This edition of Sportswide has Gilles P. taking us through the latest World Cup updates from Europe into South America and out via Africa with congrats to Rio for winning the 2012 Olympics bid - “All set for another slow week as the football season goes International and the clubs take a break. England, Spain and Holland are already through to the finals in South Africa and another 6 teams from Europe should be known by the middle of next week. The groups to watch for last minute excitement look like group 1 where Ronaldo’s Portugal are in a bit of stick, group 4 where the Russia v Germany game on Saturday will probably clear up which of the two teams will have to undergo a nerve wracking play off match, and group 7 where France look second best to Serbia and may also find themselves against possibly Germany or Portugal in that dreaded 2 legged play off match in November.

As much as FIFA do their utmost to protect the superpowers its good to see that a Switzerland or a Slovenia can still find a route to the biggest single sporting event on the planet, I get depressed if there isn’t a super tournament some summers, the Olympics, European football champs and World Cup take up 3 out of 4 summers but I’m sorry,as much asI love them, the world athletics just aren’t strong enough on their own for me to avoid a dose of sporting prozac.

Looking elsewhere in the World Cup qualifications there’s a possible big story in South America where Argentina find themselves in a perilous place – the game against Peru on Saturday is a must win for Diego Maradona and in Africa, Nigeria look lost. meanwhile the USA keep proving that football isn’t just a girls game by looking home and dry in the ’safer’ central American qualifying zone – I’ll miss Bruce Arena on the touchline in Johannesburg though!

On a slightly obscure one I have to admit to having checked a few of the under 20 World Cup matches in Egypt right now – I know, I’m sure there are other things I could be doing with my time but  there you go! and even though most of the European teams have sent their second or third string sides (due to most clubs not letting their quality youth out during the season) its Ghana that look hot to win the tournament – watch them!

but to finish off this blog, if you’re thinking of moving to a new land in the future and want to learn a new language then there’s only one choice – Brazil – wow! they’ve got the World Cup after South Africa and the Olympics after – don’t know about you but Rio seems like a good place to invest right now!