Betting tips / Jonathan Wilson / 11 November 2011 / Leave a comment Bet Now View Market

There's a reason why there are more South American teams at World Cups than African or Asian ones and it has to do with performance. Here's how the likes of Argentina and Uruguay are doing so far in the ongoing campaign...

There is a tiresome argument, usually put about by those with a vested interest, such as representatives of African and Asian football federations, that South America has too many representatives at the World Cup. It's unfair, they say, that half of Conmebol's 10 members can qualify for the tournament; in 2014, it could be six of 10, with Brazil qualifying as hosts, then four of the other nine going through automatically and another facing a play-off.

The reason, of course, is that Conmebol sides consistently perform better than teams from Africa and Asia in tournaments (of five Conmebol sides in South Africa all five made it through the group stage; of three Asian sides two made it through; of six African teams, only one did). Two of the three favourites to win the tournament in 2014 are from South America: Brazil are [4.7], Spain [6.0] and Argentina [7.6], with Uruguay [32.2] and Paraguay [42.0], while the shortest-priced African team is Ghana at 90 (Cote d'Ivoire are a [190.0] which, given Ecuador are [85.0], seems astonishingly long, even if Didier Drogba will have retired by then). The shortest-priced Asian side are South Korea at [190.0].

Yet even though four of nine sides will make it to the World Cup, and another will play off against an Asian team, Conmebol qualifying is probably the hardest to call of any confederation. Ecuador and Colombia have played one game each, and the other sides two, and the table shows six of the nine sides on three points.

Uruguay, Copa America winners, top the table after a win and a draw but they face a testing game against Claudio Borghi's Chile (Uruguay [1.69] to win; Chile [6.4]). When the sides met at the Copa America, Chile had much the better of a 1-1 draw, the diminutive trequartista Jorge Valdivia causing all manner of problems, although that was before Sebastian Coates had established himself as Diego Lugano's preferred central defensive partner. Alexis Sanchez returns after injury for Chile, who were hammered 4-1 by Argentina in their first game before beating Peru 4-2 in Santiago, while Uruguay are without the injured Diego Forlan.

The victory over Chile got Alejandro Sabella's reign as Argentina off to the perfect start, but they were then beaten 1-0 in Venezuela. A home game against Bolivia, who lost both of their first two games - including, worryingly, to Colombia in La Paz, the altitude of which was supposed to be their great strength, should be an opportunity for Argentina to get back on track (Argentina [1.13] to win; Bolivia [40.0]. Carlos Tevez has been omitted, while Sabella has called up four home -based players, including, intriguingly, the experienced Boca Juniors defender Clemente Rodriguez, who should provide a solution to the perennial problem at full-back. The stiffer test for Argentina comes next Tuesday, when they go to Colombia.

Colombia themselves have a double-header of home matches in Baranquilla. The first of those, against Venezuela (Colombia [1.57]; Venezuela 7.6), is arguably the most intriguing of Friday's fixtures. Venezuela, for so long the laughing-stock of South American football, have improved radically over the past decade, following up a quarter-final place at the Copa America in 2007 with a semi-final earlier this year. Under their young coach Cesar Farias, they have high hopes of a first World Cup qualification. That optimism took a serious knock with defeat in Ecuador in their first qualifier, but the win over Argentina came as a welcome reminder of the quality they'd shown in the Copa.

Colombia, for their part, remain underachievers. Leonel Alvarez, their coach, is the second most capped player in the country's history, and although his coaching experience is limited, he did take Independiente Medellin to the championship. With a solid defence protected by Carlos Sanchez at the back of midfield, his main task is to get Radomel Falcao playing for the national team as he did for Porto last season, and does for Atletico Madrid this.

Friday's other game sees Ecuador, so improved with Antonio Valencia back in the side, go to Paraguay who, after reaching the final of the Copa America, have begun poorly, taking a single point from matches away to Peru and home to Uruguay. Paraguay are [1.68] to win, Ecuador [5.8].