International Football
THREE DAYS TO FINAL DRAW: A QUICK FACT-FILE ON RUSSIA 2018 WORLD CUP
On Friday, the Final Draw for 21st FIFA World Cup will be held in Moscow. Sports Village Square brings to you some salient points on the event, the preliminary competition and upcoming Russia 2018 World Cup.
- In the last 28 years of the World Cup finals covered by the Editor-in-Chief of Sports Village Square, Kunle Solaja (covering Italy 1990 to Russia 2018), five countries have always qualified for every final competition: Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Korea Republic, and Spain. However, only Spain played in all of those preliminary competitions.
- Nigeria and Tunisia have each played 104 qualifying matches for the World Cup, the second highest in Africa after that of Morocco (112) . In contrast, Mexico have played the most FIFA World Cup qualifying matches (175), three more than Costa Rica (172). In all, 61 associations have played at least 100 qualifying matches.
- The 2018 FIFA World Cup preliminary competition began on March 12, 2015, with six teams playing in the Asian preliminary round.
- The first ever World Cup qualifying match was played on June 11, 1933. It was a contest between Sweden and Estonia. Sweden won 6-2 and the very first World Cup qualifying goal was scored by Sweden’s Knut Kroon.
- The Republic of Ireland, Luxembourg and Portugal are the only teams to have played in all 20 FIFA World Cup preliminary competitions to date.
- Prior to 2002, both the hosts and the defending champions qualified automatically. After 2002, only the hosts qualified automatically. 1934 FIFA World Cup hosts Italy were the only exception, as they had to negotiate a play-off against Greece.
- Five-time world champions Brazil are the only team to have played in every final competition, but they have only played in 12 preliminary competitions. There were no CONMEBOL qualifying competitions before World War II and the Seleção qualified automatically as hosts in 1950 and 2014 and as defending champions in 1962, 1966, 1974 and 1998. Germany have qualified five times without playing (hosts in 1974 and 2006, defending champions in 1958, 1978 and 1994).
- The most successful team in the history of the preliminary competition is Germany, who have lost only two of 94 matches (both at home, to Portugal in 1985 and to England in 2001). The Germans boast an average of 2.55 points and 3.10 goals per game.
- The 208 teams that enrolled for the preliminary competition for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia set another new participation record, topping the 203 teams that enrolled four years ago for Brazil 2014.
- Only three of the 2011 FIFA member countries did not feature in the preliminary competition for the 2018 World Cup. They are: Russia which as hosts had automatic qualification, Indonesia and Zimbabwe which were under suspension and expulsion from the competition.
- By the time Peru hosted New Zealand in the very last match for Russia 2018, the number of qualifying matches ever played for the World Cup rose to 7,319 matches.
- Almost one-third of the total number of qualifying matches played by European teams in the Preliminary competition for Russia 2018 is 278. This represents almost one-third of the overall total.
International Football
Portugal call up same player named in England Under-18 squad
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.
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
International Football
Soon Cisse ceases to be Senegal’s Coach
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.
“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.
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.
International Football
Why FIFA banned Samuel Eto’o
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 female, across 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.
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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