WORLD CUP: The Netherlands avoided going into the dreaded play-offs route to next year’s Fifa World Cup finals by beating Norway 2-0 last night in their last Group G qualifying match.
The victory means that the Dutch Orange, (as The Netherlands national football team is fondly called), who missed out in the 2018 World Cup finals in Russia respectively, return to the elite showpiece for the first time in eight years.
Coach Luis Van Gaal’s side finished top of the group, with 23 points from 10 games, two more than Turkey, who won 2-1 away to Montenegro to secure a play-off spot. Norway ended third in the group with 18 points.
Late goals by Steven Bergwijn and Memphis Depay sealed the all important victory for The Netherlands.
ITALY, PORTUGALU SEEDED FOR PLAY-OFFS
Elsewhere, former world champions Italy, who are among the Europeans giants that failed to earn direct qualification from the groups, have been seeded in the upcoming play-off.
By virtue of being seeded, the Italians will avoid Cristiano Ronaldo’s former European champions, Portugal, who are also seeded. Sweden, Wales, Scotland and Russia are the other seeded nations.
Their opponents will be from the unseeded pot, consisting of Austria, North Macedonia, Turkey, Poland, Czech and Ukraine. The draw will be made next month and the play-offs are scheduled for March, 2022
MESSI GETS ANOTHER CHANCE AS ARGENTINA QUALIFY
In South America qualifying zonal race, Argentina drew 0-0 with Brazil to secure their place at next year’s World Cup. This gives Argentina superstar Lionel Messi one more shot at winning the only major trophy missing in his career.
Second-placed Argentina qualified after Chile lost 2-0 at home to third-placed Ecuador. Two-time world champions Uruguay were beaten 3-0 in Bolivia and are out of the qualifying positions, sitting seventh.
Uruguay are one point off fourth place with four matches remaining. The top four teams earn direct entry to the World Cup and the fifth-placed side go into an intercontinental play-off.
Already, Brazil, who lead the South America qualifiers with 35 points from 13 games, qualified for the finals in Qatar.