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International Football

Potential Super Eagle, Tammy Abraham Next to Nest

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By KUNLE SOLAJA.

More results are flowing in the current NFF president’s initiative to get more Nigerian players in the Diaspora into the national football team as another player; Tammy Abraham is set to switch allegiance from England to Nigeria.

Amaju Pinnick, the NFF chief has brought in players like Alex Iwobi and Ola Aina among others into the Super Eagles’ fold. Multiple sources including the NFF official blog and that of UK domiciled Daily Mail have informed Sports Village Square on the success made so far in getting on-loan Chelsea starlet, Tammy Abraham to switch nationality despite winning nine Under 21 caps for  England.

 

                              The Chelsea striker has scored three goals in nine Under 21 games for England.

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The player who will clock 20 in 11 days time has played nine matches for England’s youth team and scored three goals.

According to London Daily Mail, Pinnick who is a friend of the striker’s father has claimed that Abraham could play at next year’s World Cup, should the Super Eagles qualify for Russia 2018.

The Super Eagles are currently well on course for the World Cup as they are three points clear of the sole Group B rivals, Zambia, and also have a superior goal difference with two rounds of matches to play. Nigeria can confirm qualification with a game to spare by beating Zambia in Uyo next month.

Abraham who was born in London remains eligible to play for Nigeria owing to his father’s nationality and having not yet won a first team cap for England.

UK Daily Mail quoted Pinnick as saying: ‘I had a very honest and productive discussion with Tammy and his father last week. ‘It’s been a long process but I can tell you authoritatively that he has agreed to play for Nigeria and not England. He and his parents have started the necessary documents to effect the switch.

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                           The NFF Chief, Amaju Pinnick is a friend of Tommy Abraham’s father

“Clearly he understands he stands a better chance playing for the Super Eagles. With his talent he has the ability to fight for a place in the Nigeria squad, by God’s grace we make it to Russia, and then he would contest for a chance to represent his fatherland.”

The NFF website also confirms this, stating further that the meeting Pinnick had with the Tammy and his family was also attended by the player’s agent, Neil Fewills.

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“Tammy is like a son to me, because his father was my childhood friend. I believe he is a good prospect for the Super Eagles and the effort is well worth it’, thenff.com quoted Pinnick as saying.

The NFF further reports that Tammy was born on October 2, 1997 and is 1.90m tall.  He is “said to have immense respect for fellow Chelsea FC man Victor Moses, who also played for England at junior level before committing his senior international career to Nigeria”.

Another source at the said meeting confirmed to thenff.com that Moses actually called in during the meeting to lend a voice to the call for Tammy to opt to fly with the Eagles rather than hunt with the Lions.

Moses himself has proved a worthwhile ‘catch’ for Nigeria, emerging the Super Eagles’ most valuable player in his first tournament – the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations that Nigeria won in South Africa – and playing at the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals in Brazil where the Eagles made the Round of 16.

He has also been an impact player for the Eagles in the ongoing 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying race, scoring two in the 3-1 triumph over Algeria in Uyo last year and emerging Man-Of-The-Match in both encounters against African champions Cameroon earlier this month. The four points from those two games have taken the Super Eagles within a kissing distance of Russia 2018.

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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International Football

Portugal call up same player named in England Under-18 squad

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Mateus Mane in England's colour

Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Mateus Mane has become hot property after Portugal named the 17-year-old in their Under-18 squad on Friday, one day after England included him in their squad.

Mane was called up for a second successive England youth camp by coach Liam Bramley before the team travel to Marbella for a four-team tournament this month.

Mane is eligible for both teams having played for the Portugal Under-17 side last season. As the Under-18 team is a non-UEFA age group, both nations are entitled to call the player up.

He made his England international debut last month against the Portugal Under-18 side who have named Mane in their squad for a four-nation tournament this month.

With both tournaments running concurrently, Mane can only play for one team and Wolves and England confirmed he would feature in Bramley’s side.

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Reuters has contacted Portugal’s football association for clarification.

While players with multiple nationalities have played for more than one country if they are eligible, they are not allowed to switch allegiances at senior level – unless they have played only in friendly matches for the first country.

-Reuters

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International Football

Soon Cisse ceases to be Senegal’s Coach

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After 107 matches spanning nine years, Aliou Cisse will not have his contract renewed as Senegal coach, officials confirmed on Wednesday. Of the 107 matches, Cisse’s team won 70, drew 24 and lost 13.

But the impressive scorecard is not enough to impress his employers.

Thus, the end beckons for Cisse’s successful nine-year spell in charge of the side that included a first Africa Cup of Nations title and two World Cup qualifications.

He had been under increasing pressure after Senegal’s surprise last 16 exit at the 2023 Cup of Nations when they lost on penalties to hosts Cote d’Ivoire.

Senegal are unbeaten in six matches since then, but home draws with the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burkina Faso, and criticism from certain quarters over their style of play, made up the mind of the country’s sports ministry, who fund the salary of the national team coach, that a change was needed.

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“The FSF would like to thank Aliou Cisse for his good collaboration and his brilliant results at the head of the various national selections that he has managed since his arrival in 2011 and wish him every success for the future,” the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) said in a statement.

FSF added Cisse’s exit stemmed from a failure to fulfil the targets in his last contract, which expired at the end of August, which included victory at the 2023 Cup of Nations and reaching the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup.

They also said the “regression of our national team in the FIFA rankings and the risk of disaffection between our national team and the Senegalese (public)” had played a role.

The FSF will appoint an interim technical team to lead the side in Cup of Nations qualifiers against Malawi at home on Oct. 11 and away four days later.

Cisse, 48, was captain of Senegal when they reached the quarter-finals of the 2002 World Cup with what is heralded as a golden generation of players.

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He briefly had a spell as caretaker coach of the national team in 2012, but took over full time three years later.

He led Senegal to 2018 and 2022 World Cup qualification, making the last 16 in the latter before losing to England. They were beaten in the final of the 2019 Cup of Nations by Algeria.

The side made up for that disappointment when they beat Egypt in the final two years later to be crowned African champions for the first time.

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International Football

Why  FIFA banned Samuel Eto’o

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Always in the news for bad reasons, Samuel Eto’o has again made global headlines. The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has banned the former striker and the current president of the Cameroon Football Federation.

He is banned from attending Cameroon’s matches for the next six months for violating conduct rules during the recent U-20 Women’s World Cup, where his national team faced Brazil in the round of 16.

According to FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee, Eto’o was found to have breached articles 13 (“Offensive behaviour and violations of fair play principles”) and 14 (“Misconduct of players and officials”) of FIFA’s Disciplinary Code.

The sanction stems specifically from the match between Brazil and Cameroon, held on September 11 in Bogotá, Colombia. As a result, Eto’o will be prohibited from attending any matches involving Cameroon’s national teams, both male and femaleacross all age groups.

“Mr Eto’o has been notified today, the date on which the sanction comes into force,” stated the FIFA press release.

This is not the first time Eto’o has faced controversy. He previously drew attention for his behavior towards players and national team coach Marc Brys, whom he allegedly threatened in front of cameras if his directives were not followed.

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During the Qatar World Cup, the former Real Madrid, Mallorca, and Barcelona player made headlines again after assaulting a fan who filmed him outside a stadium after a match.

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