Six Arab teams maintain their chances of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup, scheduled for late this year, alongside Qatar, the host country, for what could be a "historic" Arab appearance. The 2018 World Cup in Russia witnessed a record number of four Arab teams participating: Egypt, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and Tunisia.
Five teams — Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, and Saudi Arabia — need just one final step to achieve a new historic record for Arab appearances in the World Cup, potentially increasing the total to six teams, considering the chances of the UAE, Lebanon, or Iraq, alongside Qatar.
**Final Step for Saudi Arabia**
In Asia, Iran and South Korea have secured their qualification from Group A. Group B is fiercely contested, with Saudi Arabia leading the group with 19 points, followed by Japan with 18 points, and Australia in third with 15 points, with just two matches remaining. The top two teams from each group qualify directly for the World Cup, while the third-placed teams face each other, with one heading to a playoff against a qualified team from another continent.
Japan will visit Australia on Thursday, while Saudi Arabia will host China. If Japan wins, both they and Saudi Arabia will officially qualify for the Qatar World Cup, regardless of the final round's results. However, if Japan draws with Australia or Australia wins, Saudi Arabia will need to defeat China to qualify officially. In the last round, Saudi Arabia will host Australia, while Japan will face Vietnam.
**Three Opportunities**
There is still a chance to increase the number of Arab teams in the World Cup, with the UAE currently in third place in Group A with 9 points, followed closely by Lebanon with 6 points, Iraq with 5 points, and Syria at the bottom with 2 points, having lost their chance for third place. The UAE will visit Iraq, while Lebanon hosts Syria on Thursday. In the final round, the UAE will face South Korea, Syria will meet Iraq, and Lebanon will visit Iran.
Previously, Jordan and Bahrain reached this stage, with Jordan losing to Uruguay 5-0 under the guidance of Egyptian coach Hossam Hassan, while Bahrain exited the qualifiers against Trinidad and Tobago.
**Four Arab Chances in Africa**
Arab teams in the African World Cup qualifiers are playing crucial two-legged matches on March 25 and March 29. Egypt is the only team playing the first leg at home, while Tunisia, Morocco, and Algeria will play their first legs away from home before hosting the return matches. Egypt faces Senegal, Morocco meets the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tunisia tackles Mali, and Algeria clashes with Cameroon.
**Egypt and Senegal: A Grudge Match**
The Egyptian and Senegalese teams met on February 6 in the African Cup of Nations final in Cameroon, where Senegal won their first title by defeating Egypt in a penalty shootout after a goalless draw. This match carries special significance as Liverpool stars Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane compete for a World Cup qualification ticket. Egypt has qualified for the World Cup three times: in 1934, 1990, and 2018, while Senegal aims for its third appearance after participating in 2002 in South Korea and Japan and in Russia 2018.
Senegal notably reached the quarter-finals in the 2002 World Cup, matching the achievements of Cameroon in 1990, Nigeria in 1994, and Ghana in 2010. The golden generation of Senegal at that time included current coach Aliou Cisse. On the other hand, Carlos Queiroz, the coach of Egypt, has faced criticism after excluding Mohamed Sherif and opting for Marwan Hamdi while making several changes to the Pharaohs' squad.
**Morocco Aiming to Overcome Ziyech's Crisis**
The Moroccan team seeks its sixth World Cup appearance, having previously qualified in 1970, 1986, 1994, 1998, and 2018. Morocco's best showing was in 1986, reaching the round of 16, and the team nearly advanced in 1998 but was eliminated due to a controversial match between Norway and Brazil. Coach Vahid Halilhodzic hopes to lead the national team to the World Cup, despite the crisis surrounding Chelsea star Hakim Ziyech, who announced he would not join the national team under Halilhodzic's leadership.
The Democratic Republic of Congo qualified for the final stage under the guidance of Argentine coach Hector Cuper, having topped the least competitive group. Cuper hopes to lead the Congolese team to the World Cup for the second time in history.
**Algeria vs. Cameroon: African Classics**
The Algerian national team achieved a historic unbeaten streak in international matches but fell short in the African Cup of Nations, finishing bottom of their group. Despite the unexpected exit of the defending champions, coach Djamel Belmadi continues to lead the team against Cameroon, which has recently undergone a coaching change.
Algeria faced difficulties recently, with notable exclusions from the squad, including prominent players. One player voiced support for the team via social media after being excluded from the lineup. Meanwhile, player Youcef Belaïli faced racial abuse during a French league match, leading the Algerian Football Federation to express their support.
**Tunisia Aiming to Break Their Jinx Against Mali**
The Tunisian team, led by coach Mondher Kebaier, prepares to break their jinx against Mali, despite the absence of star players due to injury. Tunisia previously lost to Mali in the African Cup of Nations, with their earlier history showing both victories and draws against Mali. Tunisia's World Cup qualifications came in 1978, 1998, 2002, 2006, and 2018, earning the distinction of achieving the first Arab victory in World Cup history against Mexico in 1978.
