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Funeral for ex-England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson held in Sweden

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Funeral of Sven-Goran Eriksson - Torsby, Sweden - September 13, 2024 The funeral service for Sven-Goran Eriksson at Fryksande church Adam Ihse/TT News Agency via REUTERS 

The funeral of Sven-Goran Eriksson, the first foreigner to manage England’s national soccer team, was held on Friday in the small Swedish town where he grew up before embarking on a career that would span many decades, countries and trophies.

A soft-spoken but determined coach, Eriksson guided teams in Sweden, Portugal and Italy to major trophies in the 1980s and 1990s before taking on the England job in 2001, managing stars such as David Beckham, with whom he formed a close bond.

Eriksson announced in January that he was terminally ill with pancreatic cancer and spent much of the ensuing months reconnecting with many of the places and people central to his career before he died last month.

The funeral took place in Torsby, a rural town of fewer than 5,000 people near the border with Norway, and was attended by several hundred people inside the church, including Beckham.

Hundreds more followed the service on a big screen set up outside, local police said, and the funeral was given blanket coverage by Swedish media.

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After the one-hour service, the coffin was led in procession to a nearby community centre while a brass band played music including “You’ll Never Walk Alone”, the anthem of English club Liverpool, whom Eriksson supported and coached in a legends game in March.

Tributes flowed in from prime ministers, clubs and former players on news of his death while national teams including England and Sweden played with black arm bands during the recent international break.

“Svennis was a true football gentleman,” FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom said on social media platform X.

“He coached as he lived his life, and he will be sorely missed.”

Eriksson, known in Sweden simply as “Svennis”, led England to the 2002 and 2006 World Cup quarter-finals, and to the 2004 European Championship, managing a golden generation of players that besides Beckham included stars such as Frank Lampard, Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard.

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He began building his international reputation when he guided Swedish club IFK Gothenburg to the UEFA Cup title in 1982 and went on to win silverware as coach of Portugal’s Benfica and Italian clubs AS Roma, Lazio and Sampdoria.

Unable to end England’s trophy drought, he left the helm of the national side in 2006, going on to coach Manchester City and Leicester City as well as Mexico and Ivory Coast and clubs in China and the Philippines.

Curt Agren, watching the funeral on the screen outside the church wearing an IFK jersey, shorts and cap, reflected on Eriksson’s importance for the club. “He is the greatest we’ve had in the whole world,” he told local news agency TT.

-Reuters

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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.

OBITUARY

At last, Peter Fregene passes away

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Nigerian football legend, Segun Odegbami who has been at the forefront of the life-saving efforts for former Nigerian international goalkeeper, Peter Fregene, has broken the sad news of the goalkeeper.

He announced that Fregene passed on, aged 77, surrounded by his wife and two of his children.

“A few minutes ago, Peter ‘Apo’ Fregene, OLY, former goalkeeper for Nigeria’s Green Eagles, who has been on life support for the past one week, passed on to meet his creator. He died quietly in the presence of two of his children and his devoted wife, Tina,”  Odegbami wrote on Sunday.

Fregene, was a member of the Nigerian team at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico. He last played for Nigeria on 13 March 1982 when Nigeria lost 3-0 to Zambia in a Group B AFCON match in Benghazi.

For years, he had been battling with illness and spent the last week on life-support.

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OBITUARY

Doyen of Morocco sports journalism, Belaid Bouimid is dead

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The Late Belaïd Bouimid

Moroccan Journalist, great expert on sports, poet with a sharp pen and above all a precursor of press cartoons in Morocco, Belaïd Bouimid passed away on Monday.

According to Moroccan publication, 360 Sport, Bouimid passed on after a long and courageous fight against illness. He was 75 years old.

He was reportedly admitted to at a clinic in Casablanca where he underwent yet another surgical operation after his health deteriorated. Belaïd Bouimid was used to getting back up. But not this time. The dean of Moroccan journalists, a true big brother to all sports journalists in the country, he passed away on Monday, September 23, 2024 at the age of 75.

Throughout his career, he distinguished himself not only through his expertise and love for sports but also through his intellectual curiosity and open-mindedness.

He was not just a journalist but a deeply cultured man, attuned to the evolving artistic, literary, and cultural landscapes. His sports analyses were often enriched with cultural references, giving him a unique and original perspective.

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His humanity, sharp mind, and insightful view of the world inspired many generations, whether in the editorial offices or the artistic circles he cherished so much.

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OBITUARY

Former AIPS-Africa president, Mitchell Obi mourns the dean of Moroccan journalists

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Late Belaid Bouimid

“Really sad. ” That was the first reaction of Mitchell Obi, the immediate past president of continental sports writing body, AIPS-Africa, after learning of the passage of Belaid Bouimid, the dean of sports journalists in Morocco.

 Continuing, Obi remarked: “The exit of a reliable and splendid voice. Unforgettable times with a friend who gave his utmost to lift the African sporting press.

“Belaid was brilliant in his communication style and he created laughter from nothing. Simple, self effacing but deeply functional.

“He remains my President and Africa will cherish the sterling contributions of one who truly launched AIPS Africa from its heritage of ASJU.

“A companion for all seasons, my tearful heart goes to the family and friends in Casablanca, Morocco and beyond.

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All that goes returns. Rest well Belaid Boumid … you left us with plenty to remember you by.”

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