International Football
TIGHT IN CHAN GROUP C AS NIGERIA’S GROUP TO BATTLE TILL LAST MATCHDAY
Rwanda’s 1-0 defeat of pointless Equatorial Guinea has made the last match day of the African Nations Championship Group C very competitive. The Super Eagles who beat the initial group leaders, Libya 1-0 on Friday will face the Equatorial Guineans who are already eliminated.
Nigeria will need at least a draw to comfortably cruise into the next round when the Super Eagles face debutants, Equatorial Guinea in Agadir on Tuesday.
But the other match of Rwanda and Libya in Tangiers will be keener. Libya will need a win to survive while Rwanda will be wary of dropping any point that could cause injury to their next round qualification.
Both Nigeria and Rwanda are tied on points and on every parameter. The last match day will decide on the final classification. The Super Eagles had taken the initial lead when a 79th minute goal by Sunday Faleye pushed Libya down the ladder.
Both teams fought a fierce and tactical battle on the turf of the Stade Ibn Batouta, but Nigeria, bronze medallists at the 2014 finals in South Africa, created more chances but just could not put them away, as happened against Rwanda in their opening match at the same venue on Monday.
There were very few notable moments in the first half, with both teams tackling each other hard at the vital areas, and the Eagles, who needed a win more having drawn their opener against the Amavubi, showing greater zest.
But the first remarkable moment only came in the 55th minute, when Faleye, operating from the left wing, sent an inviting cross into the vital area, but Emeka Ogbuh’s header did not trouble Libya’s goal –tender.
Six minutes later, Mustapha Ibrahim came in for the battling but largely ineffective Anthony Okpotu and Ekundayo Ojo also for Ifeanyi Ifeanyi 14 minutes later.
In the 79th minute, Faleye slammed home from an Osas Okoro’s corner kick, taking the Super Eagles to four points and ahead of the Libyans.
Faleye was good for a brace only three minutes later, as Nigeria broke down the middle, but substitute Ibrahim’s pass was cut out by the Libyan defence.
In the other match of the day, midfielder Thierry Manzi’s glancing header on 66 minutes was enough for Rwanda to secure victory over Equatorial Guinea.
The victory places Amavubi at the top of Group C with Nigeria who earlier edged Libya 1-0 on four points each. Rwanda’s Yannick Mukunzi played in Savio Nshuti who failed to hit the target when he faced the keeper Miguel Eyama after five minutes.
Eyama was again called into action midway through the first half coming out of his line to punch away Eric Rutanga’s left footed in swinger.
Equatorial Guinea’s Pedro Oba missed from close range after Rwanda goalie Eric Ndayishimiye fumbled a set piece to path but he hastily fired over on the half hour mark.
Amavubi started the second half with some neat exchanges in midfield and through the wings.
Midfielder Djihad Bizimana forced a save from Eyama four minutes after the restart collecting a pass out of the area and cuts in to his right before smashing a low drive which the keeper parried to keep the score level.
Pedro Oba caused the Rwandan defence problems and could have put Equatorial Guinea in front but failed to connect to cross when he was unmarked at the back post on 64 minutes.
He was made to pay for his missed opportunity when Manzi glanced in Bizimana’s corner from the left past the helpless Eyama to put the Amavubi in front.
Eyama pulled a magnificent acrobatic save on 83 minutes to deny substitute Muhadjiri Hakizimana from hitting Rwanda’s second.
The defeat knocks out Equatorial Guinea after they went down heavily against Libya in their first outing whiles Rwanda, Nigeria and Libya all have a chance of making the last eight.
International Football
Former Brazil coach Tite taking break to take care of mental, physical health
Former Brazil coach Tite said he is taking an indefinite career break in order to take care of his mental and physical health.
The 63-year-old, who led Brazil to the 2019 Copa America title, was hospitalised due to a heart issue last August. He was sacked by Flamengo the following month and had most recently been linked with the Corinthians job.
“I realised that there are times when you have to understand that, as a human being, I can be vulnerable and admitting that will certainly make me stronger,” Tite said in a statement posted on his son Matheus Bachi’s Instagram on Tuesday.
“I’m passionate about what I do and I’ll continue to be so, but after talking to my family and observing the signals my body was giving off, I decided that the best thing to do now is to take a break from my career to look after myself for as long as it takes.
“As has become public, there was a conversation in progress with Corinthians, but it will have to be paralysed by a difficult but necessary decision.”
Tite, who stepped down as Brazil coach after their quarter-final exit from the 2022 World Cup, has previously coached a string of Brazilian sides including Gremio, Atletico Mineiro and Palmeiras.
-Reuters
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Brazil have sacked head coach Dorival Jr, the country’s football confederation (CBF) said on Friday after the five-time world champions were thrashed 4-1 away to fierce rivals Argentina in a humiliating qualifying loss in Buenos Aires.
The 62-year-old was appointed in January 2024 after the team spent a year under two caretaker coaches as the Brazilian FA were unable to lure Italian Carlo Ancelotti from Real Madrid.
“The Brazilian Football Confederation informs that coach Dorival Jr is no longer in charge of the Brazilian national team,” the confederation said in a statement.
“The management thanks (Dorival) and wishes him success in continuing his career … the CBF will work to find his replacement,” it added.
Dorival was handed the job after his success with Flamengo in 2022 where he won the Copa Libertadores and Brazilian Cup, a trophy he lifted again the next year with Sao Paulo.
However, he never seemed to get to grips with the national team job and failed to earn the trust of Brazil’s demanding fans after winning only seven of his 16 games in charge.
Sources told Reuters the CBF was not confident in Dorival’s work, considering there had been little to no progress since a lacklustre Copa America campaign when Brazil were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Uruguay last year.
Still, the CBF was willing to wait and see until the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Paraguay in June to reassess the situation following the end of the European season and the Club World Cup in the U.S. in June and July.
But after Brazil slumped to their heaviest-ever loss in a qualifier when they were thrashed by Argentina this week, CBF president Ednaldo Rodrigues decided to pull the trigger.
IDEAL CANDIDATE
Sources told Reuters Ancelotti was still the ideal candidate but he is under contract with Real until July 2026 and there is no indication he would leave the European and Spanish champions.
Brazilian media have reported that Al Hilal’s Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus is the favourite to replace Dorival.
Brazil have been in unfamiliar territory for over two years since crashing out of the 2022 World Cup against Croatia on penalties in the quarter-finals, a heartbreaking elimination that led to the exit of long-time manager Tite.
Their humbling defeat in Buenos Aires was the latest of a series of negative records Brazil have set under caretakers Ramon Menezes and Fernando Diniz and with Dorival in charge. They had never conceded four goals in a World Cup qualifier.
Brazil are in the midst of their worst-ever World Cup qualifying campaign. They are fourth in the South American standings with 21 points, a point above sixth-placed Colombia who currently occupy the final direct qualifying berth.
Never have Brazil lost so many games, conceded so many goals or set so many negative records in the qualifying competition. They have lost five of their 14 games and conceded 16 goals.
Brazil’s 1-0 defeat by Argentina in the Maracana late in 2023 was their first-ever qualifying loss on home soil.
They also lost to Colombia for the first time, saw the end of their unbeaten run against Uruguay stretching back over two decades and were defeated by Morocco and Senegal, having never previously lost to an African nation.
-Reuters
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International Football
England’s German manager Tuchel will not sing the English anthem in his first game
England manager Thomas Tuchel said he would have to “earn the right” to sing the national anthem, God Save the King, after announcing his 26-man squad on Friday ahead of the team’s World Cup qualifiers.
Tuchel, who was appointed as Gareth Southgate’s successor in October and named his first squad to face Albania and Latvia this month, said he would not sing the anthem in his first games in charge.
“It means a lot to me, I can assure you, but I can feel that because it is so meaningful and it is so emotional and it is so powerful, the national anthem, that I have to earn my right to sing it,” the 51-year-old German told a news conference.
Former caretaker manager Lee Carsley was criticised last year for not singing the anthem during his tenure.
However, Tuchel added that while he is proud to be in charge of the team and knows the words to the anthem, he plans to earn the right with results.
“Maybe I have to dive more into the culture and earn my right from you, from the players, from the supporters, so everyone feels like ‘he should sing it now, he’s one of our own, he’s the English manager, he should sing it’,” he said.
-Reuters
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