International Football
With Portugal clash, Nigeria would have played against all global icons – Pele, Maradona, Messi and now Ronaldo
BY KUNLE SOLAJA
Just a day after the 38th anniversary of Nigeria meeting England on the sacred turf of the Old Wembley Stadium in London, the Super Eagles are up against Portugal in a prestige friendly match in Lisboa.
Both teams are former continental champions as Nigeria ruled Africa in 1980, 1994 and 2013. Portugal were European champions in 2016.
The match is unique in a way most observers may not have thought. With the match, the Nigerian national team will have played all teams habouring the most iconic footballers of the world – Pele, Diego Maradona, Neymar and now Cristiano Ronaldo, if fielded.
Nigeria national team, then called Green Eagles played a Santos team that feaured the legendary Pele in Lagos in 1969. The match played at Onikan ended 2-2. Pele scored the two goals for Santos.
The Super Eagles played Argentina that had the legendary Diego Maradona as a player in 1994 and as coach in 2010.
The team also played Lionel Messi-inspired Argentina in 2010, 2014 and 2018, apart from the Olympic squad also having encounter with Messi in 2008.
The cycle is comleted this Thursday with the game against a Ronaldo inspired Portugal.
It will be the first time Nigeria and Portugal will clash at Grade A level. Past encounters of both countries have been at men’s age-grade competitions.
There have been nine of such. Three are at the U-17 level of which each won one and drew another one.
At the U20 level, the pendulum swings overwhemingly in favour of Porugal who won five of the six clashes. Nigeria only managed a goalless draw in a 13 July 2011 clash.
This Thursday’s match is an encounter with contrasting fortunes for the teams. Portugal are heading to Qatar 2022 while Nigeria’s Super Eagles will be absent.
Portugal go into the game against the background of winning three of their last six matches. The beat Czech Republic 4-0 and 2-0 in UEFA Nations League and Switzerland 4-0 in the same competition.
They however lost 0-1 at home to Spain and and away to Switzerland. They drew 1-1 away to Spain in the Nations .
For Nigeria, the Super Eagles lost four of their last four matches: 0-2 to Costa Rica, 1-2 to Algeria, 0-1 to Ecuador and 1-2 to Mexico.
PORTUGAL V GOLDEN EAGLETS
- 7 Feb.1997 Portugal 0 -2 Nigeria
- 1 Feb.1999 Portugal 2-2 Nigeria
- 27 Jan.2001 Portugal 6-0 Nigeria
PORTUGAL VS FLYING EAGLES
- 20 Feb.1989 Portugal 1-0 Nigeria
- 3 Mar. 1989 Portugal 2-0 Nigeria
- 13 July 2011 Portugal 0-0 Nigeria
- 20 July 2011 Portugal 2-0 Nigeria
- 6 June 2013 Portugal 2-1 Nigeria
- 21 June 2013 Portugal 3-2 Nigeria
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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