International Football
Exclusive! Two players listed by Liberia are ineligible for Nigeria’s clash on Saturday
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
As the countdown continue to the Saturday World Cup qualifying match of Liberia Lone Star and the Super Eagles, www.sportsvillagesquare.com has discovered two ineligible players listed by Liberia for the potentially crunchy encounter.
In the 22-man list of the Liberians are two players who have had two yellow cards each in the ongoing World Cup qualifying series.
As per Article 15 paragraph 2 of Regulations FIFA World Cup Preliminary Competition, the players have to miss the match with Nigeria.
The article reads: “If a player receives two cautions in two different matches, he will be automatically suspended from his team’s subsequent match.”
Abu Kamara, one of the foreign imports was cautioned in the 31st minute of their last World Cup qualifying match with Cape Verde.
It was the second yellow card the FC Makedonija of North Macedonia received in the series.
He had earlier been cautioned in the 1-0 win Liberia had against Central African Republic on 6 September. The referee of the match, Sékou Ahmed Touré gave Kamara a yellow card in the 45th minute of the match played in Douala.
Thus, making the caution received in the 10 October match with Cape Verde, the second one. He is to mandatorily miss the next match which is the encounter with Nigeria.
The same applies to Allen Njie, another midfielder. He was cautioned in the 55th minute of the 7 October match with Cape Verde in Accra.
He had earlier received a caution in the 3 September match with Nigeria in Lagos. He got the yellow card in te 43rd minute of the match.
Mandatorily, he was to miss the last match Liberia played in Cape Verde. However, he was not just fielded in that match, he was the captain.
Having featured in that match which Liberia lost 1-0, the result might still worsened for the team if the rule is applied in the strict sense of it.
Just as it happened to Nigeria in the 17 November 2018 match with Algeria, the result may be annulled and the match forfeited to Cape Verde with three goals to worsen the goal deficit the Liberians are having.
Alternatively, Allen Njie who plays for FC Aarau in Switzerland could be made to serve the match suspension on Saturday.
Article 15:4 of the competition’s regulations states: “Any suspension that cannot be served during this competition will be carried over to the representative team’s next official match.”
Brazil will round off their 2025 calendar with two friendly matches in Europe next month, taking on Senegal and Tunisia as part of their preparations for the 2026 World Cup, the Brazilian FA (CBF) announced on Thursday.
The five-time world champions, managed by Carlo Ancelotti, will face Senegal on November 15 at Emirates Stadium in London and, three days later, they will meet Tunisia in Lille, France.
The CBF announced that these fixtures were designed to “provide the team with valuable experience against African opposition” ahead of next year’s tournament in North America.
After the conclusion of the South American qualifiers, the choice of opponents follows October’s encounters against Asian teams, which saw Brazil beat South Korea 5-0 but suffer a stunning first defeat to Japan.
With coach Ancelotti facing limited preparation time after arriving in May from Real Madrid, the matches form part of a broader plan to expose Brazil to a variety of playing styles in preparation for next year’s the World Cup.
Looking ahead to March 2026, the CBF has indicated that Brazil’s next set of friendlies will likely be against top-level European nations, with the U.S. as the expected venue.
Ancelotti has been steadily implementing his vision for the squad and has emphasised the importance of adapting to diverse tactical challenges, particularly against teams from other continents.
CBF sources indicated that the plan for the three remaining international breaks would be to make final observations regarding players and tactical adjustments in November, lock in the starting line-up in March and strengthen ties with Brazilian fans with a final friendly at Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana before departing for the tournament.
The upcoming friendlies against Senegal and Tunisia will provide an opportunity to test Brazil’s readiness against two of Africa’s strongest sides.
Senegal boast a formidable squad featuring Sadio Mane, Nicolas Jackson and Kalidou Koulibaly. They shocked Brazil 4-2 in their last encounter, a friendly played in Lisbon two years ago.
Tunisia, meanwhile, are known for their defensive organisation and have consistently performed well in African competitions.
Back in September they were the second African team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup with two games to spare.
-Reuters
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Well-travelled Portuguese coach Paulo Duarte has been named as Guinea’s new coach, less than a month before their next round of World Cup qualifiers.
Duarte, 56, has twice previously coached Burkina Faso and taken charge of Gabon and Togo, while also coaching at clubs in Portugal, France, Tunisia, Angola and Saudi Arabia.
Guinea’s football federation gave no contract details when they made the announcement on Monday, but said they would be looking for Duarte to “restructure their national team”.
Guinea trail leaders Algeria by eight points in their World Cup qualifying group with four games remaining, leaving them with only a slim chance of qualification.
They play Somalia away on September 5 and then Algeria at home on September 8 in their next two qualifiers although a stadium ban means Guinea have moved their home game to Casablanca, Morocco.
-Reuters
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Veteran coach Louis van Gaal says he has been cured of cancer and is keen for a return to the higher levels of the game.
The 73-year-old announced three years ago that he was suffering from prostate cancer, but told a Dutch television talk show, “I’m no longer bothered by cancer.”
When he announced his illness, Van Gaal was the coach of the Dutch national team, but he has not worked since the last World Cup in Qatar in 2022.
“Two years ago, I had a few operations. It was all bad then. But it all worked out in the end. I have check-ups every few months, and that’s going well. I’m getting fitter and fitter,” he said.
Van Gaal, whose career has included stints at Ajax Amsterdam, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester United, reiterated a lack of interest in returning to club management but said becoming the national coach of a top-tier country could tempt him back.
He now serves as a special advisor to Ajax.
-Reuters
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