International Football
Which African team will scale the heights at Qatar 2022?
“ Ke Nako” was the official slogan for the only World Cup edition held in Africa. It was apt, being a South African Sotho language expression for ‘it is time’.
At the time, it may have just conveyed the literary expression that it was time for Africa to host the World Cup.
The expression may as well be apt again this year at Qatar 2022 to convey the desire for African teams to scale the heights.
Over the years, the best efforts of African teams had seen some of them getting to the quarterfinals.
Cameroon did that at Italia’90, Senegal as debutants, upstaged defending champions, France, to repeat the feat of Cameroon 12 years later and went on to get to the quarter finals.
Ghana’s Black Stars had a near fairy tale at the 2010 World Cup and were unlucky not to reach the semi finals stage which is the stage most Nigerians now look forward to as target for the Super Eagles if they qualify for the ‘United’ edition, as the 2026 edition will be the first to be co-hosted by three countries..
The three African countries that had reached the quarter finals in the past are back on familiar terrain.
Getting to the semi-finals will be an enviable feat. It may buoy the arguments that Africa deserves more slots in the World Cup that will be enlarged to 48 teams.
Besides, the financial rewards for the African teams will rise. The on-going World Cup is figuratively described as the most expensive ever.
It also has the largest purse ever. The total prize pool for the 2022 World Cup is $440 million, up from $400 million in 2018.
Winners will get $42m. The runners-up will be awarded a sum of $30 million for making it to the final. Teams finishing third and fourth will take home a sum of $ 27 million and $ 25 million, respectively
A semi-final placement will not only buoy the ratings of that successful African team and open up the possibility of Africa getting more slots at the future World Cup finals; the financial reward for the football associations will be earth shaking.
The semi-final slot for a team fetches a minimum of $25 million for the football federation following the increase in prize money announced by FIFA . In essence, an African team that ends its run in the semi-final and wins the losers’ final match will get $20 million which undoubtedly will be the biggest take home by any African team in a football competition.
Should the team win the third place match, the prize money rises to $22 million. This is an incentive that could and should drive the five African teams beyond their natural limit.
The final draw has thrown up the possibilities of achieving the feat. Squabbles over financial incentives had been a major problem afflicting African teams at global events.
African teams are often noted for their self – destructive antics as exhibited by the Togo team at the Germany 2006 as well as Nigeria and Ghana at the 2014 World Cup.
Thus, African teams often make more news off the pitch over disputes on bonuses.
In 2006, Togo’s coach, Otto Pfister who was a replacement for Nigeria’s Stephen Keshi , had to walk out just before their first match with Korea.
FIFA officials had to step in to stop players threatening to boycott their second match with Switzerland.
All these may have accounted for FIFA’s decision to grant each World Cup finalist, $2.5 million as preparation cost.
With the recurring financial dispute apparently taken care of, African teams should be in the right frame to scale the heights.
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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