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Cape Verde pose before a FIFA World Cup qualifier vs. Tunisia on September 7, 2013 in Rades Olympic Stadium in Tunis. (Getty Images)
Cape Verde
A total of 72 countries remain in contention for qualification, the most unlikely of them all: Cape Verde, which is a group of small volcanic islands lying isolated in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Senegal.
And while they are ranked 172nd in the world in terms of population, according to the latest FIFA rankings they are the 36th best team in the world. That is not too bad, when you consider the fact that just four years ago, they were ranked 112th.
The Blue Sharks proved that their run to the African Cup of Nations quarterfinals this year was no fluke, by beating Tunisia 2-0. By doing so, they topped their group and through to the final playoff round, where they will be seeded for the very first time.
Although they have scored just five goals, not counting the two games against Equatorial Guinea which was forfeited 3-0, their striker Nhuk and attacking midfielder Platini certainly look like they might be able to take them to Brazil and guarantee the presence of an African debutant in Brazil.
