International Football
SUPER FALCONS TO GO BIG AGAINST BANYANA FOR NINTH AFRICAN TITLE
African champions, the Super Falcons of Nigeria will throw in their aces from the referee’s first blast of the whistle in Saturday’s Women Africa Cup of Nations final against South Africa at the Accra Sports Stadium.
Coach Thomas Dennerby and the captain, Onome Ebi have spoken of high level of motivation and determination in the team to retain the Women AFCON trophy and continue Nigeria’s near-absolute domination of the continental championship.
In 20 years of its existence, reigning champions Nigeria have dominated the Women AFCON to an embarrassing degree, with only Equatorial Guinea breaking their clean sweep on only two occasions.
Not just that; Nigerian players namely, Mercy Akide, Perpetua Nkwocha (on four occasions), Desire Oparanozie and Asisat Oshoala have emerged top scorers at different championships.
The latter two – Desire and Asisat – are still in the mix, and in fact constitute the Dreaded Duo that the Banyana Banyana will do well to keep sharp eyes on throughout the 90 minutes on Saturday.
Nigeria and South Africa have been in the final together once – in 2000, when the South Africans hosted but the Nigerians successfully retained the trophy after a 2-0 defeat of the hosts in Johannesburg.
While the whole team worked together for the hard –fought win over Cameroon in the semi finals, special credit must go to goalkeeper Tochukwu Oluehi for her calmness and confidence throughout, including stopping Gaelle Enganamouit’s kick in the penalty shoot –out, which lifted the Nigerians’ confidence.
On Saturday, Oluehi would as usual, be protected by the quartet of Josephine Chukwunonye, Onome Ebi, Osinachi Ohale and Ngozi Ebere, with Rita Chikwelu, Halimatu Ayinde and Ngozi Okobi likely to star in the middle, behind Ordega, Oparanozie and Oshoala.
Experience is an advantage standing ramrod on the Nigerian side, but it would not be an easy afternoon against a skilful, creative, energetic and technically –savvy Banyana Banyana side boosted by their 1-0 defeat of the Cup holders in the opening match of Group B in Cape Town on 18th November.
Some other positives have put the South African camp in buoyant mood. Victory over Mali in Cape Coast on Tuesday meant the Banyana will make a first –ever appearance at the FIFA World Cup come summer of 2019, and players like Thembi Kgatlana (whose goal put Nigeria to the sword) and Lebohang Ramalepe (sumptuous effort against Mali) are fired up for Saturday’s final.
Kgatlana has already been installed as the revelation of the tournament as she leads the goals’ chart with five, and in Captain Janine Van Wyk, who will be making her 159th international appearance, the Banyana have a leader who knows where all the crumbled cookies in African women football have been deposited.
An excellent atmosphere is guaranteed, with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo of Ghana to head a cast of dignitaries for the evening. CAF President Ahmad, Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Ghana, Ambassador Olufemi Abikoye, NFF President and CAF 1st Vice President Amaju Pinnick and SAFA President and CAF Executive Committee member, Danny Jordaan are also on the list.
AWCON FINAL MATCHES IN HISTORY
1998: Nigeria 2 Ghana 0 (Abeokuta)
2000: South Africa 0 Nigeria 2 (Johannesburg)
2002: Nigeria 2 Ghana 0 (Warri)
2004: Nigeria 5 Cameroon 0 (Johannesburg)
2006: Nigeria 1 Ghana 0 (Warri)
2008: Equatorial Guinea 2 South Africa 1 (Malabo)
2010: Nigeria 4 Equatorial Guinea 2 (Johannesburg)
2012: Equatorial Guinea 4 South Africa 0 (Malabo)
2014: Nigeria 2 Cameroon 0 (Windhoek)
2016: Cameroon 0 Nigeria 1 (Yaounde)
2018: Nigeria Vs South Africa (Accra)
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
- WOMEN'S FOOTBALL1 week ago
Naira rain falls on Nigeria’s Flamingos after a 4-0 defeat of Algeria
- OBITUARY5 days ago
NFF mourns the demise of former FIFA referee, Bosede Momoh
- Nigerian Football3 days ago
Financial rainfall awaits Nigeria’s Flamingos for every goal scored in Algeria
- 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 Football7 days ago
Remo Stars maintain ‘7Up’ lead over Rivers United
- feature5 days ago
Ghana’s Cardinal, Appiah Turkson, listed as a possible Pope
- Nigerian Football3 days ago
Former WAFU President, Ogufere mourns Christian Chukwu