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Super Eagles begin training for Black Stars in Abuja

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Nigeria’s army for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 play-off battle with Ghana on Tuesday started their preparations in the Federal Capital, Abuja ahead of departure to Kumasi on Thursday.

Three –time African champions Nigeria and four –time African champions Ghana tango at the 40,000 –capacity Baba Yara Stadium on Friday evening, in the first leg of a potentially –explosive fixture in which both teams will battle for a single ticket to the 22nd FIFA World Cup finals. The return leg at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja is expected to be even pulsating and fiery.

At lunchtime on Tuesday, 18 of the 25 invited players had arrived at The Wells Carlton Hotel and Apartments. Five others were being expected on Tuesday evening, with only Leicester City of England playmaker Ademola Lookman and new invitee John Noble expected on Wednesday morning.

Friday’s encounter in Kumasi will be the 58th clash between the two countries’ senior teams, with 18 of those matches having ended in draws. The first encounter was on 20th October 1951, which Nigeria won 5-0.

The last time both teams were involved in a FIFA World Cup qualifying fixture was in 2001, with both seeking a spot at the Korea/Japan 2002 finals. The opening leg at the Accra Sports Stadium was stalemated 0-0, before Nigeria won the return 3-0 inside the Liberation Stadium in Port Harcourt on 29th July 2001.

Their last meeting, in a friendly match that was staged in London on 11th October 2011, ended 0-0.

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Already in camp: William Ekong, Leon Balogun, Oluwasemilogo Ajayi, Olaoluwa Aina, Frank Onyeka, Odion Ighalo, Daniel Akpeyi, Ahmed Musa, Oghenekaro Etebo, Kelechi Iheanacho, Abdullahi Shehu, Francis Uzoho, Moses Simon, Emmanuel Dennis, Joseph Ayodele-Aribo, Calvin Bassey, Innocent Bonke, Kenneth Omeruo

Expected Tuesday evening: Zaidu Sanusi, Akinkunmi Amoo, Samuel Chukwueze, Victor Osimhen, Sadiq Umar

Expected Wednesday: Ademola Lookman, John Noble

NIGERIA, GHANA IN HISTORY

20 0ct 1951 (Jalco Cup): Nigeria 5 Ghana 0

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11 Oct 1953 (Jalco Cup): Ghana 1 Nigeria 0

30 Oct 1954 (Jalco Cup): Nigeria 3 Ghana 0

30 Oct 1955 (Jalco Cup): Ghana 7 Nigeria 0

27 Oct 1956 (Jalco Cup): Nigeria 3 Ghana 0

27 Oct 1957 (Jalco Cup): Ghana 3 Nigeria 3

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25 Oct 1958 (Jalco Cup): Nigeria 3 Ghana 2

10 Oct 1959 (Olympics Qualifier): Nigeria 3 Ghana 1

26 Oct 1959 (Olympics Qualifier): Ghana 4 Nigeria 1

22 Nov 1959 (Jalco Cup): Ghana 5 Nigeria 2

28 Aug 1960 (WC Qualifier): Ghana 4 Nigeria 1

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10 Sep 1960 (WC Qualifier): Nigeria 2 Ghana 2

9 Oct 1960 (Nkrumah Cup): Nigeria 0 Ghana 3

29 Oct 1960 (Zik Cup): Nigeria 1 Ghana 1

8 Apr 1961 (AFCON Qualifier): Nigeria 0 Ghana 0

30 Apr 1961 (AFCON Qualifier): Ghana 2 Nigeria 2

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17 Dec 1961 (Friendly): Ghana 5 Nigeria 1

10 Nov 1962 (Friendly): Nigeria 0 Ghana 0

23 Feb 1963 (Nkrumah Cup); Ghana 5 Nigeria 0

30 Oct 1965 (Zik Cup): Nigeria 0 Ghana 4

7 Nov 1965 (Zik Cup): Ghana 3 Nigeria 0

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23 Jan 1967 (Zik Cup): Nigeria 2 Ghana 2

12 Feb 1967 (Zik Cup): Ghana 2 Nigeria 0

22 Oct 1967 (Zik Cup): Ghana 2 Nigeria 1

23 Dec 1967 (Zik Cup): Nigeria 2 Ghana 2

10 May 1969 (WC Qualifier): Nigeria 2 Ghana 1

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18 May 1969 (WC Qualifier): Ghana 1 Nigeria 1

8 Jan 1973 (All-Africa Games): Nigeria 4 Ghana 2

10 Feb 1973 (WC Qualifier): Nigeria 2 Ghana 3 – abandoned, match awarded 2-0 to Ghana

25 Feb 1973 (WC Qualifier): Ghana 0 Nigeria 0

11 Aug 1974 (Festival): Nigeria 1 Ghana 0

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17 Aug 1974 (Festival): Nigeria 0 Ghana 1

24 Aug 1975 (Festival): Ghana 1 Nigeria 2

30 Aug 1975 (Festival): Ghana 3 Nigeria 0

4 Sep 1977 (Ecowas Cup): Nigeria 2 Ghana 1

8 Mar 1978 (AFCON): Ghana 1 Nigeria 1

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21 July 1978 (All-Africa Games): Ghana 0 Nigeria 0

1 May 1983 (ECA Anniversary): Ghana 1 Nigeria 0

15 Oct 1983 (Olympics Qualifier): Nigeria 0 Ghana 0

30 Oct 1983 (Olympics Qualifier): Ghana 1 Nigeria 2

5 Mar 1984 (AFCON): Ghana 1 Nigeria 2

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27 July 1986 (Friendly): Ghana 2 Nigeria 0

2 Sep 1990 (AFCON Qualifier): Ghana 1 Nigeria 0

13 Apr 1991 (AFCON Qualifier): Nigeria 0 Ghana 0

23 Jan 1992 (AFCON): Ghana 2 Nigeria 1

9 Mar 1994 (Friendly): Nigeria 0 Ghana 0

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28 Aug 1999 (Friendly): Nigeria 0 Ghana 0

11 Mar 2001 (WC Qualifier): Ghana 0 Nigeria 0

29 July 2001 (WC Qualifier): Nigeria 3 Ghana 0

3 Feb 2002 (AFCON): Ghana 0 Nigeria 1

15 Dec 2002 (Friendly): Ghana 0 Nigeria 1

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30 May 2003 (LG Cup): Nigeria 3 Ghana 1

23 Jan 2006 (AFCON): Ghana 0 Nigeria 1

6 Feb 2007 (Friendly): Ghana 4 Nigeria 1

3 Feb 2008 (AFCON): Ghana 2 Nigeria 1

28 Jan 2010 (AFCON): Ghana 1 Nigeria 0

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11 Oct 2011 (Friendly): Ghana 0 Nigeria 0      

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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International Football

German Thomas Tuchel becomes 3rd foreign manager for England

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 - Bayern Munich v VfL Wolfsburg - Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany - May 12, 2024 Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel looks on before the match REUTERS/Angelika Warmuth/File Photo

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

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Factbox on England head coach Thomas Tuchel

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Champions League - Bayern Munich Training - Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain - May 7, 2024 Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel on the pitch during a walk around REUTERS/Juan Medina/File Photo

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.

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* 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.

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* 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.

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* 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.

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* 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

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Portugal call up same player named in England Under-18 squad

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Mateus Mane in England's colour

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.

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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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