Thursday

Colombia 0-0 Chile

Can Chile exploit new lease of life against Colombia? 

It’s time once again for another mental, physical and geographical slog for those hardy South Americans as they beat a path to the door of Russia for the 2018 World Cup. Whilst the supposed big hitters of Europe face the challenges of small dukedoms in Western Europe, the current Copa America champions, Chile, are facing another global super power in the shape of Colombia. How d’ya like them apples, UEFA with your Malta against Slovenia?

The match had a definite must-win vibe for a flagging Chile before some Bolivia selection-naughtiness handed the country two extra points, to put the team one point and one place behind Colombia in the standings in sixth. But there is still work to be done against a Colombia outfit that might be welcoming back the ever-fragile Falcao to the fold. James is also making a return having missed the last round of matches with injury. And with the Madrid midfielder still in exile under Coach Zizou at the Santiago Bernabeu, James should be full of beans in a colossal double-header for Los Cafeteros that is completed with a trip to take on Argentina next Tuesday.

Brazil 3-0 Argentina

Are Argentina facing a survival battle against Brazil?

A visit to face standings-leaders Brazil in Belo Horizonte is probably not the match that Argentina players and fans would have chosen when looking into the cold, dark abyss of the country’s World Cup qualification campaign so far. Incredibly, the 2014 finalists – a team with Leo Messi, Gonzalo Higuain and Kun Aguero in their ranks – are currently in sixth place and facing the prospect of four days in hell against Brazil and Colombia with zero points in the bag, and just six games left.

Argentina have only picked up two points from the last nine available with the most recent result, a home loss to Paraguay, being the most damaging of all. At least Argentina can look to a hot-to-trot Leo Messi back in business for the Albiceleste, but the Barcelona man is not the same guarantee of goals for his country as he is for his club, and the Brazil clash is likely to be racked with anxiety for Argentina rather than expectations. As the team’s performances in the last three finals have shown, that doesn’t tend to go well for a team that is still arguably the strongest in the world.

The double boost of a new coach and an Olympic Games win in Rio is still coursing through Brazilian veins. The league leaders have won their past four qualifiers with 12 goals scored and just one conceded. And unlike Argentina, their talismanic figure from Barcelona is delivering the goods despite suffering the same weight of pressure from ever demanding supporters. Brazil have the chance to knock Argentina off the path to Russia 2018 and it’s an opportunity they won’t want to miss.

Saturday

Nigeria 3 vs 1 Algeria

Before the Match: 

A Premier League clash between two African giants

While the qualification for the Africa Cup of Nations finals in 2017 was a little tough to follow, the final stages for the race for Russia are simple enough even for a footballer to follow: five groups of four, winners go through. No best-runner-up stuff and nonsense.

Because the African regions gets just the five spots, it is quite the Black Friday sale in Ikea frenzy to grab a spot. And that’s what makes Group B such a freak of footballing nature, like an oak tree on roller skates.

The five countries to reach Brazil in 2014 were Nigeria, Algeria, Cameroon, Ghana, and Ivory Coast. The first three are paired together in the same group, meaning two African mega-teams are going to be missing out in two year’s time. Nigeria and Algeria are facing off in the southern city of Uyo on Saturday and it is a clash stuffed with genuine top class quality including Leicester City’s Islam Slimani and Riyad Mahrez lining up for the visitors. The Super Eagles have top Premier League talent too in the form of Chelsea pair, Mikel John Obi and Victor Moses. Manchester City’s Kelechi Iheanacho and Odion Ighalo.

Algeria are going to need to get something out of the game in the Eagles nest, after a draw against Cameroon in the first Group B clash as some of the EPL’s starts do battle in far off shores.