International Football
VATICAN CITY WOMEN PLAY FIRST COMPETITIVE FOOTBALL ON THE SIDELINES OF FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP
BY MATTHEW SMITH
As the FIFA Women’s World Cup draws international attention to women’s football, the world’s smallest country have played their first ever match – against one of Italian football’s biggest names.
The Vatican City’s women’s team played their inaugural competitive match on May 26 against Serie A giants Roma.
Although the match, played over two 20-minute halves, resulted in “a double-figures defeat and a baptism of fire”, according to AFP, it represents a significant milestone for a trailblazing women’s team.
The Vatican City men’s team played their first match in 1985, and their first international in 1994 with a 0-0 draw against San Marino.
Eight teams compete in its men’s championship, which has run for nearly half a century – but there has never been an organised women’s team or competition.
Now women are finally wearing the Vatican’s colours of a yellow jersey and white shorts, bearing the keys of St. Peter and the papal tiara crest, on the football pitch.
“We thought the time was right to try to organise something, training and matches, also for women,” said Danilo Zennaro, a representative of the Vatican department of culture and sport, to AFP.
A group of about 20 women – including Vatican employees, and workers from the Bambino Gesu pediatric hospital administered by the Holy See – meet every week to train on the grounds of the Pius XI sports centre in the shadow of St. Peter’s Basilica.
The training kits are mismatched and the level of play variable, but serious effort is being made.
“We are a very heterogeneous group, there are young people aged about 25 and 50-year-olds,” said 35-year-old Vatican employee Maura Turoli, who plays as a defender.
“It’s wonderful to be on the pitch and see husbands and children waiting for us and supporting us on the other side of the fence.”
Team-mate Floriana Di Iorio, who was already part of the women’s team at the Bambino Gesu hospital, said the side “goes beyond sport” and wants to “spread a message of great openness”.
She said: “The main objective is to convey a message of union, to be consistent, to keep our enthusiasm and perhaps also to be examples in places where the role of woman is still seen as a little marginal.”
Team coach Gianfranco Guadagnoli also manages the men’s team and works in the Vatican post office, but took on the challenge of organising the women’s team.
Speaking before the match with Roma, he said: “We’ve just started this group, the first training session was one of pain, problems, but they are doing better than expected.
“We’ve never played a 11-a-side and on a big pitch, but Roma have come forward and, we will try, even if our means are not those of a Serie A team.
“It does not matter, we go with our qualities and whatever happens happens, without problems or dramas.”
Undaunted by the Roma loss, the Vatican women are back in action in a tournament in Vienna later this month.
– insidethegames
International Football
Portugal call up same player named in England Under-18 squad
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
International Football
Soon Cisse ceases to be Senegal’s Coach
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.
“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.
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.
International Football
Why FIFA banned Samuel Eto’o
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 female, across 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.
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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