International Football
THE FINAL HOUR FOR FINAL DRAW IS HERE
BY KUNLE SOLAJA, seven consecutive World Cup reporter.
This Friday the 32 teams for the 2018 World Cup will know their group stage opponents and would then begin to plan strategies of crossing the group stage into round of 16, then the quarter finals, the semi finals and then the ultimate challenge for the prized World Cup trophy.
A journey that began on March 12, 2015 with six qualifiers in the Asian Zone gets to an anti-climax as the 32 teams that survived the preliminary competition wait the pairing of teams to contest for the most coveted sport prize – the FIFA World Cup.
At the 1961-built State Kremlin in the famous Red Square, which is considered the heart of Russia, on the land of a medieval fortress, the 32 teams will get to know how their fates will be shaped when the World Cup kicks off next year June.
The ceremony is potentially colourful with a galaxy of stars already set. Sports Village Square gathered from FIFA that 1,400 guests are expected. The number of delegates expected is put at 260 while the FIFA team to the 21st World Cup FIFA Draw is put at 150 that of the Local Organising Committee is 450 and there will be 465 volunteers helping out.
The whole event is to last precisely an hour. Owing to the global nature of the event as it is going to be televised worldwide, 18 professional interpreters have been engaged to translate the content of the event into five languages – English, German, Spanish, French and Russian.
At the end of the anticipated fun-filled programme, the 32 teams would have been split into eight groups of four for the first round matches. Russia, the host, is the only team which group is known. It will head Group A as A1.
In the beginning, there will be four pots of eight teams from where the countries will be drawn.
Russia will be in Group A and will draw oppositions from the other 31 teams outside the other seven seeded countries in Pot 1.
The other seeded countries, which selections is based on the October monthly ranking, not November as may have been expected, are Germany; Brazil; Portugal; Argentina; Belgium; Poland and France.
In essence, the Super Eagles will face one of the eight seeded teams. Followers of the Super Eagles will wish that the team should draw either Poland or Belgium.
If past draws are anything to go by, Nigeria will either draw a South American team and two European sides or a team each from South America, Europe and either Asia or North America. Will Nigeria draw Argentina again? The possibility looms large.
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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