International Football
BRAZIL’S 1982 WORLD CUP TEAM REUNITE AGAINST COVID-19
Members of Brazil’s 1982 World Cup squad have reunited to ask their compatriots to work together and donate money to help the country’s overcrowded favelas avoid the worst ravages of the coronavirus.
They are just some of the country’s leading athletes, past and present, who are stepping up to help the most vulnerable communities.
In an initiative led by Paulo Roberto Falcao, 19 players, including Zico, Junior and Leandro, recorded a video message appealing for donations.
“The 1982 Brazil team was known for its creativity, union and collective work ethic,” Falcao said. “Now we are springing into action for Brazil again.”
The former Roma and Internacional midfielder said 2.6 million reais (S$719,250) has been raised in less than a week.
His appeal is the latest in a series of efforts by leading current and former Brazilian footballers to help the largest South American nation cope with the effects of Covid-19.
More than 900 Brazilians have died from the virus but doctors fear the death toll could rise exponentially if it gets a foothold in the densely populated favelas, or shanty towns, that dot most Brazilian cities.
The Brazil team at the 1982 World Cup in Spain is widely held to be one of the greatest sides never to win the tournament.
After beating the Soviet Union, Scotland, New Zealand and Argentina, Brazil needed a draw against Italy to move into the semi-finals.
However, a hat-trick from Paolo Rossi gave the Azzurri a 3-2 win and helped them on the way to the final, where they defeated West Germany 3-1.
All the Brazil team except captain Socrates, goalkeeper Waldir Peres and midfielder Batista are still alive and contributed a video for Falcao’s initiative.
Olympic judo medallist Flavio Canto, meanwhile, is among those giving his time and money to battle the outbreak.
“When all this is over, those that have a lot are going to have a lot less but they’ll still have more than most, and they have an obligation to help those who have nothing,” the Rio de Janeiro resident told Reuters.
A bronze medallist in the men’s 81kg category at Athens 2004, Canto is almost as famous in Brazil for his work with the Instituto Reacao, a charity that uses martial arts to help transform young people’s lives.
He is raising funds for a project that will give a monthly stipend to thousands of families in Rio and Cuiaba who are under quarantine or suffering financially due to unemployment or the need to self-isolate. The monthly stipend of around 100 reais comes in the form of a pre-paid cash card that can be used in local supermarkets.
“My charity has 20 years of experience in that field and the other athletes are people with the same profile, who have experience in charity work and therefore credibility,” he said by telephone from Rio.
Dunga urges donations
One such athlete is Dunga, who captained the Selecao to their 1994 World Cup win.
The former Internacional and Fiorentina midfielder is working with business contacts and former players – including ex-Brazil internationals Jorginho and Edmilson and Paulo Cesar Tinga – to help disadvantaged communities in his home state of Rio Grande do Sul.
Like Canto, Dunga has run a charitable foundation for many years, helping orphanages, old folks’ homes and social projects.
In the last few days he has persuaded supermarket owners, food producers and transportation companies to donate and distribute more than 10 tonnes of food to local charities as more and more people suffer due to the virus.
“We saw that there are a lot of people in the favelas who aren’t working and they don’t have food so I called the friends I still play football with and said let’s do something,” he told Reuters.
–Reuters
Amid the controversy over Senegal being stripped of the Africa Cup of Nations title and Morocco being declared winners, the international debut of Issa Diop on Friday proved something of an irony as well as a public relations coup.
The Fulham defender was born in France and played for the country at the Under-21 level, but on Thursday had his application to switch nationality to Morocco approved by world football’s governing body FIFA and was immediately drafted into the starting line-up for the 1-1 draw against Ecuador in Madrid.
Diop, whose father is Senegalese and mother from Morocco, had previously rejected overtures from both countries to play for them while holding out hope he might represent France.
The 29-year-old said several times he wanted to play for Les Bleus, but with no call-up from France coach Didier Deschamps, he has now taken up the opportunity to possibly play at the World Cup for Morocco.
“I was very happy to play in a team with a lot of good players, and I think I’ve made a good choice,” Diop said after Friday’s match.
Diop had talks with Morocco’s new coach, Mohamed Ouahbi and Moroccan Federation President Faouzi Lekjaa.
“They explained their vision to me, and I was taken in with open arms by a cheerful group of players with a great atmosphere in the camp,” he said.
The North Africans have a track record of assiduously courting players with links to the country who they believe can improve their national team, but this is the first tug-of-war over player loyalty with another African country they have won.
Senegal also draw heavily on their diaspora in France, and the 28-man squad which won the Cup of Nations in Morocco in January featured 12 French-born players.
Senegal this week formally contested the decision of the Confederation of African Football’s Appeal Board to take the title away from them.
They were ruled to have forfeited the final in Rabat on January 18 because they walked off the pitch in protest at a potentially decisive penalty awarded to Morocco, but have now referred the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The posturing between the two countries continued on Friday when Senegal held a press conference ahead of Saturday’s friendly against Peru in front of a banner that read “Champions of Africa”.
They are expected to display the Cup of Nations trophy to supporters ahead of the match at the Stade de France.
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Nigeria’s Super Eagles secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Iran in an international friendly concluded on Friday in Belek, Turkey, boosting confidence ahead of upcoming competitive fixtures.
In a match played against the backdrop of geopolitical tension surrounding the Iranian team’s World Cup preparations, Nigeria showed greater composure in key moments to emerge deserved winners.
The Super Eagles took the lead in the first half after a lively start, through Moses Simon in the 7th minute.
Nigeria doubled the lead through Akor Adams in the 51st minute. Iran reduced the deficit in the 67th minute through Medhi Taremi.
The encounter was Nigeria’s first meeting with Iran since their goalless draw at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and it provided an important test for the technical crew as they assess player combinations and tactical options.
The match also carried added attention following Iran’s pre-game protest gesture, where players wore black armbands and held schoolbags in solidarity with victims of a recent conflict-related incident.
For Nigeria, the result offers a positive platform as preparations continue, with another friendly against Jordan scheduled in the coming days. The win is expected to strengthen morale within the squad while giving the coaching crew clearer insight into the team’s readiness for future challenges.
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French soccer icon Zinedine Zidane has agreed to take over his national team’s head coaching duties following this summer’s FIFA World Cup, ESPN reported Monday.
Zidane, 53, reportedly reached a verbal agreement with the Federation Francaise de Football to replace Didier Deschamps, who has held the role since 2012.
Zidane, who managed La Liga powerhouse Real Madrid for two stints (2016-18, 2019-21), has long been expected to eventually become the skipper for France.
As a player, the dynamic midfielder won the 1998 Ballon d’Or and was a three-time FIFA World Player of the Year (1998, 2000 and 2003). He helped France win the World Cup in 1998 and finish second in 2006. He was infamously sent off during the final of the 2006 World Cup when he headbutted Italy’s Marco Materazzi in the chest.
-Reuters
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