International Football
‘FROM SWEDEN TO SWEDEN’ HIGHLIGHTS TARIBO WEST’S SUPER EAGLES’ CAREER
BY KUNLE SOLAJA
Sweden will be a recurring decimal when the saga of Nigeria’s former hard-tackling defender, Taribo West is written.
He began his Super Eagles career with a friendly match with Sweden, just before the USA ’94 World Cup and ended his competitive career with Sweden in the second group game of Nigeria at the 2002 World Cup at the Wing Stadium, Kobe, South Korea.
He however made a cameo appearance with the Super Eagles in a 17 August 2005 friendly match with Libya when he was substituted by Obinna Nwaneri.
But it was on this date, 5 May 1993 (26 years ago) that Taribo came in in the 63rd minute to replace Benedict Iroha in a friendly match with Sweden as Coach Westerhof continued to inject new blood into his World Cup-bound Super Eagles.
It was Taribo’s first outing with the Super Eagles. Nigeria lost the match, 3-1.
Wole Odegbami, the younger brother to African legend, Segun Odegbami scored Nigeria’s only goal in the 73rd minute, reducing the tally to 2-1 before the Swedes consolidated their lead.
The Swedes took the lead in the third minute through Stefan Schwarz. Henrik Larson doubled the lead just before half time.
Coincidentally, it was the same Henrik Larson that scored the goals that ended Taribo’s career in the Super Eagles when Nigeria lost 2-1 to Sweden in 2002. Zlatan Ibrahimović was an unused substitute in the match.
In the 2002 game, Larson scored in the 35th minute to cancel an earlier lead Nigeria had through Julius Aghahowa’s header. Larson scored again through a penalty kick in the 63rd minute.
Taribo played the game with stitches on his left eyebrow after being injured in the game. It was his last for Nigeria, as he was not fielded in the last Group F match against England.
In the 1994 match, Taribo West did not make the final cut for the World Cup. He was however a member of the Super Eagles to the 1998 and 2002 World Cup finals.
The 42-capped defender, now head clean, is best remembered for his various unusual and colourful hairstyles.
His international laurels include the 1996 Olympic Games’ gold medal. A discovery of Coach Monday Sinclair in Port Harcourt, Taribo West won several trophies with Auxerre in French football and also played for the two great clubs of Milan in Italy, Internazionale and AC Milan.
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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