International Football

MOROCCO BANKS ON BOUTAIB FOR RUSSIA 2018 TICKET

Published

6 years ago

November 8, 2017

Morocco’s Khalid Boutaib is the man of the moment. With hope initially fading and Morocco was at the brink of missing out again at the World Cup, a stage the team last graced at France ’98, then came a sudden life line from a late starter to professional and international football.

His name is Khalid Boutaib. It was his hat-trick against Gabon that has put his country in vantage position for the World Cup qualification.

The situation was even assisted by their most dreaded opposition, Cote d’Ivoire which they were initially trailing by a point.

Then came the sudden slip. Group leaders, Cote d’Ivoire were forced to a goalless draw in Bamako by Mali while Boutaib exploded with a hat-trick against Gabon to push Morocco a point ahead of Cote d’Ivoire.

As FIFA.com illustrated it, the situation of Cote d’Ivoire playing goalless with Mali, inched open the door for Morocco. But it was Khalid Boutaib with his hat-trick who kicked it wide open.

Those goals knocked out Gabon from the race and kept Morocco’s chances very much alive. They can now afford to draw in Abidjan on Saturday and still qualify for Russia 2018.

“We absolutely wanted to beat Gabon at home to tackle the last match in Abidjan with a chance to qualify,” Boutaib told FIFA.com. “There was a lot at stake because the Gabonese had to win if they wanted their chances to stay alive. We took advantage of the Mali draw and now we are in a good position.

“To score three goals, in a game as important as the one against Gabon and in the Casablanca stadium, where there is a great atmosphere, was a great moment.

“I felt a lot of joy and pride. I had already scored once in the 6-0 victory against Mali at the end of August. But these three goals allowed us to take three points and lead the group.”

Born in France to parents of Moroccan descent, the 30-year-old played his first game in the French second division for Gazelec Ajaccio in the 2014/5 season, having previously played for lower league clubs. He helped the side to promotion at the end of that campaign and was a regular as the club struggled in the top flight. He then moved on to Strasbourg, where he scored 20 goals in Ligue 2 last season, prompting Turkish Super Lig side Yeni Malatyaspor to snap him up.

Boutaib is a relatively late starter on the international stage, having only made his Morocco debut in 2016, but is now hoping to lead the line on the biggest stage of all: the World Cup.

“We have our destiny in our hands,” Boutaib said. “We do not need to worry about the result of the match between Mali and Gabon. It is of course a good thing, to be in good position just before a decisive match like this. But we know that it will be very difficult.

“Playing away from home, facing one of the best African teams, is not easy. There will be most of the stadium against us, even though we will have fans there to support us. We must expect a match with a lot of commitment, because the stakes are huge.”

He is aware of the expectations surrounding the qualifying campaign. “Moroccans love football, and they really want us to make it to Russia,” Boutaib continued. “If we qualify, there will be a lot of joy. Before I became an international, even I was eager for the team to make it to the finals. So I can understand the impatience of the fans.”

Boutaib believes that having a one-point lead is not the only advantage they have. “Our coach Herve Renard was African champion with Côte d’Ivoire two years ago,” Boutaib said. “He knows some of the players. After the match against Gabon, he did not want too much talk about the Ivorians.

“He first asked us to work well in our clubs. We will talk about the opponents when we meet up. I trust the coach to prepare us well. He knows Africa very well and is still highly regarded in Côte d’Ivoire.”

For Boutaib, the chance of appearing on football’s greatest stage would be something special. “It would be fabulous to qualify for the World Cup. This is the dream of every professional player.

“I have only played internationally for two years. I have already played at the Nations Cup and now I hope I can participate at the World Cup.”

International Football

Grudgingly, Eto’o accepts new Cameroon coach Brys, but fails to attend ceremony

Published

3 weeks ago

April 9, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Cameroon’s new coach Marc Brys penned a contract on Monday but the Belgian’s appointment by the government remains contentious as the football federation did not attend the signing ceremony.

Brys has been handed a 2-1/2-year contract by Cameroon’s sports ministry but the federation (FECAFOOT) was conspicuous by its absence at the event in Yaounde.

Last week, FECAFOOT criticised the unilateral decision of sports minister Narcisse Mouelle Kombito to appoint the 61-year-old Brys, who has no prior experience as a national team coach and has not previously worked on the African continent.

FECAFOOT president Samuel Eto’o issued a statement on Monday, excusing himself from the unveiling event.

“We thank you for inviting us to the ceremony. Following this, we inform you of the fact that we received the letter two hours before the said ceremony,” wrote Eto’o.

“Unfortunately, we are busy organising the funeral of our late Dad, and for this reason we will not be able to attend presence at the ceremony.”

His father’s funeral is to be held at the weekend.

Eto’o balked at Brys’ appointment and is now in a deepening standoff with the minister.

In Cameroon, the government has long paid the salary of the national team coach and therefore held powerful sway over FECAFOOT’s affairs, even if such state interference is frowned upon by world football’s governing body FIFA.

Any heightened dispute risks a potential ban from international competition for Cameroon, one of the heavyweights of African football.

FECAFOOT held an emergency meeting on Saturday and asked Eto’o to propose an alternative coach for the national team.

Earlier on the weekend, the minister had defended the appointment, saying he had acted in accordance with national and international regulations.

In a letter to FECAFOOT, Kombi said his ministry’s appointment of coaching staff “in no way affects the autonomy of FECAFOOT and does not violate any of the ‘supranational regulations”.

He said FECAFOOT had suggested three candidates to the ministry but their salary demands ranged between 1.5 million euros and 2.5 million euros ($1.63 million and $2.71 million) per year.

“These are excessive amounts never paid to any coach in the history of the Indomitable Lions,” Kombi said.

-Reuters

International Football

Cameroon FA to propose national coach after emergency meeting –

Published

3 weeks ago

April 6, 2024

Kunle Solaja

BREAKING! Turmoil In Cameroon Federation Over Naming Of New National Coach Brys -

Cameroon’s football federation (FECAFOOT) held an emergency meeting on Saturday and asked its president to propose an alternative coach for the national team, deepening a standoff with the sports ministry.

FECAFOOT on Wednesday accused the ministry of unilaterally appointing Belgian Marc Brys as coach and other staff to manage the Indomitable Lions, who are five-times African champions.

The dispute risks a potential ban from international competition as world soccer’s governing body FIFA has strict rules against government interference in national federations.

In a statement, FECAFOOT said its emergency committee had met on Saturday and unanimously confirmed that the federation had not been involved in the appointments in alleged contravention of regulations.

As a result, it asked its president Samuel Eto’o to propose a national coach and other management staff for the national side within 72 hours.

Responding to a request for comment, a spokesperson for the ministry said the result of the FECAFOOT meeting was “an appeal. It is not yet a decision.”

On Friday, Sports Minister Narcisse Mouelle Kombi wrote to FECAFOOT to defend the coaching appointments, which he said were in accordance with national and international rules.

In a letter seen by Reuters, Kombi said the ministry’s move “in no way affects the autonomy of FECAFOOT and does not violate any of the ‘supranational regulations’.”

A spokesperson for the ministry confirmed the authenticity of the letter.

Kombi’s letter also said the salaries requested by three candidates earlier proposed by the federation for the position of coach ranged between 1.5 million euros ($1.6 million) and 2.5 million euros per year.

“These are excessive amounts never paid to any coach in the history of the Indomitable Lions,” Kombi said.

FECAFOOT did not respond to a request for comment on the letter.

-Reuters

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BREAKING! Turmoil in Cameroon federation over naming of new national coach Brys. https://www.sportsvillagesquare.com/2024/04/03/breaking-turmoil-in-cameroon-federation-over-naming-of-new-national-coach-brys/

Soccer Cameroon appoint Brys as new head coach https://www.sportsvillagesquare.com/2024/04/03/soccer-cameroon-appoint-brys-as-new-head-coach/

International Football

National team and club-mate Owolabi commiserates with grief-stricken Odegbami –

Published

3 weeks ago

April 4, 2024

Kunle Solaja

National team and club-mate Owolabi commiserates with grief-stricken Odegbami -

Powerful left-wing back in his playing days, Felix Owolabi has expressed great grief over the loss of a son of former teammate, Segun Odegbami.

Both Felix Owolabi and Odegbami share common traits as the earliest tertiary institution footballers featuring for clubs and the national team.

While Odegbami was a mechanical engineering student at The Ibadan Polytechnic, Owolabi was an undergraduate at the University of Lagos.

Both were players of the then rampaging IICC Shooting Stars and the Africa Cup of Nations winning team of 1980. The crucial goals that won the cup for Nigeria were scored by the duo.

While Owolabi’s goal against Morocco sent Nigeria to the Africa Cup of Nations final match for the first time, Odegbami’s two goals in the final against Algeria put a stamp of definity to Nigeria’s victory before another club-mate Muda Lawal put in the third.

“We have come a long way”, remarked Owolabi in a message to the Sports Village Square Thursday morning.

“I have just arrived from Morocco on a national assignment trying to adjust and deal with the extreme and gruelling hot weather here in Nigeria when I got the sad news of the sudden death of the son of my dear brother and senior colleague Dr Olusegun Odegbami.

“Hearing the death of Oluwagbeminiyi Omo Odegbami, I paused for a moment and did not know what to say.

“All the media both print and electronics carried it as a breaking news.

“And that was when it dawned on me that I had to call ‘Big Sheg’ as he is fondly called by me.

“His authoritative confirmation about it dealt a blow on me and put me total darkness.What would have happened to this our vibrant and such an enterprising Oluwagbeminiyi?

“Why would death be so so wicked to suddenly take this gentleman away from us without notice. Going on a journey that he will need not to look at anybody, an eternal journey till Christ come.

“My heart and that of my entire family are with you and the rest of the family”, remarked Owolabi.

“It is well. I pray that God grant him eternal rest. I pray also that the almighty God grant you the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss. Today the death of Oluwagbeminiyi has made me to believe and conclude that death is real and it is universal