Qatar 2022, the unqualified teams: Colombia, Chile, Nigeria and …

Common sickness, half joy? Up to a certain point, because the national team’s failure to qualify for the World Cup – the second in a row – remains a heavy flop for Italian football and the company of the excluded is large but not crowded. While Mancini speaks of “regrets that will last a long time”, other coaches are called upon to face the same, identical situation: the Azzurri are not the only big names left out of the World Cup. Even far from Europe there are those who mourn an unimaginable debacle until a few months ago, but the resounding blue tumble has no true equal.

Colombia and Chile

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Looking at the South American eliminatorias, together with the giants Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay, Ecuador and perhaps Peru also qualified, fifth in the standings and destined for a play-off against an Asian national team (United Arab Emirates or Australia). However, Colombia and Chile remain outside Cafeteros, out of the World Cup in the early 2000s and then dragged along by a golden generation in 2014 and 2018, they finished with one point less than Peru, despite the experience of the players present in the squad: Cuadrado, James Rodriguez, Muriel , Luis Diaz, Ospina and Uribe would not have disfigured in Qatar. The same goes for Vidal and his companions – out like Italy for the second consecutive time -, probably penalized by the presence of many elements at the end of their career (Isla, Medel, Arturo and Sanchez) and a few young people ready to take up the inheritance.

Salah out

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In Africa, however, the eliminations of Nigeria and Egypt caused a sensation. The Super Eagles, who qualified for the first time in 1994, did not take part in the World Cup only in 2006 and history repeats itself this year by virtue of the defeat against Ghana. The starting eleven can count on quality players – Osimhen above all -, most of whom play in the Premier League: nothing to envy to the squad of 2018. As for Egypt, the regret lies in the double mockery of 2022: before the final lost in the Africa Cup and then the lack of qualification, again by Senegal. With a star of Salah’s caliber on the team, the Pharaohs felt they deserved the fourth “world” chance in their history. It also disappoints Algeria, champion of Africa in 2019, for which the experience of Slimani, Mahrez, Feghouli and Bennacer was not enough to get to the bottom. Italy is crying, yes, but it is not the only national team to have to rebuild.