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CLUB WORLD CUP

For the sixth time, Al Ahly lose out in Club World Cup semi-finals

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Jhon Arias and John Kennedy scored in the second half to give Brazilian side Fluminense a hard-fought 2-0 win over Egypt’s Al-Ahly in their Club World Cup semi-final at King Abdullah Sports City on Monday.

It is the sixth time the Egyptian giants exited the Club World Cup at that stage and thus their semi-final jinx continues.

 

Fluminense, the Copa Libertadores champions will face the winners of Manchester City’s semi-final against Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds on Tuesday in Friday’s final in Jeddah.

It was a compelling encounter, with an aggressive Fluminense dominating possession, but often being exposed by Al-Ahly’s counter attacks.

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Colombia winger Arias was a constant menace, running up and down the right channel and hitting the post twice in the first half.

However, Africa’s champions Al-Ahly wasted several opportunities, using the speed of Kahraba and Percy Tau to launch quick counters.

Kahraba was denied from two clearcut early chances, first by Samuel Xavier who made a heroic goalline clearance in the 19th minute, while goalkeeper Fabio made a brilliant one-handed save to palm round the post a close-range header right before the break.

Coached by Brazil caretaker manager Fernando Diniz, Fluminense got back on top in the second half but their goalkeeper Fabio made another critical save from a Tau counter.

Fluminense finally managed to break the deadlock thanks to former Real Madrid fullback Marcelo, who nutmegged a defender, hitting the ball through his legs, to get into the box before being fouled from behind.

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Arias slotted the penalty just inside the right post and out of the reach of goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy in the 71st minute.

“I always try to do something different (the nutmeg). I’ve always tried in my whole career,” Marcelo told Brazilian TV Globo.

“At that moment, the game was in deadlock. I didn’t even think about a nutmeg, it happened, I thought about dribbling to get inside the area.

“So I managed to get in front of him and he fouled me… It wasn’t thought out, it came on the spot and it was nice.”

Al-Ahly had a chance to level one minute later, but Tau missed a sitter, heading into the goalkeeper’s hands from point-blank range.

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As Al-Ahly tried to push for the equaliser, they were left exposed and Fluminense took advantage with substitute Kennedy adding a second in the 89th minute with a strike to finish off a counter attack.

 

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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CLUB WORLD CUP

Referees’ body cameras will provide fans with unprecedented views of on-field action, says FIFA

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FIFA unveiled its team of 117 match officials, opens new tab on Monday for the inaugural Club World Cup and said referees would wear body cameras and enforce stricter goalkeeper time-wasting rules at the tournament to be staged across the United States.

The FIFA Referees Committee appointed the officials from 41 member associations – 35 referees, 58 assistant referees and 24 video match officials – for the June 14 to July 13 event.

Body cameras will provide fans with unprecedented views of on-field action, FIFA said, while goalkeepers who hold the ball beyond eight seconds will now see opponents awarded corner kicks rather than indirect free kicks.

“We think that it is a good chance to offer the viewers a new experience, in terms of images taken from a perspective, from an angle of vision, which was never offered before,” said Pierluigi Collina, chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee.

“It also has a purpose in terms of referee coaching because, of course, having the possibility to see what the referee sees is important in the debriefing.”

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Collina highlighted the historic nature of the appointments for the expanded tournament featuring 32 teams from all six FIFA confederations and spanning 12 stadiums in 11 U.S. host cities.

“The selected referees are among those who have the privilege to be part of this for the first time, so I’m sure that all the match officials will be thrilled,” he said.

“We are coming from high-standard performances delivered during the last FIFA tournaments. So the bar is higher and when you set the bar higher it’s more difficult to keep the standard. But we are working very hard and ‘Team One’ will make a solid contribution to the success of this exciting competition.”

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Referees to wear body cameras at Club World Cup

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The expanded Club World Cup holding in the US has brought another innovation to football.

Referees at the championship holding from June 14 to July 13 will be equipped with body cameras and will implement a new rule to combat goalkeeper time-wasting.

Game directors will wear “body cameras as part of an experimental phase, the tests having been approved by IFAB ,” the body that oversees the rules of the game, the International Football Federation explained in a statement.

“We believe this is a good opportunity to offer viewers a new experience, with images taken from a perspective that has never been offered before,” explained FIFA Referees Committee chairman Pierluigi Collina.

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Rule against goalkeeper time-wasting tactics debuts at Club World Cup in June

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The change in football rules that allows goalkeepers to be punished with corner kicks will be implemented at the Club World Cup holding in June in the US.

The revelation was made by FIFA Referees Committee chairman Pierluigi Collina after the announcement that referees will wear body cameras.

This initiative is “both innovative for broadcasters and for referee training,” added the Italian, “because it is important to be able to put yourself in the referee’s shoes during the debriefing, to evaluate how the referee made his decisions, his point of view, etc. “

The competition will implement the new rule approved by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) on March 1, aimed at reducing time wastage by goalkeepers.

“If they hold the ball for more than eight seconds, the referee will award a corner. Previously, an indirect free kick could be awarded after six seconds.

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Seminars for referees have been held recently. The one for UEFA referees was held at FIFA headquarters from March 31 to April 4. Another seminar was held in Dubai for referees from the AFC (Asia), CAF (Africa), and OFC (Oceania) from February 2 to 4, and a third for referees from CONMEBOL (South America) and CONCACAF (Central America and the Caribbean) took place in Buenos Aires from February 24 to 28.

“We need to see the game and the goals, not the refereeing,” said refereeing director Massimo Busacca. “The referee is the protagonist who should not be noticed during the match. A good referee doesn’t need to be seen or known. But he must be prepared. “

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