International Football
THIRTY TWO PLAYERS DELIVER NIGERIA’S WORLD CUP TICKET
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
In Nigeria’s march to Russia 2018 World Cup, a total of 32 players tasted action in the seven matches played so far.
In the opening game with Swaziland on November 13, 2015, 14 of the players played, (including three substitute players) in the encounter that ended goalless.
In the reversed fixture which Nigeria won 2-0 at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Port Harcourt, five other players not featured in the earlier match entered the fray.
They are: Bassey Ezekiel, Chima Akas, Austin Oboroakpo, Paul Onobi and Sylvester Igbonu. It was at this match that Obafemi Martins last played for Nigeria and the last Nigeria played under Sunday Oliseh as the coach.
Franco –German tactician Gernot Rohr took over and in the next World Cup qualifying game against Zambia in Ndola. He gave opportunity to six players that did not feature in the previous round encounter with Swaziland. Alex Iwobi made his debut. Central defender, Ekong William-Troost who had made his Nigerian debut in Stephen Keshi’s last match in charge of the Super Eagles on 13 June 2015 returned to squad with Rohr in charge.
Kenneth Omeruo and Brown Ideye, members of the old brigade, made their first entry into the 2018 World Cup qualifiers in the match with Zambia. Also, Winfred Onyinye who made his Nigerian debut under Oliseh in an October 8, 2015 duel with DR Congo in Belgium played his first World Cup qualifying game in the away game with Zambia. Anderson Esiti also played in the match.
When the Super Eagles beat Algeria 3-1 last year, another set of four hitherto unused players in the World Cup qualifying matches were fielded. They were: Daniel Akpeyi who took the place of ill Carl Ikeme, Victor Moses Kelechi Iheanacho and Etebo Oghenekaro. In the next game against Cameroon last month, Ikechukwu Ezenwa made his debut for the main stream Super Eagles. Ndubuisi Agu was another hitherto unused player. Ola Aina became the 32nd player to prosecute the World Cup project when he came in as a substitute for Uwa Echiejile in the 1-0 defeat of Zambia last Saturday.
Rohr speaking on TVC remarked that more players will be will be employed in the trial matches ahead of the World Cup to ensure that virtually every player has a key substitute. In a media release by the NFF Rohr revealed he is elated working with the Super Eagles, after the three –time African champions became the first African country to qualify for the Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup on Saturday.
“I am very excited to be working with this team: a blend of the experienced and the young and ambitious ones. They are a delight to be with at all times, and I believe we are onto great things.
“At the beginning of the qualifying series, many people said we were going to be chasing it. But we sat down together and we promised ourselves that we would go all out and get the ticket.”
The 64 –year old, who was employed by the Nigeria Football Federation 15 months ago, has played 10 matches, winning six and losing only one. The only loss was against South Africa’s Bafana Bafana in Uyo, at the start of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in June 2017.
“That match was a big wake –up call for us. Now that we have the World Cup ticket, we will go all out for the AFCON ticket and get it.
“When you have a team that has so much self –belief, a lot of things are possible. Age is but a number. I feel young and able and willing to go on working with this group.”
THOSE WHO FOUGHT FOR THE
RUSSIA 2018 WORLD CUP TICKET
13 Nov. 2015 (WCq- Lobamba) SWAZILAND 0-0 NIGERIA.
Ikeme Carl – Oboabona Godfrey, Echiejile Elderson, Ambrose Efe, Ahmed Musa, Ighalo Odion, Obi Mikel/Martins Obafemi, Simon Moses, Abdulahi Suleiman, Igboun Sylvester/Ibrahim Rabiu/Ihenacho Kelechi, Onazi Ogenyi.
17 Nov. 2015 (WCq- Port Harcourt) NIGERIA 2-0 SWAZILAND.
Ikeme Carl – Abdullahi Shehu/Bassey Ezekiel, Akas Chima/ Echiejile Elderson, Onazi Ogenyi, Oboroakpo Austin, Ambrose Efe, Onobi Paul, Igbonu Sylvester, Simon Moses, Ighalo Odion, Musa Ahmed/Martins Obafemi.
{Scorers: Simon Moses, Ambrose Efe}
9 Oct. 2016 (WCq -Ndola) ZAMBIA 1-2 NIGERIA.
Ikeme Carl – Echiejile Elderson, Omeruo Kenneth, Ekong William Troost, Ideye Brown/Esiti Anderson, Moses Simon/Musa Ahmed, Obi Mikel, Iheanacho Kelechi, Onazi Ogenyi/Shehu Abdulahi, Iwobi Alex, Onyinye Winfred Ndidi.
{Scorers: Iwobi Alex, Iheanacho Kelechi}.
12 Nov. 2016 (WCq -Uyo) NIGERIA 3-1 ALGERIA.
Akpeyi Daniel – Echiejile Elderson, Omeruo Kenneth/ Shehu Abdulahi, Ekong William Troost, Balogun Leon, Obi Mikel/ Onyinye Winfred Ndidi, Moses Victor, Iheanacho Kelechi, Onazi Ogenyi, Etebo Oghenekaro, Iwobi Alex/ Musa Ahmed.
{Scorers: Moses Victor -2, Obi Mikel}.
1 Sep. 2017 (WCq -Uyo) NIGERIA 4-0 CAMEROON
Ezenwa Ikechukwu – Echiejile Elderson, Onyinye Winfred Ndidi, Ekong William Troost, Balogun Leon, Ighalo Odion/ Iheanacho Kelechi, Obi Mikel/Agu Ndubuisi, Moses Victor/Musa Ahmed, Shehu Abdulahi, Simon Moses, Onazi Ogenyi.
{Scorers: Ighalo Odion, Obi Mikel, Moses Victor, Iheanacho Kelechi}.
4 Sep. 2017 (WCq -Yaounde) CAMEROON 1-1 NIGERIA
Ezenwa Ikechukwu – Echiejile Elderson, Onyinye Winfred Ndidi, Ekong William Troost, Balogun Leon, Ighalo Odion, Obi Mikel, Moses Victor, Shehu Abdulahi, Simon Moses, Onazi Ogenyi.
{Scorer: Simon Moses}.
7 Oct. 2017 (WCq -Uyo) NIGERIA 1-0 ZAMBIA
Ezenwa Ikechukwu – Echiejile Elderson/Aina Ola, Onyinye Winfred Ndidi, Ekong William Troost, Balogun Leon, Ighalo Odion, Obi Mikel, Moses Victor, Shehu Abdulahi, Simon Moses/Iwobi Alex, Onazi Ogenyi/Agu Ndubuisi.
{Scorers: Iwobi Alex}.
International Football
Former Brazil coach Tite taking break to take care of mental, physical health
Former Brazil coach Tite said he is taking an indefinite career break in order to take care of his mental and physical health.
The 63-year-old, who led Brazil to the 2019 Copa America title, was hospitalised due to a heart issue last August. He was sacked by Flamengo the following month and had most recently been linked with the Corinthians job.
“I realised that there are times when you have to understand that, as a human being, I can be vulnerable and admitting that will certainly make me stronger,” Tite said in a statement posted on his son Matheus Bachi’s Instagram on Tuesday.
“I’m passionate about what I do and I’ll continue to be so, but after talking to my family and observing the signals my body was giving off, I decided that the best thing to do now is to take a break from my career to look after myself for as long as it takes.
“As has become public, there was a conversation in progress with Corinthians, but it will have to be paralysed by a difficult but necessary decision.”
Tite, who stepped down as Brazil coach after their quarter-final exit from the 2022 World Cup, has previously coached a string of Brazilian sides including Gremio, Atletico Mineiro and Palmeiras.
-Reuters
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Brazil have sacked head coach Dorival Jr, the country’s football confederation (CBF) said on Friday after the five-time world champions were thrashed 4-1 away to fierce rivals Argentina in a humiliating qualifying loss in Buenos Aires.
The 62-year-old was appointed in January 2024 after the team spent a year under two caretaker coaches as the Brazilian FA were unable to lure Italian Carlo Ancelotti from Real Madrid.
“The Brazilian Football Confederation informs that coach Dorival Jr is no longer in charge of the Brazilian national team,” the confederation said in a statement.
“The management thanks (Dorival) and wishes him success in continuing his career … the CBF will work to find his replacement,” it added.
Dorival was handed the job after his success with Flamengo in 2022 where he won the Copa Libertadores and Brazilian Cup, a trophy he lifted again the next year with Sao Paulo.
However, he never seemed to get to grips with the national team job and failed to earn the trust of Brazil’s demanding fans after winning only seven of his 16 games in charge.
Sources told Reuters the CBF was not confident in Dorival’s work, considering there had been little to no progress since a lacklustre Copa America campaign when Brazil were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Uruguay last year.
Still, the CBF was willing to wait and see until the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Paraguay in June to reassess the situation following the end of the European season and the Club World Cup in the U.S. in June and July.
But after Brazil slumped to their heaviest-ever loss in a qualifier when they were thrashed by Argentina this week, CBF president Ednaldo Rodrigues decided to pull the trigger.
IDEAL CANDIDATE
Sources told Reuters Ancelotti was still the ideal candidate but he is under contract with Real until July 2026 and there is no indication he would leave the European and Spanish champions.
Brazilian media have reported that Al Hilal’s Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus is the favourite to replace Dorival.
Brazil have been in unfamiliar territory for over two years since crashing out of the 2022 World Cup against Croatia on penalties in the quarter-finals, a heartbreaking elimination that led to the exit of long-time manager Tite.
Their humbling defeat in Buenos Aires was the latest of a series of negative records Brazil have set under caretakers Ramon Menezes and Fernando Diniz and with Dorival in charge. They had never conceded four goals in a World Cup qualifier.
Brazil are in the midst of their worst-ever World Cup qualifying campaign. They are fourth in the South American standings with 21 points, a point above sixth-placed Colombia who currently occupy the final direct qualifying berth.
Never have Brazil lost so many games, conceded so many goals or set so many negative records in the qualifying competition. They have lost five of their 14 games and conceded 16 goals.
Brazil’s 1-0 defeat by Argentina in the Maracana late in 2023 was their first-ever qualifying loss on home soil.
They also lost to Colombia for the first time, saw the end of their unbeaten run against Uruguay stretching back over two decades and were defeated by Morocco and Senegal, having never previously lost to an African nation.
-Reuters
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International Football
England’s German manager Tuchel will not sing the English anthem in his first game
England manager Thomas Tuchel said he would have to “earn the right” to sing the national anthem, God Save the King, after announcing his 26-man squad on Friday ahead of the team’s World Cup qualifiers.
Tuchel, who was appointed as Gareth Southgate’s successor in October and named his first squad to face Albania and Latvia this month, said he would not sing the anthem in his first games in charge.
“It means a lot to me, I can assure you, but I can feel that because it is so meaningful and it is so emotional and it is so powerful, the national anthem, that I have to earn my right to sing it,” the 51-year-old German told a news conference.
Former caretaker manager Lee Carsley was criticised last year for not singing the anthem during his tenure.
However, Tuchel added that while he is proud to be in charge of the team and knows the words to the anthem, he plans to earn the right with results.
“Maybe I have to dive more into the culture and earn my right from you, from the players, from the supporters, so everyone feels like ‘he should sing it now, he’s one of our own, he’s the English manager, he should sing it’,” he said.
-Reuters
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