Going to Brazil via Addis Ababa

The fever is on. World Cup fever. This week, ten countries in Africa will be involved in preparations that will lead towards their picking the five tickets allocated to Africa for the Brazil 2014 World Cup.
By this week end the road to Brazil will be clearer depending on the initial gait, first steps, as it were.
For Nigeria, Egypt, Cote D’ivoire, Cameroun and……..it is a dream draw to be playing away first. The argument is always that if you play away first, you can always use the second leg to make amends and  progress.
That, has not always been the case. In Africa, it was fashionable to lose two zero, concede three goals at away and come back to level and go ahead and win.
This, is the world cup. These are matches that are televised live, with top of the drawer referees who have been slated to referee in the world cup and are therefore condemned to excellence in the presence of FIFA appointed Commissioners and Referees Assessors.
The argument therefore is that home or away, teams are expected to be on top of their game to be able to make the second leg a formality  or easier than usual.
Going by the FIFA Coca Cola ranking, Nigeria in drawing Ethiopia, got the tenth rated club in Africa, the 93rd ranked in the world.
The same ranking that says Brazil, conquerors of Spain and Confederations Cup champions are 8th in the world behind Colombia, Belgium and Uruguay!

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