Jordaan blasts FIFA over World Cup slots

The debate to increase FIFA World Cup spots for the African continent is gaining some momentum and the world football governing body is prepared to listen.

SAFA President, Danny Jordaan says the allocation of five spots for the continent is out-dated and needs to be reviewed.

Currently there are 32 slots available for the World Cup, 13 are allocated to Europe, five to Africa, another six to South America, four and half to Asia and four to North America and the Caribbean.

Jordaan says: "The question is any decision taken 20 years ago should we review that decision and I think yes. The performance of the African teams will help us in that argument that Africa needs more places in the World Cup."

FIFA President, Sepp Blatter was the first person to call for the review of these slots when he said it cannot be that the biggest Confederations, Africa and Asia are woefully under-represented in the World Cup.

Combined, Africa and Asia have 100 member associations but only guaranteed nine World Cup slots compared to Europe and South America with 63 members and guaranteed 18 spots. But at executive level discussions are in the pipeline.

FIFA secretary-general, Jerome Valcke says: "In 2018 if you think about if it is as it is today UEFA will have 14 because they will have their 13 slots plus the hosts and the hosts is from Europe, Russia. So it means that from the 32, 14 will be from Europe, so for sure there will be some discussion within FIFA."

Nigeria, Cameroon, Algeria, Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire will be the five African representatives in next year's FIFA World Cup in Brazil and their performance will also be under scrutiny as this could be used for or against the continent in this discussion.