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BEWARE OF CROATIA, ICELAND, FORMER RANGERS’ STAR, CHARLES OKOYE WARNS SUPER EAGLES

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BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

 

One of the former Nigerian footballers in the diaspora, Charles Okoye has sounded a note of warning to the Super Eagles as the team faces Croatia and Iceland in Group D of the World Cup next month.

Okoye was a former player of Enugu Rangers in the late 1970s and early 1980s and also for the then Green Eagles before threading the familiar path of ex Rangers going to Clemson University in the United States.

He told www.sportsvillagesquare.com on phone from his base in the United States that he watched two matches that both Croatia and Iceland played against Mexico last March and that he had high impression of the two teams Nigeria will play against before the potentially explosive encounter with regular customers, Argentina on June 26.

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He watched Iceland beat Mexico 1-0 on March 28 at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, United States, the city where Nigeria’s former international, Kunle Awesu lived before he died the same day Nigeria was eliminated by Italy at the 1994 World Cup.

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Iceland will face the Super Eagles on June 22

According to Okoye, the Icelandic team was like the home side, despite Mexico’s proximity to Texas, where the match was played. “They pressed hard and the weather had little effect on them”, remarked Okoye.

The lone goal of the match was scored by Ivan Rakitic from the penalty spot. Okoye remarked that it was then he understood how Iceland was able to oust England from the Euro 2016 championship.

Okoye who in his playing days in Rangers was nicknamed “Warrior” is based in Dallas, the same city where the Super Eagles had an impressive World Cup debut in 1994.

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Former Enugu Rangers’ star, Charles Okoye

Like he did for Iceland, he had similar remarks on Croatia which lost 0-3 to Mexico for days before the Iceland match. The match was played at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. Okoye recalled that the former Yugoslav republic had a tradition of playing ‘hard’ since their impressive debut at the World Cup in 1998 where they got as far as the semi-finals and finishing third on the final log.

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 Super Eagles on June 16 open their World Cup campaign with a potentially explosive game with Croatia.

The Croatian national team was formed in 1990 after the country’s independence from Yugoslavia but could not enter for the 1994 World Cup.  Croatia was named FIFA’s “Best Mover of the Year” in 1994 and 1998, the only team along with Colombia to win the award twice.

On admission to FIFA, Croatia ranked 125th in the world. But following impressive outing at France ’98, the team rose astronomically to the third place, making it the most volatile team in FIFA ranking history.

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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.

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

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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.

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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

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Soon Cisse ceases to be Senegal’s Coach

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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.

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“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.

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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.

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Why  FIFA banned Samuel Eto’o

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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.

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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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