International Football
NIGERIA, ZAMBIA IN FINAL SHOWDOWN
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
When the Super Eagles take on Zambia in Uyo on Saturday, it will be the second time ever both sides are meeting in a World Cup qualifier even though the make-or-mar encounter will be their 19th confrontation.
The duel is the reciprocal of last year’s first ever clash of both teams in a World Cup qualifying match. Unlike the previous one which anniversary will be two days after the Uyo clash, this match carries greater weight as it may mark the end of the World Cup struggles in the Group B of African qualifying series.
A possible win by Nigeria sees the Super Eagles picking a World Cup ticket, even with a match to spare. The last time that happened was in the qualifiers for the France ’98.
For Zambia, hoping for a first ever World Cup appearance, it will be the end of yet another struggle. But a win still keep them in struggle, even if it means tying in points with Nigeria, leaving goal difference as possible decider as both would head to their last games against already eliminated pre-series powerhouses of Cameroon and Algeria.
In that scenario, advantage sways more to Zambia’s favour having to play the last match at home against Cameroon which may not invest much in the encounter by inviting their legion of foreign stars.
Nigeria will then be away to Algeria, which has most of its national team players featuring in the domestic league and would therefore be available for a face-saving duel with Nigeria which will be banking on picking the World ticket in Algeria as it happened in 1993.
Another likely outcome in Saturday’s match is a draw which pushes both teams struggling till the last match day.
Should that be the case, Zambia will require a defeat of at least five goals against Cameroon next month and hope Nigeria drops all points in the match with Algeria. A draw will be sufficient for Nigeria in that scenario.
Zambia had always found Nigeria a hard nut to crack even though honours have almost been equally shared in encounters of both sides. In the 18 previous clashes Nigeria won seven while Zambia won five.
Zambia’s most famous win against Nigeria was the 5-1 recorded 44 years ago in a 1974 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in Lusaka. That was barely nine months after Nigeria had picked the gold medal of the football event of the 2nd All Africa Games in Lagos.
Surprisingly, it was Nigeria that opened scoring in the encounter after five minutes. By half time, Nigeria had already conceded four goals. That remained Zambia’s only memorable win over Nigeria. They will need an encore of this to push the Super Eagles to the second position on the ladder, given the high goal difference advantage that Nigeria currently enjoys.
Sports Village Square recalls that Chipolopolo last beat Nigeria in a competitive game 32 years ago when a last minute goal in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier denied the Super Eagles an appearance at the 1986 finals edition.
The first leg in Lagos ended goalless and the return leg on August 18, 1985 appeared destined for the same score line and the tie would be broken by penalty kick. Then the unexpected happened.
Zambia’s swift right winger, Lucky Nsiska, living up to his first name, collected the ball few metres from Nigeria’s half of the field.
He beat a Nigerian defender and sent another the wrong way with body swerve before setting a pass for a dashing Jack Chanda who put all strength in his right foot to fire a terrific shot past Goalkeeper Peter Rufai, almost on the dot of 90th minute.
Since that memorable loss, Nigeria have always had the edge over Zambia in subsequent encounters especially the 2-0 win in the 1990 Africa Cup semi final duel and the 2-1 recorded when Nigeria won the Africa Cup of Nations for the second time in 1994.
NIGERIA VERSUS ZAMBIA: TALE OF THE TAPE
P W D L F A
Nigeria 18 7 7 5 18 21
Zambia 18 5 7 7 21 18
15 July 1973: Zambia 5 -1 Nigeria: 1974 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
29 Jul. 1973: Nigeria 3-2 Zambia: 1974 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
14 Feb. 1976: Zambia 1-3 Nigeria Friendly match
10 Mar. 1978: Zambia 0-0 Nigeria: 1978 Africa Cup of Nations.
25 Jul. 1981: Zambia 3-0 Nigeria: Friendly Match
13 Mar. 1982: Zambia 3-0 Nigeria: 1982 Africa Cup of Nations.
10 Aug. 1985: Nigeria 0-0 Zambia: 1986 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
18 Aug.1985: Zambia 1-0 Nigeria: 1986 Africa Cup of Nations.
12 Mar. 1990: Zambia 0-2 Nigeria: 1990 Africa Cup of Nations semi-final.
10 April 1994: Zambia 1-2 Nigeria: 1994 Africa Cup of Nations final match.
15 Dec. 1997: Zambia 2-0 Nigeria: Friendly
18 Dec. 1997: Zambia 0-0 Nigeria: Friendly
13 Jan. 2001: Nigeria 1-0 Zambia: 2002 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
24 Mar.2001: Zambia 1-1 Nigeria: 2002 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
6 Jan.2010: Zambia 0-0 Nigeria: Friendly
25 Jan.2010: Zambia 0-0 Nigeria *(3-4 penalties): 2010 Africa Cup of Nations Quarter finals.
14 Nov 2011: Nigeria 2-0 Zambia: Friendly match.
25 Jan. 2013: Zambia 1-1 Nigeria: 2013 Africa Cup of Nations
9 Oct. 2016: Zambia 1-2 Nigeria: 2018 World Cup qualifier
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
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
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
Follow the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
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
Follow the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Spirit of sportsmanship as reigning champions, Enugu Rangers, congratulate new champions, Remo Stars
Remo Stars are Nigeria’s 21st League Champions
AMAC Crowned Inaugural Champions of FCT FA Women’s Inter-Area Councils Football Tournament
- WOMEN'S FOOTBALL1 week ago
Naira rain falls on Nigeria’s Flamingos after a 4-0 defeat of Algeria
- Nigerian Football4 days ago
Financial rainfall awaits Nigeria’s Flamingos for every goal scored in Algeria
- OBITUARY6 days ago
NFF mourns the demise of former FIFA referee, Bosede Momoh
- U-17 AFCON1 week ago
Morocco crowned CAF U-17 AFCON champions after dramatic penalty shootout win over Mali
- U-20 FOOTBALL1 week ago
Nigeria begin CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations title chase with Tunisian clash
- Nigerian Football1 week ago
Remo Stars maintain ‘7Up’ lead over Rivers United
- feature6 days ago
Ghana’s Cardinal, Appiah Turkson, listed as a possible Pope
- Nigerian Football4 days ago
Former WAFU President, Ogufere mourns Christian Chukwu