Connect with us

International Football

WHICH WORLD CUP SEEDS WILL NOT BEAR FRUIT?

blank

Published

on

BY KUNLE SOLAJA, seven consecutive World Cup reporter.

 

 

The clock is ticking fast to the final hour when the Final Draw for the 2018 FIFA World Cup will hold in Moscow this Friday. The 32 finalist teams eagerly await their opponents at the group stage – the teams they must surpass to get into the knock out stages of the competition.

If form guide and precedents are anything to be considered, the winners of the 2018 FIFA World Cup will emerge among the eight seeded sides in Pot 1. The top seeds in the order of arrangement and ranking are: Russia as hosts (even though the least ranked of the 32 teams), Germany, Brazil, Portugal, Argentina, Belgium, France and Poland.

Advertisement

The only exception when an unseeded team won was the Mexico 1986 World Cup, the tournament where Argentina became champions. The South Americans were not among the seeded six teams of that competition.

But as winners have always emerged among the top seeds, so also is the fact that among the seeded sides were losers since only one of them can win the trophy.

In the past, some top seeds have been eliminated in the first round. Argentina seeded top, and France as defending champions suffered that fate at the Korea/Japan 2002.

Spain, a seeded side at France ’98 also got eliminated in the group stage, not able to recover from the shock 3-2 defeat meted by the Super Eagles of Nigeria in the Group D opening match.

So also were Italy and Uruguay at the 1974 World Cup, just as Brazil and Italy did at the 1966 World Cup in England.

Advertisement

In 1962 in Chile, Argentina and Uruguay which were seeded crashed out after group matches, just as Italy, France and Turkey did at the Switzerland 1954.

England and Italy as two of the four top seeds of Brazil 1950 could not cross the opening round. Germany suffered the same fate at the 1938 World Cup. In Russia 2018, which of these seeded sides – Russia, Germany, Brazil, Portugal, Argentina, Belgium, Poland and France – will win and thus bear fruit?

 

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.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

International Football

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

blank

Published

on

blank
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.

Advertisement

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

Continue Reading

International Football

Soon Cisse ceases to be Senegal’s Coach

blank

Published

on

blank

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.

Advertisement

“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.

Advertisement

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.

Continue Reading

International Football

Why  FIFA banned Samuel Eto’o

blank

Published

on

blank

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.

Advertisement

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.

Continue Reading

Most Viewed