World Cup
World Cup pressure mounts on struggling Brazil
Brazil coach Dorival Jr insists they are making progress despite sitting fifth in the standings ahead of crucial World Cup qualifiers against Colombia and Peru.
The five-time World Cup winners have been grappling with mounting pressure after winning only two of their last five games amid a series of poor performances.
They were held to back-to-back 1-1 draws against Venezuela and Uruguay in their last two outings, but Dorival is hopeful they will rediscover their identity and get back to winning ways when they host Colombia in the capital Brasilia on Thursday.
“We are responsible for the team’s current form and for everything that has happened,” Dorival told a press conference on Wednesday.
“We are looking to recover in a competition that is getting harder every year and to get back to being consistent we will need to restructure ourselves once and for all and seek organisation to have a good defence and an efficient attack.
“I would be more concerned than I am today if I didn’t see progress despite the latest results… We are trying to make corrections so that the next results can be different, but there is progress, even though many do not want to see it…”
Brazil have been in unfamiliar territory for over two years, since crashing out of the 2022 World Cup to Croatia on penalties in the quarter-finals, a heartbreaking elimination that led to the exit of long-time manager Tite.
Dorival was appointed in early 2024 after the team spent a year under two caretaker coaches as the Brazilian FA tried and failed to lure Italian Carlo Ancelotti from Real Madrid.
Dorival has so far failed to earn the trust of Brazil’s demanding fans after winning only six of 14 games in charge, including a lacklustre Copa America campaign, when they were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Uruguay.
Brazil are fifth in the standings with 18 points, one point ahead of Paraguay and one behind Colombia and Ecuador. Uruguay are second with 20 points while Argentina are top with 25 points. Only the top six are guaranteed a berth at the 2026 World Cup finals.
They will face Colombia with seven players who could miss Tuesday’s game in Argentina if they receive a yellow card, including key starters such as Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo, Raphinha, Bruno Guimaraes and Gabriel Magalhaes.
In the South American Qualifiers, two yellow cards result in an automatic suspension.
Brazil will be without talisman Neymar, who was set to make a long-awaited comeback following over a year recovering from a knee ligament tear but was ruled out last week with a muscle injury.
Dorival was tight-lipped about his team selection, but heaped praise on Brighton & Hove Albion forward Joao Pedro.
“Regarding Neymar, it is only natural that we put all our efforts into building a team around a player like him… It ended up not happening and I hope that he recovers soon,” Dorival said.
“Joao Pedro is very versatile, a forward that has been playing sometimes as a striker, others as a second forward… He can be an asset but we have options.”
-Reuters
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Madagascar and Tunisia won away in World Cup qualification on Wednesday as two rounds of African group matches kicked off.
Still, Eswatini held Cameroon after poor travel arrangements caused them to arrive only hours before kick-off.
Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions, who have been to more World Cup finals than any other African country, were held goalless by the small southern African kingdom who picked up their first point of the campaign.
It was a listless performance from a strong Cameroon side, including Premier League players Andre Onana and Bryan Mbeumo, but not surprising as they had only arrived at their hotel in the South African city of Nelspruit around 15 hours before kick-off.
They had planned to fly from Cameroon to Nelspruit, where Eswatini hosted the match because their own stadiums have been condemned as not up to international standard by the Confederation of African Football.
Because their charter left late, however, the Cameroon squad were unable to land at Nelspruit airport which had closed for the night.
They instead disembarked in Johannesburg, and had to wait three hours before making a five-hour bus journey to Nelspruit.
The draw left Cameroon on nine points at the halfway stage of the qualifying campaign, leading Group D but only two points above Libya and the Cape Verde Islands who have home games against Angola and Mauritius on Thursday.
Tunisia stretched their lead in Group H to five points as their league’s top scorer Hazem Mastouri scored in the fourth minute to secure a 1-0 away win over Liberia in Monrovia.
It was a winning start for Tunisia coach Sami Trabelsi, back for a second stint in charge of the team
Madagascar’s new coach, former French international Corentin Martins, got his tenure off to a superb start as they won 4-1 at the Central African Republic, who were hosting the match in Casablanca.
Central African Republic defender Hugo Gambor scored in the ninth minute but Madagascar bounced back to seal a comfortable win, including two goals from Rayan Raveloson
Madagascar lead Group I with 10 points, one ahead of the Comoros and Ghana. Comoros play on Thursday against Mali and Ghana host Chad on Friday.
There are nine more African zone qualifiers scheduled for Thursday.
The winners of each of the nine groups qualify for the World Cup in North America next year, and the four best group runners go into a playoff competition, chasing one extra berth.
-Reuters
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As the countdown races to Friday’s crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying match at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali, Nigeria’s Super Eagles are unfazed by talks of Nigeria never having beaten Rwanda in any part of the country called Rwanda.
Their focus, according to team captain William Ekong, is the three points at stake.
“We read about that in some places, but we are not bothered. I was part of the last game in Kigali which ended scoreless, but we know that we cannot afford a draw this time.
“Our objective is to pick the three points and bring some life back into our campaign.
“We are certainly not concerned about history books and what has happened before now. Qualification for the FIFA World Cup is our priority.”
The three-time African champions are yet to achieve victory over Rwanda in that country, going back to 20 years ago when a 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying match ended 1-1 at the Amahoro Stadium.
In 2011, a 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match at the Stade Regional de Nyamirambo, in the outskirts of Kigali, ended scoreless.
In September last year, another 0-0 was the outcome of a 2025 AFCON qualifying match at the Amahoro.
All 23 invited players were at the Eagles’ Radisson Blu nest on Tuesday night, meaning everyone would be involved in the second training on Wednesday, and in the official training session at the Amahoro Stadium on Thursday evening.
Nigeria’s goal-banger Victor Osimhen was among the early arrivals while celebrating becoming the new leading scorer in the Turkish Superlig with 20 goals after a hat-trick on Saturday.
The 2015 FIFA U17 World Cup top scorer now has 23 goals for Nigeria in 47 matches.
There are also reigning Africa Player of the Year Ademola Lookman, Simon Moses, Samuel Chukwueze, Sadiq Umar and new invitee Tolu Arokodare to make life difficult for the Amavubi rearguard.
World football governing body, FIFA has appointed Moroccan referee Jalal Jayed, who turns 38 two days after the match, to take charge of the game that will kick off at 6 pm Rwanda time (5 pm Nigeria time).
Jayed took charge of a friendly game between the Super Eagles and Ghana’s Black Stars in Marrakech on 22nd March 2024, which Nigeria won 2-1.
That match marked the first in 18 years that Nigeria would overcome Ghana in a game at the senior level.
On Friday, Franco-Malian tactician Éric Sékou Chelle will lead out the Super Eagles for the first time, as the FIFA World Cup qualifying series resumes with Nigeria, yet to win in their previous four matches, having to start winning to brighten their chances of picking the only automatic ticket from Group C to the finals in USA, Canada and Mexico next summer.
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With Friday’s match having the ability to shape the destiny of the Super Eagles in the 2026 World Cup qualification series, they are condemned to win the encounter with Rwanda.
But the Rwandans are not waiting to be slayed. A win, or even a draw will boost their chances of first ever World Cup qualification.
In contrast, a draw or a defeat for the Super Eagles could spell doom by almost ending their qualification journey.
The match is almost a reversed fixture of both teams that last featured in the international calendar last November facing each other in Uyo.
Both go into Friday’s game under new coaches. Algeria’s Adel Amrouche is the new helmsman in Rwanda while Eric Chelle takes over from Nigeria’s interim coach, Austin Eguavoen.
The lead newspaper in Rwanda, The New Times gives tips to the home team on how they could overcome Nigeria. There are five tips offered.
- Take control of the midfield
The last time Rwanda hosted Nigeria in Kigali was in the 2025 AFCON qualifiers on September 10, 2024, in a game which ended 0-0.
The game saw Rwandan midfield trio Bonheur Mugisha, Djihad Bizimana and Kevin Muhire running the show.
The tripod of Rwanda’s Midfield: Bonheur Mugisha, Djihad Bizimana and Kevin Muhire
They outclassed the likes of Wilfried Ndidi, Dele-Bashiru and Bruno Onyemaechi though the Rwandan attack looked blunt on the day.
On Friday, Rwanda has the tendency to control the midfield again and once they prove superior in that department, it will reduce the pressure which the opponent may mount.
- Man-mark Osimhen
During the previous match at the same venue last year, it was Rwandan goalkeeper Fiacre Ntwari against Nigeria’s menacing attack.
Ntwari pulled as many as 11 brilliant saves to keep his side in the game.
Masked man, Victor Osimhen will be a marked man on Friday.
Osimhen came into that game in the second half and had three good chances saved by Ntwari.
The Galatasaray striker is likely to start on Friday and centre-backs Ange Mutsinzi and Thierry Manzi must man-mark him.
They shouldn’t give Osimhen any room to operate as he just needs one chance to cause havoc.
He will be coming into the game like a wounded lion and the Amavubi guardsmen should be able to frustrate him.
- Spread the game to the wings
The majority of Amavubi’s most recent goals have been scored from crosses where Innocent Nshuti scored [against Libya and Nigeria] from the wings.
Amrouche will be without left-back Emmanuel Imanishimwe who did the damage in Uyo but, in his absence, Amavubi has a formidable replacement in Claude Niyomugabo.
Rwanda will depend on Claude Niyomugabo to run the flanks
On his day, the APR skipper is unplayable and can mesmerize any fullback on the flanks.
Amavubi should get the ball to the flanks as both Niyomugabo and Fitina Omborenga can deliver dangerous crosses for Nshuti.
- Give Lookman no luxury of finding space
Lookman is dangerous and he showed it when the two teams last met in Kigali. The Atalanta forward is not only a goal scorer but a ball juggler who can torment the opposing team’s defence.
All eyes will look on Lookman
Ademola Whether Eric Chelle uses Lookman as a number 10 or from the wings, Amavubi players shouldn’t give him space to operate as he can settle the game with one moment of brilliance.
They should stop him and always a keen eye on him any time he has the ball so that he doesn’t go solo.
- Be proactive in the Nigeria penalty box
Nshuti should be attentive as Nigeria goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali has a problem which is always spilling or punching balls before trying to grab it firmly again.
Relentless attack in Nigeria’s goalmouth is what Rwanda plan
Amavubi has the likes of Djihad Bizimana and others who have the power to hit balls from long range.
Nshuti, in particular, should be lurking inside the penalty box as he can score from rebounds.
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