International Football
HECTIC SCHEDULE AS FIFA BEGINS NIGERIA’S FACILITIES INSPECTION FOR 2020 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
The inspection of facilities that Nigeria have to offer for the hosting of the 2020 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup has began in earnest.
The five-man team expected to arrive Lagos Monday evening was expected to inspect the hotel facilities at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos on Monday evening.
Sports Village Square reliable gathered that the visiting officials are expected to spend the night at the hotel where they will have a pre-inspection briefing as well as another meeting on finance and budget.
The inspection of facilities commences on Tuesday after the FIFA team must have checked out of the Eko Hotels and Suites.
Tuesday’s activities will begin at the construction site of
the waterfront Onikan Arena. This is easily the oldest existing sporting arena
in Nigeria which origin dates back to 1936 as the then Association Ground.
It was renamed the King George V (KGV) on April 12, 1952 after it got a facelift to commemorate the coronation of the English Monarch. It was renamed Lagos City Stadium in 1963. The great Pele of Brazil is one of the legends that have graced the turf at Onikan.
The structure was pulled down on June 7,1973. The reconstructed stadium was commissioned on October 2, 1982 and renamed Onikan Stadium, which was again pulled down in 2018 and again renamed, Onikan Arena as reconstruction is nearing completion.
From Onikan, the Medical Group of the visiting FIFA team will go to St. Nicholas Hospital, which proposed as one of the referral medical outfits, if Nigeria gets the nod.
According to information gathered by www.sportsvillagesquare.com, the inspection team moves to Campos Square on the Lagos Island. This is one of the five training sites proposed.
The other proposed training sites are Eagle Club in Surulere, Teslim Balogun Stadium, the Legacy Pitch of the National Stadium and the University of Lagos Sports Centre.
After the inspection, the FIFA team and the NFF men will pay a courtesy call on the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide O. Sanwo-Olu.
Thereafter, the team leaves for the domestic wing of the Murtala Airport for a trip to Benin. They are expected to pay a courtesy call on the Governor of Edo State at about 2.30pm on Tuesday.
Thereafter, the inspection begins with the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, which like the Onikan Arena in Lagos, is undergoing reconstruction.
Originally, it was the Ogbe Stadium, inaugurated on December 7, 1968 before the name changed to Ogbemudia on May 18, 2001 when it was re-commissioned.
It is being rebuilt in preparation for the next edition of the National Sports Festival.
Even though originally commissioned in 1968, it has its remote history in 1952 when Chief Gaius Obaseki, chairman of Benin Divisional Government gave out £1,000 for the building.
The Benin Divisional Council also provided additional £1,000 for annual maintenance. Actual construction began in January 1967.
From the stadium, the FIFA team will proceed to the University of Benin sports centre, which is designated as training site along with the Western Boys College.
The medical group will inspect the Central Hospital Benin. From here, the team heads for Asaba by air and will lodge at Best Western Hotel.
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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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