DAMS. Italy will not play the 2022 World Cup. The Italians lost Thursday March 24 in the semi-final of the play-offs against North Macedonia (1-0) who will face Portugal on Tuesday March 29, winner of Turkey (3 -1). Start of the dams in Africa this Friday, March 25…
[Mis à jour le 25 mars 2022 à 10h38] The 2022 World Cup play-offs began with a cataclysm. For the second time in a row, Italy will not be at the 2022 World Cup. After their failure in 2018, the Italians did it again and will not see the World Cup in Qatar after their defeat in the play-off semi-finals on Thursday 24 march against North Macedonia (0-1). This elimination is a new affront for the Squadra Azzurra. A real fiasco that shocks a whole country, again bruised.
The reigning European champions will not play in the long-awaited World Cup play-off final against the Portuguese who at the same time won in Porto against Turkey (3-1) thanks to goals from Otavio , Diogo Jota and Matheus Nunes. Lille’s Turkish striker Burak Yilmaz had reduced the mark before missing his penalty for the equaliser. In the other play-off matches in the Europe zone, Gareth Bale led his Welsh compatriots to victory against Austria (2-1) with a double. Without Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Sweden qualified for the play-off final after winning extra time against the Czech Republic.
The 2022 World Cup play-off finals for the European zone will take place on Tuesday March 29 between Portugal and North Macedonia, Poland and Sweden, Wales will have to wait for the postponement of the match between Scotland and Ukraine to know his opponent. Three European countries will be added to the 17 nations already qualified for the 2022 World Cup.
The play-offs begin in the Africa zone this Friday, March 25, with several shocks on the program: a remake of the last final of the African Cup of Nations between Egypt and Senegal or a Cameroon – Algeria full of promise. To follow the World Cup play-offs, know that all the matches in Africa are scheduled for this Friday, March 25 and will be broadcast on the L’Equipe and L’Equipe live channels.
It goes for Portugal, North Macedonia, Sweden, Poland and Wales after these first play-off matches. These teams are one step away from qualifying. Due to the international situation, the Scotland v Ukraine match is on hold. Here are the latest results:
The World Cup play-offs for the Europe zone follow a group playoff phase. Ten teams, which finished first in their respective pools, have already qualified (see the initial classification of the groups). The ten best runners-up from each group as well as the two best group winners from the last Nations League were drafted for the play-offs. Only three more European qualifiers will remain at the end of this series of matches.
Unlike Europe, the Africa zone cannot send teams directly to the World Cup. After two rounds of eliminations by groups (see the classifications at the end of the 2nd phase), the best nations must pass a 3rd round in the form of two-way elimination matches. This explains why we also speak of “dams” on this continent. Five qualifiers will come out of this play-off phase. Here is the complete draw for these play-offs in the Africa zone for the 2022 World Cup scheduled for Friday March 25 and Tuesday March 29:
- First leg matches:
- March 25, 2022, 4 p.m.: DR Congo – Morocco, Stade des Martyrs, Kinshasa.
- March 25, 2022, 6 p.m.: Mali – Tunisia, 26-Mars Stadium, Bamako.
- March 25, 2022, 6 p.m.: Cameroon – Algeria, Japoma Stadium, Douala.
- March 25, 2022, 8:30 p.m.: Egypt – Senegal, Cairo International Stadium, Cairo.
- March 25, 2022, 8:30 p.m.: Ghana – Nigeria, Cape Coast Stadium, Cape Coast.
- Return matches:
- March 29, 2022, 7 p.m.: Senegal – Egypt, Diamniadio Olympic Stadium, Dakar.
- March 29, 2022, 7:00 p.m.: Nigeria – Ghana, MKO National Stadium, Abuja.
- March 29, 2022, 9:30 p.m.: Algeria – Cameroon, Mustapha Tchaker Stadium, Blida.
- March 29, 2022, 9:30 p.m.: Tunisia – Mali, Hammadi Agrebi Olympic Stadium, Tunis.
- March 29, 2022, 9:30 p.m.: Morocco – DR Congo, Complexe Mohammed V, Casablanca.