International Football
WE ASPIRE TO BE ON TOP OF THE WORLD, NDIDI TELLS SINGAPORE PRESS
BY DAVID LEE.
In 1977, Brazil football legend Pele predicted that Africa would deliver a World Cup champion by 2000, as he was impressed by the talents in the continent.
Since then, African footballers have made an impact in Europe. At the last World Cup in Russia, more than 70 per cent of the 115 African players called up across Egypt, Nigeria, Morocco, Tunisia and Senegal were playing for European clubs.
However, it was also the first time since 1982 that no African teams made it to the round of 16.
Corruption and a lack of infrastructure, and even the disproportionate allocation of World Cup spots – Africa has 48 countries vying for four places, while 13 slots were up for grabs for 54 European teams – have often been cited as reasons for Africa’s lack of progress at football’s biggest stage.
But in an exclusive interview with The Straits Times, Nigeria
midfielder Wilfred Ndidi said he believes that African teams can make a bigger
impact at the World Cup. They need to believe more in themselves and play as a
team to get to a World Cup final, or at least surpass the quarter-final feat
achieved by Cameroon (1990), Senegal (2002), and Ghana (2010), he added.
“With the right mindset and belief in our qualities, and playing together as a team and not just individuals, we can make every game count and get the wins to go as far as possible,” said the 22-year-old Leicester City player, who is here with Nigeria for a friendly against Brazil today as part of the Brazil Global Tour.
While Nigeria have blazed the trail for Africa by winning five Under-17 world titles and Olympic football gold in 1996, and reached the second round of the World Cup three times (the most for an African team), the Super Eagles have never progressed past the round of 16.
German Gernot Rohr, who has coached Nigeria since 2016, said that African teams still have to improve in terms of organisation and discipline. The 66-year-old said: “It is always the same problems – waiting days for our equipment to arrive, visa issues – we have to do better.
“We need to do better work with the young players, who need to have more discipline. We have African players doing well in Europe, some like our stand-in captain William Troost-Ekong are born in Europe and bring back good philosophy and culture which others can learn.”
Citing Nigeria’s 4-2 win over two-time world champions Argentina in 2017 as evidence that the gap is narrowing between African teams and the world’s best, Ndidi believes that a combination of experience and youth will also help Nigeria’s cause.
With 2015 Under-17 World Cup winners Samuel Chukwueze and Victor Osimhen in Nigeria’s squad in Singapore, Ndidi said: “We have closed the gap and we are still growing. You can see we are trying to play a young team at the World Cup, and at the African Cup of Nations.
“We are young, mobile, and we can play good football. Everything comes with time, we are trying our best and we are getting there.”
Tonight’s friendly against the Samba Boys will give the Super Eagles the opportunity to show the world they are ready to soar again, even if they are missing John Obi Mikel and Odion Ighalo, who have retired from international football, and injured striker and captain Ahmed Musa.
Brazil beat Nigeria 3-0 in their only meeting in 2003 but the latter are plotting an upset. Troost-Ekong said: “Brazil are one of the best teams in the world and we have to respect them. But if we are at our best, we can make things difficult for them. We shouldn’t fear them or be afraid. We have young players who want to prove ourselves.”
-The Straits Times
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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