International Football
Cameroon quest for record-extension among African teams
Africa’s most frequent FIFA World Cup participants Cameroon begin their eighth tournament with a first-ever fixture against Switzerland, who helped to eliminate four-time winners Italy on the road to Qatar.
This is Switzerland’s 12th FIFA World Cup appearance. Ever-present since 2006, they have made it to a fifth successive tournament for the first time, having previously completed four straight appearances in 1954, when, as hosts, they reached the quarter-finals – their best performance. Switzerland have lost just two of their last 12 FIFA World Cup group-stage encounters, with no defeats in the last four.
Absent in 2018, having being upstaged by Nigeria, Cameroon are back for an eighth World Cup appearance in the last 11 tournaments and will be eager to end a run of seven successive defeats at the finals.
In 1990, they became the first African quarter-finalists, famously beating holders Argentina 1-0 in the opening match.
Key facts
• Three-time quarter-finalists, Switzerland are competing in their 12th FIFA World Cup and this is their fifth in a row, which represents their best-ever sequence of qualifications.
• Switzerland have not lost their opening match in their last five World Cup appearances (Win 2; Draw 3).
• Switzerland have successfully qualified from their group in four of their last five appearances at the FIFA World Cup.
• Cameroon have made more appearances at the FIFA World Cup than any other African nation; their qualification for Qatar 2022 extends their record to eight participations.
• Vincent Aboubakar, Nicolas Nkoulou and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting are the only members of the Cameroon squad with previous World Cup experience; all three are appearing at their third final competition.
Switzerland team facts
FIFA WORLD CUP TEAM RECORDS
Overall record: Play 37; Win 12; Draw 8; Lost 17; Goals For 50; Goals Against: 64 Goals Difference: -14
Biggest win: 4-1 Switzerland v. Italy (23/06/1954)/4-1 Switzerland v. Romania (22/06/1994)/3-0; Switzerland v. Honduras (25/06/2014)
Biggest defeat: 0-5 Switzerland v. West Germany (12/07/1966)
Highest scoring draw: 2-2 twice, the last of which was v. Costa Rica (27/06/2018)
Highest scoring match: 12 goals – Austria 7-5 Switzerland (26/06/1954)
Most goals scored in a match: 5 goals – Austria 7-5 Switzerland (26/06/1954)
Most goals conceded in a match: 7 goals – Austria 7-5 Switzerland (26/06/1954)
Most goals scored at a FIFA World Cup: 11 – 1954 (4 matches)
Fewest goals scored at a FIFA World Cup: 1 (1966, 2010)
Most goals conceded at a FIFA World Cup: 11 – 1954 (4 matches)
Fewest goals conceded at a FIFA World Cup: 0 – 2006 (4 matches)
FIFA WORLD CUP STREAKS
Successive wins: 2 (1950-1954)/2 (2006)
Successive defeats: 7 (1954-1966)
Successive draws: 1 (eight times)
Successive matches without a defeat: 5 (2006-2010)
Successive matches without a win: 8 (1954-1994)
Successive matches with a goal scored: 4 (1934-1938)/4 (1954-1962)
Successive matches without scoring: 3 (1994-2006)
Successive clean sheets: 5 (2006-2010)
Cameroon team facts
FIFA WORLD CUP TEAM RECORDS
Overall record: Play 23; Win 4 ; Draw 7; Lost 12; Goals For 18; Goals Against: 43 Goal Differnec: -25
Biggest win: 2-1 Cameroon v. Romania (14/06/1990)/2-1 Cameroon v. Colombia (23/06/1990)/1-0 Cameroon v. Argentina (08/06/1990)/1-0 Cameroon v. Saudi Arabia (06/06/2002)
Biggest defeat: 1-6 Cameroon v. Russia (28/06/1994)
Highest scoring draw: 2-2 Cameroon v. Sweden (19/06/1994)
Highest scoring match: 7 goals – Cameroon 1-6 Russia (28/06/1994)
Most goals scored in a match: 2 – four times
Most goals conceded in a match: 6 – Cameroon 1-6 Russia (28/06/1994)
Most goals scored at a FIFA World Cup: 7 – 1990 (5 matches)
Fewest goals scored at a FIFA World Cup: 1 – 1982, 2014 (3 matches)
Most goals conceded at a FIFA World Cup: 11 – 1994 (3 matches)
Fewest goals conceded at a FIFA World Cup: 1 – 1982 (3 matches)
FIFA WORLD CUP STREAKS
Successive wins: 2 (1990)
Successive defeats: 7 (2002-present)
Successive draws: 3 (1982)
Successive matches without a defeat: 5 (1982-1990)
Successive matches without a win: 8 (1990-2002)
Successive matches with a goal scored: 3 (three times)
Successive matches without scoring: 2 (three times)
Successive clean sheets: 2 (1982)
International Football
German Thomas Tuchel becomes 3rd foreign manager for England
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
International Football
Factbox on England head coach Thomas Tuchel
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
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
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