Games to watch for Thursday's WC Qualifiers

       As the club teams have a week off, there is still football for us to watch. As there are only very few games left in the World Cup Qualifiers, these games prove if your country is good enough to play in the biggest sporting event in the world.  Here are some of the games I recommend to watch.

Asia

 In the Asian qualifiers there are two groups of six teams in this round. The top two teams from each group automatically qualify for the World Cup, the 3rd place teams from Group A and B have a play-off match against each other. The remaining teams can't qualify for the World Cup. 

Group B: Japan vs Australia

13:35 CET (+3) - 19:35 local time, Saitama Stadium, Saitama

        The first match is between the Socceroos and Japan, as the two biggest footballing nations in Asia go head to head in central Japan. The Australian players mean business in the top leagues of world as Aaron Mooy has lead Huddersfield Town to two Premier League wins,  and striker Matthew Leckie scored for Hertha Berlin in the opening Bundesliga match against VFB Stuttgart. Japan have Kagawa who is an experienced midfield who plays for Dortmund, and striker Shinji Okazaki who helped Leicester City to win the Premier League in 2016.  Japan are in 1st place however they are only one point ahead of 2nd and 3rd place which is Saudi Arabia and Australia. Although Australia are the only undefeated team in the group, they have struggled against the likes of Thailand and Iraq who are at the bottom of the group, drawing both teams once. In the last encounter between Australia and Japan, the game finished 1-1. As there are only two games left including this game, a win would send Japan officially to the World Cup. For Australia it is a must win, as a draw or a lose could be costly.

Group A: South Korea vs Iran

15:00 CET (+3) - 21:00 local time, Sangam Stadium, Seoul

        The other big match in Asia is between the 2002 World Cup semi-finalists South Korea and Iran. The head coach of Iran is Carlos Querioz from Portugal, the former Manchester United assistant coach and Portuguese head coach. He has transformed Iran into powerhouse in Asia and the Middle East. Iran are the highest ranked team in Asia by FIFA as they are ranked 42nd place in the world. The two strikers Mehdi Taremi and Sardar Azmoun have taken the qualifiers by storm and have helped Iran become the 1st team to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Iran have won six of their eight games and are undefeated in the group.  South Korea have their big man Son Heung-min who plays as a striker for Tottenham Hotspur and has big ambitions for his country. Since South Korea are only one point above 3rd place, they will be taking no chances and fight for a spot in the World Cup. For Iran this is a game of pride and to practice for the World Cup.

Other Matches
Group A: China vs Uzbekistan, 15:00 CET (+3) - 20:00 local time
                 Syria vs Qatar, 15:00 CET (+3) - 20:00 local time

Group B: UAE vs Saudi Arabia 2-1, August 29
                Thailand vs Iraq, 15:00 CET (+3) - 19:00 local time

Africa

In the African qualifiers, there are 5 groups of four teams. The 1st place teams in each group qualify directly to the World Cup.  The remaining team cannot qualify for the World Cup.

Group E: Uganda vs Egypt
16:00 CET (+3), Mandela National Stadium, Kampala 

The 2017 African Cup of Nations finalists Egypt will take on Uganda. Even though Egypt are the favorites to win, Uganda can't be underestimated. Uganda tied Ghana in their first game 0-0 and beat Congo 1-0 in the second game. Uganda's defence has been as solid as a rock in these qualifiers, however Uganda need to score more goals if they want to win the group. Uganda have 19 year old striker Farouk Miya who plays for Standard Liege in Belgium, and has already scored 17 goals for his country. Egypt beat Congo away 2-1, and defected Ghana 2-0 respectively. Egypt have the Liverpool forward Mohammed Salah who is on fire at Liverpool and helped Egypt win crucial games in the qualifiers. The Pharaohs also have central midfielder Mohamed El Nenny who controls the game, and Ramadan Sobhi who is an up and coming midfielder at Stoke City. A win for Egypt would put them in full control of Group E, as for Uganda a win or a draw would be a huge result.

Other Matches:
Group A: Guinea vs Libya, 20:00 CET (+3) - 17:00 local time

Europe

In the European qualifiers, there are 9 groups of six teams. 1st place in each group qualifies directly to the World Cup. 2nd place teams enter a playoff round against each other. The rest cannot qualify.

Group A: France vs Netherlands

21:45 CET (+3) - 20:45 local time, Stade de France, Saint-Denis

 This is a huge game for the Oranje as they face a very tough task against the Les Bleus. The Dutch may have improved after failing to qualify for Euro 2016, the 2-0 lose to Bulgaria early this year has put them three points below Sweden and France who are both tied at 1st. The Dutch will need to rely on Robben and Memphis Dempay to be back on form and need to lead Oranje to a new beginning. Some Dutch players to watch are Wijnaldum who plays for Liverpool and Spartak Moscow striker Quincy Promes. France has lots of depth in their squad were even the players on the bench can make an impact. Players to watch are N'Golo Kante, Pogba, Thomas Lemar, Kylian Mbappe, Griezmann and Hugo Lloris. In the last match between the two sides, France won 1-0 away with Pogba scoring the only goal of the game. Despite Les Bleus being the favorites a loss would put them 3rd place, so France needs to bring their A game. For the Dutch, a loss could end their chances of reaching the World Cup.

Other Matches:
Group A: Bulgaria vs Sweden 21:45 CET (+3)
                Luxembourg vs Belarus 21:45 CET (+3) - 20:45 Local time

Group B: Hungary vs Latvia 21:45 CET (+3) - 20:45 Local time
                Switzerland vs Andorra 21:45 CET (+3) - 20:45 Local time
                Portugal vs Faroe Islands 21:45 CET (+3) - 20:45 Local time

Group H: Greece vs Estonia 21:45 CET (+3)
                Cyprus vs Bosnia & Herzegovina  21:45 CET (+3)
                Belgium vs Gibraltar 21:45 CET (+3) - 20:45 Local time

South America

In the South American qualifiers, there are 10 teams in one group. The top four teams in the group automatically qualify to the World Cup. 5th place enters a playoff round against the winner of the Oceanian qualifying tournament. The rest cannot qualify.

Uruguay vs Argentina
02:00 CET (+3) - 20:00 local time, Estadio Centenario, Montevideo

   We head to South America as Uruguay face the 2014 World Cup finalists Argentina. This match will be evenly match in my opinion. This is a huge match for both teams as Uruguay are only three points ahead from 6th place and Argentina are only 2 points ahead. Both countries reputations are one the line, so this will be a highly entertaining match. Uruguay have a solid defence with the captain Diego Godin and Jose Gimenez who play in Atletico Madrid. Up front the La Celeste (The Sky Blue One) have the PSG forward Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez. The players to watch on Argentina's squad are Angel Di Maria, Manchester City forward Sergio Aguero, Paulo Dybala, and Lionel Messi. In the last encounter between the two sides, Messi scored the only goal to give Argentina the 1-0 victory. Since there are still three matches after this one, a win is vital but it won't secure either team a World Cup place. A loss for either team could potentially cost them a spot in the World Cup.

Other Matches:

Venezuela vs Columbia 00:00 CET (+3) - 17:00 local time

Chile vs Paraguay 01:30 CET (+3) - 19:30 local time

Brazil vs Ecuador 03:45 CET (+3) - 21:45 local time

Peru vs Bolivia 05:15 CET (+3) - 21:15 local time