The 69-year-old, who played for Belgium at the 1986 tournament, feels that it is easier for good teams in Europe to qualify for the showpiece
South Africa head coach Hugo Broos feels that Africa has been treated unfairly by Fifa ahead of the 2022 World Cup finals.
There are only five spots available for African teams at next year’s World Cup finals which will be hosted by Qatar, while Europe will have 13 of the 32 places on offer.
The Belgian tactician has steered Bafana Bafana to three wins and one draw in their first four matches in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers and they are currently placed at the top of the Group G standings.
Only the group winners will advance to the next round of qualifying where the five teams which will represent Africa in Qatar – will be decided.
“Not at all,” said Broos when asked if he thought the current situation was fair by The Citizen.
Broos is familiar with Africa’s World Cup qualifiers, having failed to lead Cameroon for the 2018 showpiece in Russia, and he was dismissed by the Cameroonian Football Federation back then.
“I know it because I have already been with Cameroon. In the qualifiers in Africa, you have 40 countries to vie for ten first places [in the group stages],” he continued.
“Then there is another round, and two games, and only five countries go to Qatar.”
The former Belgium international, who won the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations title with Cameroon, feels that it is far easier for good European teams to qualify for the World Cup finals.
“It is not fair, it is easier for good teams in Europe to qualify for the World Cup than [good teams] in Africa,” he added.
“In Africa, you have Ghana, Cameroon, Nigeria, Algeria, Senegal, Morocco, Tunisia, and Egypt.
“You already have eight good teams there! I hope for 2026 this will change … it is a pity they have waited so long to do that because Africa deserves more teams.”
Fifa has made changes for the 2026 World Cup finals which will be co-hosted by USA, Mexico and Canada.
Europe will have 16 spots at the 2026 showpiece, while Africa is set to have nine teams with the overall participation increased from 32 to 48 countries.
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