Japan fears Asia’s spots may be cut

Japan’s football chief is worried that Asia’s four and a half berths in the 2014 World Cup may be reduced to four, with Oceania expected to demand a full spot.

“I’m worried,” Japan Football Association (JFA) president Junji Ogura was quoted as saying yesterday by the daily Chunichi Sports.

“We must think about how to fight against it.”

Currently, Asia has four direct qualifying berths for the World Cup finals and one “0.5” spot via a two-tiered play-off with Oceania’s champions.

Oceania Football Confederation president Reynald Temarii is “certain” to demand a full berth for his region when the executive committee of FIFA meets in December.

Both Ogura and Temarii are members of the committee.

Temarii is expected to point out that New Zealand never lost a match in the 2010 finals in South Africa after beating Bahrain in the Oceania-Asia play-off while North Korea, one of the four Asian entries, lost all three group matches.

New Zealand’s “All Whites” drew 1-1 with both Italy and Slovakia, and 0-0 with Paraguay in Group F.

After Japan and South Korea reached the last-16 round but failed to book a quarter-final in South Africa, Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Mohamed Bin Hammam said Asia’s 4.5 berths were “fully protected.”

When asked if the Asian spots would be reviewed, he told reporters: “Absolutely not.”

“There is no question of any reduction in our quota,” said Bin Hammam, according to AFC’s website.

Apart from Asia and Oceania, Europe currently has 13 berths in the 32-berth finals, compared with five for Africa, 4.5 for South America and 3.5 for CONCACAF (North America, Central America and the Caribbean).

South Africa took part in the 2010 edition as hosts.