive play-off, they'd basically be guaranteed a place at every finals, now that Australia have ridiculously been allowed to pretend they are in Asia.

What about Israel.....

 

[Hannibal smith]

Saudi or Bahrain at the World Cup.

New Zealand won't make it. I just watched them get turned over by South Africa (Who couldn't beat Iraq) but make the Sarf Africans look like Brazil but when they are in fact Barnet.

Meanwhile Czech Republic, Sweden and possibly Portugal won't make it. Sept blatter. Footballs true hero.

 

[seagulls4ever]

Saudi or Bahrain at the World Cup.

New Zealand won't make it. I just watched them get turned over by South Africa (Who couldn't beat Iraq) but make the Sarf Africans look like Brazil but when they are in fact Barnet.

Meanwhile Czech Republic, Sweden and possibly Portugal won't make it. Sept blatter. Footballs true hero.

Good. It's a WORLD cup, not a European one.

 

[turienzo's lovechild]

What about Israel.....

what about them?

 

[turienzo's lovechild]

Saudi or Bahrain at the World Cup.

New Zealand won't make it. I just watched them get turned over by South Africa (Who couldn't beat Iraq) but make the Sarf Africans look like Brazil but when they are in fact Barnet.

Meanwhile Czech Republic, Sweden and possibly Portugal won't make it. Sept blatter. Footballs true hero.

czech republic and sweden aren't THAT good though are they?

didn't they both get knocked out in the 1st round of the euro's?

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Do you think the Dear Leader will be making an appearance in South Africa then?

 

[Lord Bracknell]

In the 1966 event in England North Korea famously defeated Italy at Middlesbrough's Ayresome Park.

In front of just 18,000 spectators. And this victory meant that North Korea qualified for the quarter-finals. They really captured the imagination of English football fans - at least until they were dumped out of the tournament by Eusebio's hat-trick in Portugal's 5-3 victory in the QF.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Meanwhile Czech Republic, Sweden and possibly Portugal won't make it. Sept blatter. Footballs true hero.

Having seen Portugal's pathetic capitulation to Denmark in Lisbon last year, they don't deserve to reach the finals.