International Football
Sky-Going Bafana Bafana Brought Back to Earth
Nigeria’s Tormentor-in Chief, Stuart Baxter, who prides himself as the only one to have guided Bafana Bafana to beat the Super Eagles is under fire at home as his team now languishes at the bottom of Group D World Cup qualifying series in Africa.
Under Baxter, South Africa beat Nigeria 2-1 in November 2004 in a Mandela Challenge match at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. Last June, his hurriedly assembled Bafana Bafana shocked under-strength Super Eagles by 2-0 in Uyo, leading to South Africa hailing Baxter as their hero.
A new era, it was declared had started for Bafana Bafana. But the 2-0 win over Nigeria had turned into a mere flash as Bafana Bafana have failed to sustain the momentum.
Cape Verde did the unimaginable as they hauled six vital points from South Africa following a convincing 2-1 win on the road at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban in the return leg of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia qualifier on Tuesday, 5 September.
The Blue Sharks came into the match high on confidence after shocking the South Africans five days ago with the same margin at the Estadio Nacionale in Praia.
Knowing that anything less than a victory would see them kiss their World Cup dreams goodbye, South Africa went for an all-out attack from the opening whistle.
Hlompho Kekana coming on for former teammate, Bongani Zungu was first to test Josimar Dias with a long-range effort in the seventh minute which went wide. Danilson Da Cruz immediately returned the favour just a minute later with an ambitious strike that hardly troubled Bafana Bafana goalie Wayne Sandilands.
Tokelo Rantie should have grabbed the lead for the hosts as early as the ninth minute after some questionable defending saw the striker pounce on a loose ball but fired wide off the mark with his weaker foot.
The Sharks seemed to have no problem in allowing Bafana to have the ball as most of their play was foiled in the final third with quick transitions from the Islanders.
Ryan Mendes, who caused a lot of problems in Praia for the South Africans was denied by Sandilands who tipped over his ambitious effort from the right.
Themba Zwane’s creativity in the middle of the park gave Bafana a lot going forward. The skilful winger almost created the opener after doing well to beat his marker and lay a ball for Mamelodi Sundowns teammate, Hlompho Kekana who failed to direct his effort from a good position.
The visitors started like a house on fire in the second half and created the first clear opportunity seconds after the restart. This was the first warning which the home team failed to take note of.
Rantie then came close on the 49th minute but his shot narrowly missed the target.
Cape Verde deservedly took the lead in the 52nd minute after Morgan Gould had conceded a free kick in the danger area and Rodrigues’ stinging shot gave Sandilands no chance.
Rodrigues then completed his brace with another stinging drive on the 66th minute after doing well to cut in from the left and fire a rocket that left Sandilands with no chance.
Substitute Andile Jali reduced the deficit in the 88th minute but it was a question of too little too late.
Bafana Bafana now languish at the bottom of Group D with 4 points and while they still have a mathematical chance of going to Russia, it will be quite difficult with the next matches against Senegal and Burkina Faso.
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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