International Football
AMERICAN WONDER AS US SHOOT DOWN FLYING EAGLES
The soaring Flying Eagles of last Friday were brought down by the USA as the possible qualification of the Nigerian side is now delayed to the last match day of Group D on Thursday.
An unimpressive Flying
Eagles side was well beaten 2-0 by USA in
Bielsko-Biala on Monday night, meaning they must earn a result against table
–toppers Ukraine on Thursday to be sure of a place in the Round of 16.
Looking already good for the knockout stages following a commanding 4-0 win over Qatar in Tychy on Friday, the two –time runners –up were taken to the cleaners by a smooth –playing American side that was vastly superior in pace, technical hue, all –round play, awareness, guile and marksmanship.
Having beaten Qatar easily, the Flying Eagles were expected to find their range against USA and get their two feet into the knockout rounds.
But that looked a mountain to climb right from kick –off as the nifty Sebastian Soto, who scored both goals, combined well with Alex Mendez and Timothy Weah to rip through the Nigerian defence at will.
Soto came close to getting the first goal after only nine minutes, but missed with goalkeeper Olawale Oremade beaten.
In another nine minutes, he got it right, as he was strangely allowed a free header from a corner inside a box that had about eight Nigerian players.
It would have been two-nil three minutes later but Oremade charged out Weah’s close-range shot. Nine minutes later, it should have been that exact scoreline but the ever-dangerous Soto was ruled offside after rifling into the net, as four Nigerian defenders made a complete hash of clearing the ball from a corner kick.
In the closing stages of the first half, Aniekeme Okon’s fierce shot was palmed away by goalkeeper Brad Scott, but right from the recess, the threatening 2-0 score on the board became a reality as Soto, again, ran cleverly behind a stiff Nigerian rearguard to snap the ball past Oremade.
Even as they improved in the second period, the Flying Eagles failed to show any attacking fluency or clinical efficiency, and it was rather the Americans who put on display excellent footwork and and cohesion now and again to threaten at will.
Nigeria must now earn a result against group leaders Ukraine – who pipped Qatar 1-0 earlier in the day – on Thursday to advance to the Round of 16.
Forward Sebastian Soto struck twice for the USA in rainy Bielsko-Bialo Monday night, powering the Stars and Stripes to their first victory at Poland 2019 while handing Nigeria their first defeat.
USA coach Tab Ramos made just one
change to the starting XI from his side’s opener against Ukraine, and it paid
doubly. First, Soto slipped his marker and nodded home Alex Mendez’s corner-kick
service at the far post in the 18th minute, giving the USA a 1-0 lead.
Less than one minute into the second half Soto snuck past the Nigeria defence yet again, doubling his team’s advantage. Chris Gloster played him through beautifully after a marauding run inside from the left-back. Soto then got his feet and hips right, waited for the goalkeeper to collapse and popped the ball into the net with the inside of his right foot.
Nigeria weren’t without their chances, leaving the USA scrambling from a flurry of brilliant individual efforts toward the end of the first half. First, substitute Aniekeme Okon’s ferocious full volley at the top of the area was saved by Brady Scott. That was followed by forward Maxell Effiom’s stinger from outside the right corner of the box which clipped the crossbar a minute later.
In the end the USA were resolute, holding on to greatly lift their chances of advancing from Group D.
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
NFF Communication director unfolds 20 Points of a 20-hour ordeal on Libyan soil
African football legends, Adebayor and Aubameyang condemn Libya’s treatment of Super Eagles
BREAKING! CAF wades into the Libya-Nigeria Airport episode
Breaking! Uzoho suspended from Super Eagles’ next match with Sierra Leone
No longer Super League as CAF changes name of its new clubs competition
AIU releases its report on Tobi Amusan
-
AFCON2 days ago
Libya’s AFCON dreams go up in flames!
-
AFCON1 week ago
Billiat’s penalty seals Zimbabwe’s 1-0 win over Namibia
-
AFCON4 days ago
BREAKING! CAF wades into the Libya-Nigeria Airport episode
-
AFCON1 week ago
Facts & Figures as AFCON 2025 qualifiers enter Matchday 3
-
AFCON1 week ago
AFCON 2025 in Morocco: Everything you need to know
-
AFCON1 week ago
Libya’s captain, Faisal Al-Badri alleges poor treatment in Nigeria
-
Uncategorized1 week ago
CAF compels Kwasi Appiah to step down from Ghana FA
-
AFCON4 days ago
Libya FA explains their inhumane treatment of Super Eagles delegation