Qualification for World Cup 2010 finishes this week. New Zealand beat Bahrain 1-0 making it 24 countries have confirmed a serenade from the vuvuzelas. Eight places remain. Qualifiers are on Nov. 14 and Nov. 18.

Portugal vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina: Portugal will miss Cristiano Ronaldo, but have enough fancy wingers, such as Simao and Nani, to cope with his absence. They solved their striker problem, by importing Liedson from Brazil.  The real issue will be their defending.  Bosnia are spectacular going forward.  They have arguably the two best goalscorers in the Bundesliga, Edin Dzeko and Vedad Ibisevic, a former Saint Louis University All-American who would have considered playing for the U.S.  They also have top-caliber playmakers in Muslimovic and 19-year-old Lyon wonderkid Pjanic.  If Pepe isn’t the defender he’s purported to be and Carvalho can’t recreate his form from two years ago, Portugal could get burned.

France vs. Ireland: France’s golden generation won the 1998 World Cup, Euro 2000, and came within inches of winning in 2006 on their farewell tour.  They still have talent, but things have changed.  No “Next Zidane” has indeed become the next Zidane.  Coach Raymond Domenech’s ineptitude only exacerbates matters.  Ireland were undefeated in qualifying, but their four wins came against the two bottom teams.  The countries most inventive players, Stephen Ireland and Andy Reid, are not in the squad.  Trappatoni will instruct them to stonewall and stumble into a 1-0 win.  Expect someone on France to take the initiative, while Domenech is checking his astrology manuals.

Russia vs. Slovenia: Russia were dominant in qualifying.  They had the misfortune of playing in the same group as Germany.  Guus Hiddink may be the best international manager (South Korea to World Cup semifinals in 2002, Australia to World Cup Knockout Stages in 2006, Russia to Euro 2008 semis).  Slovenia will try to lock up the goal, they allowed just four goals in 10 qualifying matches.  The Russians have perhaps the world’s premier pick in Andrei Arshavin.  Slovenia has the advantage of a full squad, but the Russians, even without Pavlyuchenko and Zhirkov, still have a better one.

Greece vs. Ukraine: Both countries have heavily tactical discpline-oriented managers who play stern, defending formations.  Both teams rely on set-pieces and counterattacking to score.  The zaniest this match will get is if one team throws caution to the wind with a third midfielder.  Greece are slight favorites, because their Euro 2004 triumph spikes their coefficients, but expect Andiry Shevchenko to prove Ukraine are not weak in a riveting 1-0 aggregate win.

Costa Rica vs. Uruguay: Uruguay are the favorites.  There are two big reasons up front.  Diego Forlan was last year’s European Golden Boot winner, scoring 32 goals in La Liga for Atletico Madrid.  His strike partner, Ajax’s Luis Suarez, has 21 goals in 20 games so far this season.  The Ticos have the home field advantage on artificial turf for the first leg, but can Rene Simoes’ men regroup after falling from first to fourth in the CONCACAF group?

Africa: Ghana and Ivory Coast are in, leaving three of the five places open.  Algeria qualifies with a win, a draw, or a one-goal loss to Egypt.  Egypt goes through with a three-goal win.  A two-goal Egypt win sends them to a playoff.  Egyptian fans tried to aid the team’s cause by ambushing the Algerian team’s bus in Cairo, injuring three players.

Samuel Eto’o and Cameroon qualify if they win away at Morocco.  Morocco is in last place in the group and missing three of their best players.  If Cameroon draws or loses, Gabon could pass them by beating Togo.

Tunisia, the Carthage Eagles, qualify if they beat Mozambique.  Nigeria, the Super Eagles, would qualify instead if they beat Kenya and Tunisia draws or loses.

Predictions: France, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Russia, Ukraine, Uruguay, Algeria, Cameroon, Tunisia