International Football
RUSSIA 2018 DESIRE PROPELS EAGLES IN MOROCCO
Ardent desire to gain places in Nigeria’s 23 –man squad for the FIFA World Cup finals in Russia will be the key incentive for Nigeria’s home –based professionals, who begin campaign for glory in the 5th African Nations Championship in Morocco on Monday.
Gernot Rohr, Technical Adviser of the A squad, has made it known that outstanding individuals would be considered for the showpiece in the Russian Federation in the summer, leaving the fate of the home boys lucky to make it to Morocco firmly in their own hands.
Nigeria will open its account against 2016 hosts Rwanda on Monday in Tangier, which is on the Strait of the Atlantic Ocean, but the focus will be more straight and direct on the actors from the Nigeria Professional Football League, who have an opportunity to stake claims for places in Mr. Rohr’s ensemble.
Franco-German tactician Rohr must name his 23 –man team for the World Cup finals 48 hours after the prestige friendly with England’s Three Lions at Wembley on June 2.
The race therefore begins furious and fast on Monday and Rwanda’s Amavubi, who have been victims to Nigerian teams on several occasions in recent memory, are on the firing line at the Stade Ibn Batouta, from 7.30pm Moroccan time (8.30pm Nigeria).
The match comes up after the Group C opener between 2014 champions Libya and Equatorial Guinea, which starts at 5.30pm Nigeria time.
At the same venue, four days later, the Eagles file out against 2014 champions Libya, and Morocco’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Moha Ou Ali Tagma already warned the Eagles to beware of a team that is actually the A team of the North African nation.
“You see Libya could be difficult because not many of their players go outside the country. So, in truth, it is practically the A team that is coming to the CHAN,” Tagma said last week.
Equatorial Guinea will be the opposition in the Eagles’ final match of the group phase at the Stade Adrar in Agadir on the evening of 23rd January.
Head Coach Salisu Yusuf told thenff.com: “The players know what is at stake. We are not here just for the CHAN.
“Everyone is thinking of the World Cup as well. For the players, they have a massive opportunity to play their way into the A team for the big one in Russia.
“However, at every opportunity, myself and my assistants have made it clear to the boys that they must work as a team.
“If they win the tournament, the chances of several players making the team to Russia will be high. No man can clap with only one hand. Team work is key in this business.”
Incidentally, Yusuf is deputy to Rohr in the A squad, and the latter will watch the matches from the stands in Morocco.
Rohr said: “The CHAN is a major competition and opportunity for us to take another look at the home boys. There could be some of them who will convince the technical crew that they can fight for places in the A team.”
Of the 16 teams taking part in the 23 –day tournament, only players of hosts Morocco and Nigeria are inspired by the possibility of being drafted into their main teams for the FIFA World Cup.
Certainly, Morocco’s players showed what that kind of motivation could amount to, when they hammered neighbours Mauritania 4-0 in Saturday’s opening match in Casablanca. Ayoub el Kaabi scored two of the goals.
Africa’s three other Russia 2018 flagbearers, viz Tunisia, Egypt and Senegal are not in Morocco. Egypt qualified but forfeited their slot and that enabled Rwanda (Nigeria’s opponents on Monday) to sneak in ahead of Ethiopia via a play-off.
Tunisia won the 2011 competition, beating Angola in the final in Sudan. But the team that would be missed the most is the Democratic Republic of Congo, who won the 2009 and 2016 championships, but were rendered ineligible for Morocco 2018 on the away goal rule by neighbours Congo Brazzaville.
For Nigeria, goalkeeper and skipper Ikechukwu Ezenwa already has a stead in the A team, as he won applause for performances against Cameroon home-and-away in the race to Russia, and was also in goal for the away tie to Algeria in Constantine on the final day of the series.
Oladele Ajiboye, number one goalkeeper of reigning Nigeria champions Plateau United, won the World Cup with Nigeria’s U17 team 11 years ago and has featured for the U20 and U23 teams.
Defender Osas Okoro, midfielder Rabiu Ali and forward Anthony Okpotu impressed at the WAFU Cup of Nations in Ghana in September 2017.
Enugu Rangers’ full back Kalu Orji Okogbue has been in the A team camp previously, and defender Stephen Eze and midfielder Ifeanyi Ifeanyi have also sniffed the oxygen in that territory.
Plateau United’s Daniel James, Enyimba’s Augustine Oladapo and Emeka Atuloma of Rivers United are capable of springing surprises.
New boys Sunday Faleye, Ifeanyi Nweke and Dayo Ojo also have the ability to rise to the occasion in North Africa and give Mr. Rohr pleasant problems.
NIGERIA’S SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Ikechukwu Ezenwa (Enyimba FC); Oladele Ajiboye (Plateau United); Theophilus Afelokhai (Enyimba FC)
Defenders: Osas Okoro (Rangers International); Daniel James (Plateau United); Kalu Orji Okogbue (Rangers International); Ikouwem Utin (Enyimba FC); Abdullahi Musa (Wikki Tourists); Timothy Danladi (Katsina United); Ifeanyi Nweke (Kano Pillars); Stephen Eze (Kano Pillars)
Midfielders: Ifeanyi Ifeanyi (Akwa United); Rabiu Ali (Kano Pillars); Augustine Oladapo (Enyimba FC); Ekundayo Ojo (Sunshine Stars)
Forwards: Emeka Atuloma (Rivers United); Anthony Okpotu (Lobi Stars); Eneji Moses (Plateau United); Ibrahim Mustapha (Enyimba FC); Emeka Ogbuh (Rivers United); Sunday Faleye (Shooting Stars); Nur Muhammed (El-Kanemi Warriors); Okechukwu Gabriel (Akwa United)
GROUP A (CASABLANCA)
Morocco
Guinea
Sudan
Mauritania
GROUP B (MARRAKECH)
Cote d’Ivoire
Zambia
Uganda
Namibia
GROUP C (TANGIER)
Libya
Nigeria
Rwanda
Equatorial Guinea
GROUP D (AGADIR)
Angola
Cameroon
Congo
Burkina Faso
NIGERIA’S MATCHES
Vs Rwanda (15 January) – Tangier (7.30pm Morocco; 8.30pm Nigeria)
Vs Libya (19 January) – Tangier (4.30pm Morocco; 5.30pm Nigeria)
Vs Eq. Guinea (23 January) – Agadir (7pm Morocco; 8pm Nigeria)
International Football
Players’ union, FIFPRO, wants 20-minute halftimes, more cooling breaks amid extreme heat

Global players’ union FIFPRO is exploring whether extending halftime to 20 minutes and introducing more frequent cooling breaks could better protect players from extreme heat.
Nine of the 16 host cities for the 2026 World Cup face conditions considered “extreme risk” for heat-related illness.
Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Guadalajara, Houston, Kansas City, Miami, Monterrey and Philadelphia are expected to face dangerous levels of heat and humidity, posing player safety concerns and fuelling calls for mandatory cooling aids or schedule changes.
FIFPRO’s heat risk assessments are based on wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT), a measure combining temperature, humidity, solar radiation and wind speed to estimate how environmental conditions affect the body’s ability to cool itself.
Under FIFPRO guidelines, a WBGT reading above 28 degrees Celsius indicates conditions in which matches should be postponed or rescheduled to protect players’ health.
By comparison, world soccer governing body FIFA’s own guidelines set the extreme risk threshold higher, at 32 degrees Celsius WBGT – but even by that standard, six of the nine cities are still projected to exceed safe limits.
Major League Soccer in the U.S. has a threshold of 29 degrees Celsius WBGT.
“Cooling breaks at the 30th minute and 75th minutes are quite traditional, but from a physiological point of view it does not make sense,” said Vincent Gouttebarge, FIFPRO’s Medical Director.
“Even if you ingest more than 200 millilitres of fluid, you already cannot take it all. So I would definitely like to see some project where we look at the efficacy of perhaps more frequent but shorter cooling breaks – every 15 minutes, rather than only one during each half.”
LONGER HALFTIMES
Gouttebarge also questioned whether the traditional 15-minute halftime interval is sufficient when matches are played in extreme heat.
“You can imagine that halftime of 15 minutes might not be enough in order to decrease the core temperature,” he said.
“It could be a halftime of 20 minutes which would be significant. That has been shown in the laboratory and FIFPRO, together with the national union in Portugal in August, we are going to test this kind of mitigation strategy.”
The urgency of stronger heat protocols became clear at this month’s Club World Cup where two matches — Benfica-Bayern Munich in Charlotte and Chelsea-Esperance in Philadelphia exceeded the WBGT threshold FIFPRO considers unsafe.
“According to our position, those games should have been postponed later that day or rescheduled,” Gouttebarge said.
FIFPRO officials acknowledged that FIFA has responded constructively during the tournament by lowering thresholds for mandatory cooling breaks and improving pitch-side hydration, but stressed that proactive planning is critical.
“FIFA have been quite responsive once the tournament was under way,” said Alex Phillips, FIFPRO General Secretary.
“They have actually modified how they’ve been dealing with heat during the matches based on FIFPRO’s input, which is credit to the work of the team. Obviously, it would have been better if that happened in advance, but it’s better that they have adapted.”
FIFPRO warned that the risks highlighted at the Club World Cup are a preview of what players could face at the expanded 2026 World Cup.
“This is not just affecting the Club World Cup, but also future tournaments either in the U.S. or elsewhere in the world,” said Alexander Bielefeld, FIFPRO Director of Policy & Strategic Relations.
“We need a better balance between commercial interests and the health and safety of players,” he added, referring to earlier kick-off times to accommodate European television audiences.
-Reuters
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International Football
Former England and Man Utd midfielder Ince charged with drink-driving

Former Manchester United and England midfielder Paul Ince has been charged with drink-driving, police said on Monday.
Ince, who earned 53 caps for England and won two Premier League titles during his six years at United, has been released on bail and will appear in court on July 18.
“The incident involved a black Range Rover which had collided with the central reservation barrier. Officers attended the scene and arrested a 57-year-old man,” the Cheshire police said in a statement.
“Paul Ince, of Quarry Road, Neston, has since been charged with drink-driving.”
Reuters has contacted Ince’s representative for comment.
After retiring as a player, Ince led Milton Keynes Dons to a League Two title in 2007-08. He most recently managed Reading during 2022-23.
-Reuters
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International Football
From garbage collector to Starman of Ancelotti’s Brazil team: the story of Ribeiro

“I was without a team for a year and a half, doing trials… and no club in Brazil wanted me.!” Alex Ribeiro
Alexsandro Victor de Souza Ribeiro (Rio de Janeiro, 1999) was, until a few days ago, a semi-unknown to the general public in Brazil.
However, Carlo Ancelotti, impressed by his strong performance against Real Madrid in the Champions League, insisted on calling up the Lille centre-back… and giving him his debut.
Not only that. He started alongside Marquinhos against Ecuador (0-0) and Paraguay (1-0) and helped the Seleçao keep two consecutive clean sheets for the first time in the qualifying rounds.
Alex, as he likes to be called, impressed with his 1.92 meters (6′ 1″) frame and confidence. According to ‘R10Score’, he was the Brazilian player who completed the most actions with the ball (186) and the second with the most cuts (11).
He completed 154 of the 166 passes he made (92% accuracy) and won 12 of the 16 duels he was involved in: 5 of 7 at ground level and 7 of 9 in the air. “A gentleman defender,” boasted the official Ligue 1 Portuguese account.
His path to the elite wasn’t easy. “I don’t think you know this, but this is my first game as a professional in Brazil. Strange, isn’t it? There’s nothing better. To debut in Brazil like this, with a win and qualification,” he boasted after defeating Paraguay.
These first few days with Ancelotti have been unique; I’ll remember them for the rest of my life. I’ve responded well not only to myself, but also to the coach and the Brazilian people. I was able to demonstrate my ability to those who had doubts. Few people give me the opportunity that the manager has given me,” he insists
The Lille centre-back took his first steps in Flamengo’s youth system, where he even met Vinicius.
“When we played against Real Madrid, Vini came up to me and hugged me. He said, ‘I’m glad to see you here, brother.’ That inspired and motivated me even more,” he told ‘Globo Esporte’.
‘Fla’ cut him off. He had to make a living as a street vendor. He also collected trash, especially cans. “I was without a team for a year and a half, doing trials… and no club in Brazil wanted me, so I went to Europe to play in Portugal’s Third Division.”
Praiense (2018-20), Amora (2020-21), and Chaves (2021-22)—the latter already in the Second Division—were his springboard to Lille. The Bulldogs signed him in 2022-23 for €2 million. He has become a more than worthy successor to his compatriot Gabriel Magalhaes.
“Little by little, my name is spreading. My football is reaching everywhere. This includes Brazil,” he said before making his debut with the Seleçao. Now that he’s made it, he has another challenge: “I want to continue it.”
-Marca
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