Present at the ceremony that determined the schedule for Colombia in the next qualifying round for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Pékerman anticipated that it will be a competitive tournament in which it will be important for the team to be in good shape. It starts with Peru in Barranquilla.
These were his statements from Saint Petersburg, Russia.
The level he expects in the qualifiers:
We know that it will be difficult in terms of sports. The parity that exists, the competitiveness of the qualifiers was demonstrated again in this Copa America.
The Colombian team:
We will face the matches with the best weapons we have, that will give us more confidence. We believe in the potential we have to start well and, above all, finish well.
The schedule:
It is varied and balanced in terms of starting and playing away. Beyond just thinking about the first match, we have to think about the entirety and, more importantly, that the team is in good shape, which is fundamental.
The main rival in the qualifiers:
All of them. Today, we cannot make a list, what happened a month ago can change in two months. This is what the previous qualifiers have shown, the experiences of teams that qualify at the last moment or unexpected teams that then have to go to a playoff and maybe were favorites. I believe that this is playing a game, knowing that the three points from each of the matches will be decisive.
Oceania in the playoff:
Always with caution because in football you never know. We all know what is happening, like with the Gold Cup, but yes, we know that both Asia and Central America have much more experience. It could be a rookie team, but obviously in that sense, for South America, I think it's better on paper.