International Football
NFF: WE ARE KEEPING ALL COMPETITIONS IN FULL FOCUS
The Nigeria Football Federation says it is keeping good focus on the several competitions in which the various national teams are participating this year, beginning with the trio of FIFA U20 World Cup in Poland, FIFA Women’s World Cup in France and the Africa Cup of Nations that are in full swing between this week and next month.
On Thursday, the FIFA U20 World Cup finals, in which Nigeria’s U20 squad is one of the 24 participating teams, will kick off in Poland.
The Flying Eagles, who spent three weeks at a final training camp in Germany, will open their account, against Qatar, on Friday.
African champions, Super Falcons, arrived at the Avita Resort, Bad Tatzmannsdorf in Austria on Tuesday, for a two –week residential camping leading to their departure for the 8th FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in France, starting on 7th June.
The Falcons will play Norway in Reims on Saturday, 8th June in their first match of the championship.
On Sunday, 2nd June, the Super Eagles will begin to gather in Asaba as they begin preparations for the 32ndAfrica Cup of Nations taking place in Egypt 21st June – 19th July.
“We are very focused and not distracted by anything. The well-being of these teams, as well as their adequate preparation to go to their different championships and do the country proud, is of utmost concern to us and that is what is receiving our full concentration, not anything else.
“Football is a global unifying force, and even in our country we know the importance of the performance of these teams and how almost every Nigerian at home and in the disapora are looking forward to the matches. Nothing else matters,” NF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi said on Wednesday.
While the Flying Eagles qualified for the U20 World Cup after reaching the semi finals of the U20 AFCON in Niger Republic in February, the Super Falcons made sure of a ticket to France after winning their ninth Women AFCON title in Ghana in December 2018.
The Super Eagles, just as they did in the race to the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals, earned a ticket to this year’s AFCON finals with a match to spare in the qualifying race.
“There are many more competitions this year, even after the U20 World Cup, FIFA Women’s World Cup and the AFCON. We are also focusing on them and will do everything necessary to prepare our different teams for glory.”
Nigeria is one of the eight teams that has qualified for this year’s Women’s Football Tournament of the 12thAll-Africa Games, coming up in Rabat, Morocco between late August and early September.
Around the same period, the Super Eagles B will be engaged in the qualifying campaign for the 2020 African Nations Championship – the tournament for senior players plying their trade in their country’s domestic league. Nigeria finished as runners-up in the fifth edition of the championship in Morocco early last year.
The Eagles B are also scheduled to take part in the WAFU Cup competition (in which they finished as runners-up in the last edition in Ghana in September 2017). The draw for this year’s championship will hold in Dakar next week Wednesday.
The U23 National Men Team, having defeated Libya in the second round of the race to the 2019 U23 AFCON (for which Nigeria is the defending champion), will take on Sudan in the last hurdle in September. The finals will hold in Egypt in November 2019.
The U17 National Boys Team, Golden Eaglets, will take part in the FIFA U17 World Cup finals in Brazil in November, having qualified from the U17 AFCON held in Tanzania in April this year.
The Beach Soccer team, Supersand Eagles, will feature in this year’s FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Paraguay in November, having finished second at the Beach Soccer AFCON in Egypt in December 2018 to emerge as one of Africa’s two flagbearers.
Yet, the Super Eagles will kick –start their race to the 2022 FIFA World Cup later this year, while the U20 and U17 girls will also begin their race to their different FIFA World Cup competitions in 2020.
This year is, indeed, the busiest ever for all National Teams in the history of Nigerian Football.
Former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has been named the new head coach of the England national team, the country’s Football Association said in a statement on Wednesday.
The German, who is England’s third foreign manager, after Sweden’s Sven-Goran Eriksson and Italian Fabio Capello, will be assisted by Englishman Anthony Barry, the statement added.
“We are thrilled to have hired Thomas Tuchel, one of the best coaches in the world and Anthony Barry who is one of the best English coaches to support him,” FA CEO Mark Bullingham said.
Tuchel replaces Lee Carsley, England’s under-21 manager, who has been in temporary charge since the resignation of Gareth Southgate after England’s defeat by Spain in the Euro 2024 final in July.
-Reuters
German Thomas Tuchel has been appointed head coach of the England national team on Wednesday.
Born: Aug. 29, 1973 in Krumbach, Germany.
PLAYING CAREER
* Tuchel played for his local club TSV Krumbach, before moving to FC Augsburg’s academy at the age of 15.
* He never played for Augsburg’s senior side and joined German second division team Stuttgarter Kickers in 1992.
* After eight league appearances for Kickers, Tuchel moved to fourth-tier SSV Ulm.
* Tuchel made 69 league appearances for Ulm as a central defender before he was forced to retire in 1998 at the age of 25 due to a knee injury.
COACHING CAREER
* Tuchel began his coaching career with a youth team role at VfB Stuttgart in 2000, working with future Germany internationals Mario Gomez and Holger Badstuber.
* He returned to Augsburg and took charge of their reserve team for the 2007-08 season.
* Tuchel was appointed Mainz 05 manager in 2009, replacing compatriot Juergen Klopp.
* He guided Mainz to Bundesliga stability during his five-year stint at the club, gaining plaudits for his team’s high energy, attacking style of play.
* Tuchel took over from Klopp as Borussia Dortmund coach in 2015.
* He led Dortmund to a 2-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the 2017 German Cup final. He was sacked by Dortmund three days later.
* Tuchel joined Paris St Germain in 2018 on a two-year contract, replacing Unai Emery.
* He won two Ligue 1 titles, including a domestic quadruple in his second season, and guided the club to their first Champions League final, where they lost 1-0 to Bayern Munich.
* Tuchel was sacked by PSG on Christmas Eve in 2020, despite the club finishing top of their Champions League group and sitting third in the Ligue 1 table.
* He was named Chelsea manager in January 2021 on an initial 18-month contract following the dismissal of Frank Lampard.
* Tuchel revived the team’s Premier League season and guided the London club to the Champions League final, where they beat Manchester City. Chelsea also won the Super Cup and Club World Cup.
* Chelsea sacked Tuchel in September 2022 following a shock 1-0 defeat at Dinamo Zagreb in their opening Champions League group game.
* Bayern Munich appointed Tuchel to succeed Julian Nagelsmann in March last year.
* Bayern decided to let Tuchel go at the end of the 2023-24 season despite a contract until 2025. Tuchel steered Bayern to the Bundesliga title in 2022-23, but they finished the last campaign without any silverware for the first time in more than a decade.
* Tuchel will become England’s third foreign manager after Sweden’s Sven-Goran Eriksson and Italian Fabio Capello.
* Tuchel will take over the team in January ahead of the qualification campaign for the 2026 World Cup.
-Reuters
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.
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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