International Football
SUPER EAGLES, CRANES SET ASABA AGLOW IN GLAMOUR FRIENDLY
Nigeria and Uganda go toe-to-toe again in an international friendly expected to attract a huge crowd to the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba on Tuesday evening.
Both countries are celebrating qualification for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations following Matchday 5 games over the weekend. The Super Eagles were held to a 1-1 draw by South Africa’s Bafana Bafana at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg to be sure of a ticket from Group E ahead of the final match day, while the Cranes piped Cape Verde 1-0 in Kampala to be sure of finishing as Group L winners.
A holiday atmosphere would most certainly have been guaranteed, but Nigerians have learnt not to take matches against Uganda lightly since a certain Phillip Omondi scored a brace to stop the Eagles from reaching the Final of the Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana 40 years ago.
Nigeria has avenged that defeat in subsequent qualifying matches for major competitions, but they still remember losing 1-2 to the Cranes in a 2008 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Kampala that would have been disastrous, had the Eagles not won the first encounter 1-0 in Abeokuta. Nwankwo Kanu scored a late goal that day to get the three points off the visitors in a tough duel.
The Cranes also remember beating the Super Eagles 1-0 in a friendly in Uyo in March 2015 that marked goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama’s 100th international match. Farouk Miya scored with a powerful header.
The above account means both teams will come with furrowed brows and grit determination to the Stephen Keshi Stadium, an arena named in memory of Nigeria’s longest –serving captain and AFCON –winning coach, who was in charge of the Super Eagles when they lost that friendly in Uyo 44 months ago.
Uganda’s 31 –man delegation flew into Lagos on Monday and then flew to Asaba on Tuesday morning.
Defender Leon Balogun, injured in the 1-1 draw with South Africa in Johannesburg on Saturday, has been excused from Tuesday’s clash, otherwise Nigeria’s 2019 AFCON ticket –winning squad is intact.
Fans in Delta State will be able to watch live the likes of Ahmed Musa, Alex Iwobi, William Ekong, Kenneth Omeruo, John Ogu, Samuel Kalu, Olaoluwa Aina, Isaac Success and Henry Onyekuru, as well as ‘home –boy’ Oghenekaro Etebo. There is also the possibility that Coach Gernot Rohr may name former U17 World Cup winners Victor Osimhen and Samuel Chukwueze on the roster.
Officials have confirmed that Governor Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa of Delta State will be the special guest, to be joined by members of the Delta State Executive Council. President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick will also be there alongside members of the NFF Executive Committee and Management.
The NFF on Monday named a former President of the Federation, Brigadier –General Dominic Oneya as match commissioner for Tuesday’s game. Oneya was NFF President between January 2000 and October 2002, and is a former member of the CAF Organizing Committee for the AFCON.
Louis Houngnande from Benin Republic will serve as the referee, to be assisted by compatriots Razack Bello (assistant referee 1) and Eric Ayimavo (assistant referee 2). Nigeria’s Shaibu Abdullahi will be reserve referee.
Tuesday’s match will kick off at 4.30pm, with fans guaranteed a huge bonus as they will also have the opportunity of watching the Nigeria Super Cup 2018 between Lobi Stars of Makurdi and Rangers International of Enugu at the same venue, starting from 7pm.
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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