International Football
WHICH WORLD CUP SEEDS WILL NOT BEAR FRUIT?
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.
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.
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?
International Football
Two Moroccan football players lost at sea, says club official
![](https://sportsvillagesquare.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Abdellatif-Akhrif.png)
Two Moroccan players from top-flight soccer side Ittihad Tanger have been missing at sea since Saturday after strong currents drifted their small yacht, a club official said on Sunday.
They were in a group of five players from the club who went cruising off the northern city of Tangier when strong currents and heavy winds drifted their yacht away as they were swimming in deep waters, club deputy president Anass Mrabet told Reuters.
“Three players have already been rescued on Saturday, while research is still ongoing for the missing Salman Harraq and Abdellatif Akhrif,” he said.
The players did not have buoys on them when they jumped from the small yacht to swim, he said citing recounts by rescued players.
While Akhrif, 24, is already a full member of the squad, Harraq, 18, was about to move up to the senior team this year, Mrabet added.
Ittihad Tanger have been in the Moroccan top flight since 2015 and won the league title for the first and only time in their history in the 2017-18 season. However, they have struggled in the lower half of the standings in recent years.
-Reuters
International Football
FIFA launches ‘Football Manager’ World Cup with $100,000 in prize money
![](https://sportsvillagesquare.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/arsene-wenger.jpg)
FIFA will host its first ever FIFAe World Cup of Football Manager this year to crown the best virtual manager on the highly-popular video game, world soccer’s governing body said on Thursday.
FIFA is partnering with Sports Interactive, the developers of the game that has sold millions of copies and has also been used by several football clubs to scout players and opponents thanks to its extensive database.
Players will compete for $100,000 in prize money in the final event from Aug. 29 to Sept. 1.
“This competition requires participants to demonstrate a profound understanding of football strategy and tactics,” said former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who is the ambassador for the esports event.
“Success demands not only mastery of game mechanics but also in-depth football knowledge, making this format a fascinating blend.”
FIFA said in the inaugural year of the event, selected member associations will be invited to be represented at the final event.
Member associations from all six confederations are expected to be invited while players can sign up on FIFA’s website.
-Reuters
International Football
Former Italy international Roberto Baggio robbed at gunpoint
![](https://sportsvillagesquare.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/baggio.jpg)
Former Italy international Roberto Baggio was assaulted and robbed at gunpoint at his home in northern Italy while watching his country’s match against Spain in the Euro 2024 tournament on Thursday, local police said.
Burglars broke into Baggio’s house near Vicenza, hit him on the head with a gun butt and locked him and his family in a room while they stole jewellery, watches and cash, daily Il Corriere della Sera reported. It said he suffered a deep wound.
“Luckily, the violence I suffered only resulted in a few stitches, bruises and a lot of fear. Now it is to overcome the fear,” Baggio was quoted as saying by Italian news agency ANSA.
Baggio, 57, played for clubs including Juventus (JUVE.MI), opens new tab, AC Milan and Inter Milan. He also played 56 times for Italy, scoring 27 goals, and is widely seen as one of his country’s all-time greats.
After the robbery, Baggio, widely known as the “divine ponytail”, was treated at a local hospital where he received stitches for the head wound, Italian media reported.
Italy lost to Spain 1-0 on Thursday and now must avoid defeat by Croatia to guarantee progression in the tournament.
-Reuters
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