Cameroon AND Morocco?? Crap…

So now we know how the groups for the final round of African qualifiers for WC 2010 are going to look, and let me tell you, there is a tough road ahead for the Togolese footballers. In my previous entry where I previewed the draw, I looked at both the best and worst case scenarios for possible groups for Togo. While the group that they ended up is not the absolute worst case scenario, it is definitely closer to being the “worst” than it is “best”. The Sparrowhawks will be doing battle with African heavyweights Cameroon and Morocco and lesser-known but still dangerous Gabon.

My initial reaction was that it could have been better but also could have been worse. Cameroon is talented but certainly beatable, Gabon, although they looked impressive in the most recent round of qualifying, should still be looking up to Togo, and Morocco is perhaps the team I fear most with Roger Lemerre at the helm and coming off of a disappointing Africa Cup of Nations, they will be looking to get back into form. It’s reasonable to say that qualifying out of this group won’t be much more difficult than it was in 2006 when Les Eperviers had to get by Congo, Zambia, Mali, and Senegal, but this still is a daunting task. Getting by two top African sides that will be looking for redemption after barely missing out on the World Cup in Germany is a tall order. But with a healthy (and hopefully committed) Emmanuel Adebayor, and growing supporting cast, a repeat World Cup qualification is not out of the question.

Stay tuned for further group analysis and I might even take a stab at breaking down the other 4 groups as well. All I know is March is way too far away.

Bonus trivia: Of the three teams Togo will be up against in Group A, which one has Togo never defeated? If you guessed Gabon, then pat yourself on the back. As far as I can tell, Togo has never defeated the Azingo Nationale, so here’s hoping that changes come 2009.