International Football
Nigeria hosts Ghana in decisive World Cup playoff clash in Abuja
A mammoth clash looms as Nigeria host arch-rivals Ghana in the second-leg of the 2022 World Cup playoff on Tuesday with the result deciding which side qualifies for the competition to be played in Qatar later this year.
The West African rivals face off at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja in what is the decider between the two sides after the first-leg failed to produce a result
The Black Stars were held to a goalless draw in Friday’s match at the Ohene Djan Sports Stadium in Kumasi which left the return encounter delicately poised.
Both sides had good chances of winning the game but the two goalkeepers Joojo Wallocot and Francis Uzoho of Ghana and Nigeria respectively, were on top form to prevent the opponent from breaking the deadlock.
Ghanaian youngsters Felix Afena-Gyan, Abdul Fatahu Issahaku and Mohammed Kudus were all denied by Uzoho’s heroics, while Wallocot pulled off an astonishing save to deny Leicester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho
Nigeria must win their match against Ghana in Abuja on Tuesday to be able to qualify for the World Cup which would be their fourth successive appearance at the global tournament.
The Super Eagles coach Augustine Eguavoen admits they must be at their best level to be able to defeat the Black Stars even though they would be playing at home.
“Ghana were on top of their game in the first leg but they didn’t have any clear-cut chances – but we had two clear-cut chances,” Eguavoen said.
“Ghana are not pushovers, they have a lot of talent. We will keep respecting them and I’m very sure the Ghana team will give us a lot of respect.
“We wanted to win the first leg but if we couldn’t win I would have settled for a draw and that’s exactly what happened. Our organisation was very good, we combined well in all the lines.
“But we didn’t react quickly, so that’s something we have to work on because we cannot allow the Ghanaian players freedom on the ball,” Eguavoen added
Nigeria must win their match against Ghana in Abuja on Tuesday to be able to qualify for the World Cup which would be their fourth successive appearance at the global tournament.
The Super Eagles coach Augustine Eguavoen admits they must be at their best level to be able to defeat the Black Stars even though they would be playing at home.
“Ghana were on top of their game in the first leg but they didn’t have any clear-cut chances – but we had two clear-cut chances,” Eguavoen said.
“Ghana are not pushovers, they have a lot of talent. We will keep respecting them and I’m very sure the Ghana team will give us a lot of respect.
“We wanted to win the first leg but if we couldn’t win I would have settled for a draw and that’s exactly what happened. Our organisation was very good, we combined well in all the lines.
“But we didn’t react quickly, so that’s something we have to work on because we cannot allow the Ghanaian players freedom on the ball,” Eguavoen added
The Black Stars, on the other hand, need at least a scoring draw to be able to advance to the World Cup, completely transforming the recent fortunes of the Black Stars.
This follows their unimpressive showing at the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations last month where they crashed out at the group stage without winning a match.
Since then, former international winger Otto Addo was appointed as the interim coach to take over from Milovan Rajevac who was sacked following the tournament in Cameroon.
Addo, who is part of the technical team of German side Borussia Dortmund, says the Black Stars want to win the match in Abuja instead of going for a draw.
“The result doesn’t change anything. When we go there we want to win,” Addo said.
“Even though our Africa Cup of Nations was not good this year, you saw we matched Nigeria in the first leg.
“They have high quality players but they’ve got respect for us and I thought the match in Kumasi was equal in terms of performance.”
Ghana have no fitness concerns ahead of Tuesday’s match as youngster Felix Afena-Gyan declared himself fit after being taken off in Friday’s game with a thigh concern.
Nigeria have some injuries worries as midfielder Innocent Bonke picked up a hamstring injury during Friday the game speedy winger Samuel Chukwueze could be unavailable for the reverse fixture due to a muscular injury.
The Black Stars will be chasing their fourth appearance at the World Cup while Nigeria are seeking their fourth World Cup qualification in a row.
-cafonline
International Football
Players’ union, FIFPRO, wants 20-minute halftimes, more cooling breaks amid extreme heat
Global players’ union FIFPRO is exploring whether extending halftime to 20 minutes and introducing more frequent cooling breaks could better protect players from extreme heat.
Nine of the 16 host cities for the 2026 World Cup face conditions considered “extreme risk” for heat-related illness.
Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Guadalajara, Houston, Kansas City, Miami, Monterrey and Philadelphia are expected to face dangerous levels of heat and humidity, posing player safety concerns and fuelling calls for mandatory cooling aids or schedule changes.
FIFPRO’s heat risk assessments are based on wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT), a measure combining temperature, humidity, solar radiation and wind speed to estimate how environmental conditions affect the body’s ability to cool itself.
Under FIFPRO guidelines, a WBGT reading above 28 degrees Celsius indicates conditions in which matches should be postponed or rescheduled to protect players’ health.
By comparison, world soccer governing body FIFA’s own guidelines set the extreme risk threshold higher, at 32 degrees Celsius WBGT – but even by that standard, six of the nine cities are still projected to exceed safe limits.
Major League Soccer in the U.S. has a threshold of 29 degrees Celsius WBGT.
“Cooling breaks at the 30th minute and 75th minutes are quite traditional, but from a physiological point of view it does not make sense,” said Vincent Gouttebarge, FIFPRO’s Medical Director.
“Even if you ingest more than 200 millilitres of fluid, you already cannot take it all. So I would definitely like to see some project where we look at the efficacy of perhaps more frequent but shorter cooling breaks – every 15 minutes, rather than only one during each half.”
LONGER HALFTIMES
Gouttebarge also questioned whether the traditional 15-minute halftime interval is sufficient when matches are played in extreme heat.
“You can imagine that halftime of 15 minutes might not be enough in order to decrease the core temperature,” he said.
“It could be a halftime of 20 minutes which would be significant. That has been shown in the laboratory and FIFPRO, together with the national union in Portugal in August, we are going to test this kind of mitigation strategy.”
The urgency of stronger heat protocols became clear at this month’s Club World Cup where two matches — Benfica-Bayern Munich in Charlotte and Chelsea-Esperance in Philadelphia exceeded the WBGT threshold FIFPRO considers unsafe.
“According to our position, those games should have been postponed later that day or rescheduled,” Gouttebarge said.
FIFPRO officials acknowledged that FIFA has responded constructively during the tournament by lowering thresholds for mandatory cooling breaks and improving pitch-side hydration, but stressed that proactive planning is critical.
“FIFA have been quite responsive once the tournament was under way,” said Alex Phillips, FIFPRO General Secretary.
“They have actually modified how they’ve been dealing with heat during the matches based on FIFPRO’s input, which is credit to the work of the team. Obviously, it would have been better if that happened in advance, but it’s better that they have adapted.”
FIFPRO warned that the risks highlighted at the Club World Cup are a preview of what players could face at the expanded 2026 World Cup.
“This is not just affecting the Club World Cup, but also future tournaments either in the U.S. or elsewhere in the world,” said Alexander Bielefeld, FIFPRO Director of Policy & Strategic Relations.
“We need a better balance between commercial interests and the health and safety of players,” he added, referring to earlier kick-off times to accommodate European television audiences.
-Reuters
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Former Manchester United and England midfielder Paul Ince has been charged with drink-driving, police said on Monday.
Ince, who earned 53 caps for England and won two Premier League titles during his six years at United, has been released on bail and will appear in court on July 18.
“The incident involved a black Range Rover which had collided with the central reservation barrier. Officers attended the scene and arrested a 57-year-old man,” the Cheshire police said in a statement.
“Paul Ince, of Quarry Road, Neston, has since been charged with drink-driving.”
Reuters has contacted Ince’s representative for comment.
After retiring as a player, Ince led Milton Keynes Dons to a League Two title in 2007-08. He most recently managed Reading during 2022-23.
-Reuters
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International Football
From garbage collector to Starman of Ancelotti’s Brazil team: the story of Ribeiro
“I was without a team for a year and a half, doing trials… and no club in Brazil wanted me.!” Alex Ribeiro
Alexsandro Victor de Souza Ribeiro (Rio de Janeiro, 1999) was, until a few days ago, a semi-unknown to the general public in Brazil.
However, Carlo Ancelotti, impressed by his strong performance against Real Madrid in the Champions League, insisted on calling up the Lille centre-back… and giving him his debut.
Not only that. He started alongside Marquinhos against Ecuador (0-0) and Paraguay (1-0) and helped the Seleçao keep two consecutive clean sheets for the first time in the qualifying rounds.
Alex, as he likes to be called, impressed with his 1.92 meters (6′ 1″) frame and confidence. According to ‘R10Score’, he was the Brazilian player who completed the most actions with the ball (186) and the second with the most cuts (11).
He completed 154 of the 166 passes he made (92% accuracy) and won 12 of the 16 duels he was involved in: 5 of 7 at ground level and 7 of 9 in the air. “A gentleman defender,” boasted the official Ligue 1 Portuguese account.
His path to the elite wasn’t easy. “I don’t think you know this, but this is my first game as a professional in Brazil. Strange, isn’t it? There’s nothing better. To debut in Brazil like this, with a win and qualification,” he boasted after defeating Paraguay.
These first few days with Ancelotti have been unique; I’ll remember them for the rest of my life. I’ve responded well not only to myself, but also to the coach and the Brazilian people. I was able to demonstrate my ability to those who had doubts. Few people give me the opportunity that the manager has given me,” he insists
The Lille centre-back took his first steps in Flamengo’s youth system, where he even met Vinicius.
“When we played against Real Madrid, Vini came up to me and hugged me. He said, ‘I’m glad to see you here, brother.’ That inspired and motivated me even more,” he told ‘Globo Esporte’.
‘Fla’ cut him off. He had to make a living as a street vendor. He also collected trash, especially cans. “I was without a team for a year and a half, doing trials… and no club in Brazil wanted me, so I went to Europe to play in Portugal’s Third Division.”
Praiense (2018-20), Amora (2020-21), and Chaves (2021-22)—the latter already in the Second Division—were his springboard to Lille. The Bulldogs signed him in 2022-23 for €2 million. He has become a more than worthy successor to his compatriot Gabriel Magalhaes.
“Little by little, my name is spreading. My football is reaching everywhere. This includes Brazil,” he said before making his debut with the Seleçao. Now that he’s made it, he has another challenge: “I want to continue it.”
-Marca
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