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ALBANIAN CLUB, KF TIRANA SACKS NIGERIA’S COACH NDUBUISI EGBO

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The first African coach to take a team to the European Champions League, Ndubuisi Egbo, remained upbeat despite losing his job at KF Tirana just four matches into the new Albanian season.

The Nigerian, 47, led the club to their first league title in a decade back in July; becoming the first African coach to lead a European team to a league title and qualification to the Uefa Champions League or any European competition.

KF Tirana said the decision had been “taken due to poor performances in the last matches” and also thanked Egbo for “his dedication and title success last season”.

Egbo remained philosophical following his dismissal after losing the last two matches.

“I would like to thank the club for the opportunity to serve, which helped me become the first African to win a European title and end up managing in the Uefa Champions League and the Europa League,” Egbo told BBC Africa Sport.

“I don’t have any regrets or disappointment because I gave the maximum and the team did likewise, so I remain grateful to God for what we achieved and accomplished together.

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“To the fans for their incredible and overwhelming support towards me and the team, I am grateful.

“The players for their wonderful and positive spirit all through our campaign last season, I say kudos to them all.

“Both those who made big impact and those with little impact, all of them as a team made it to happen with faith in God almighty. For now there is no regrets but grateful to all.”

From player to coach

Egbo won the Albanian league, the cup and Super Cup in three years as a player with KF Tirana.

After holding the coaching job on an interim basis many times before, he was appointed partway through the season in late 2019, with Tirana eighth in the 10-team division.

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But the former Super Eagles keeper, who is a duel Nigerian-Albanian national, realised the local media had labelled his old team a ‘sinking ship’ got to work and swiftly turned things around by bringing a new attitude to the club.

Results improved as he guided the team to a 16-game unbeaten run, stepped things up by winning 20 out of 23 matches which culminated in FK Tirana being crowned the Kategoria Superiore champions in the 100th year of the club’s formation.

“It doesn’t happen by mistake that we pulled together and surprised the journalists who had written the team off,” said Egbo, who was dismissed after two wins and two defeats this season.

“I know it’s impossible to erase the history we created. For me as the first Nigerian, African to win a title in Europe. Creating more history by taking my team to Europe’s top two continental competitions cannot be erased.

“I know there are great days ahead in life. Better is not good enough, I believe the best is yet to come.”

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A former Nigeria international who first came into prominence in south-eastern Enugu with NITEL Vasco da Gama, Egbo played for two of the premier teams in Lagos in NEPA and Julius Berger, before moving to Egypt to join Al-Masry.

He spent three years in the North African country and won the FA Cup there in 1998.

At international level, he earned a handful of caps and was part of Nigeria’s squad to consecutive Africa Cup of Nations tournaments in 2000 and 2002.

-BBC

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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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International Football

German Thomas Tuchel becomes 3rd foreign manager for England

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 - Bayern Munich v VfL Wolfsburg - Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany - May 12, 2024 Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel looks on before the match REUTERS/Angelika Warmuth/File Photo

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

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Factbox on England head coach Thomas Tuchel

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Champions League - Bayern Munich Training - Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain - May 7, 2024 Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel on the pitch during a walk around REUTERS/Juan Medina/File Photo

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.

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* 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.

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* 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.

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* 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.

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* 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

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Portugal call up same player named in England Under-18 squad

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Mateus Mane in England's colour

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.

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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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