Connect with us

International Football

NIGERIA TEAM’S NAMESAKE, GREEN EAGLES HOPE TO CONFIRM NEXT ROUND BERTH

Published

on

A Zambian clubside with the former nickname of Nigeria’s national team, Green Eagles along with tough opponents of Nigeria’s Enugu Rangers in the 1970s, Green Buffaloes, on Wednesday hope  to successfully wrap-up  their  respective first round  assignments  in the CAF Confederation  Cup.

 

Until March 28, 1988, the Nigerian national team was called Green Eagles until the Late Admiral Augustus Aikhomu rechristened the team as “Super Eagles”.

 

The two Zambian sides, Green Eagles and Green Buffaloes made bright starts as they seek better fortunes in this edition following  Buffaloes  and  Nkana’s  elimination on  the first hurdle of  the  Confederation Cup.

Advertisement

 

Green Eagles and Buffaloes are both  away  this  week  and  armed  with  similar 2-0  home wins from match –day-one  last  week.

 

Continental debutants Eagles are in eSwatini to face Young Buffaloes while Buffaloes visit South Sudan to play El Merriekh Juba.

 

Advertisement

Eagles have quietly settled in eSwatini  for the last  four  days to plot  their  passage to  the  second  round and  coach  Aggrey Chiyangi  has kept faith in the  same side that won on November  27 in Choma.

 

But Eagles’ 2018  league season top scorer on  19  goals, Tapson  Kaseba,  is  absent for  a second successive match  and is  a subject of interest from  South  Africa  PSL  club and  fellow CAF  Confederation Cup  campaigners  Free  State  Stars.

 

A successful   outing in eSwatini for Green Eagles  will see  them book first leg away date on  December  15  to face either Hussein Dyey of  Algeria  or  Diables  Noirs of  Congo   Brazzaville with  the  North  Africans  enjoying a 2-0 home win from the  first leg on November  27.

Advertisement

 

Meanwhile, Buffaloes are looking to complete  the job  in Juba  against  El Merrikeh on their  debut  visit  to  South  Sudan.

 

“It is really important that when you play a game like that and  you get the result, a lot of players get excited but we are talking to them and we are telling them that the game is not yet over until after  the second leg which is here in South Sudan,”  Buffaloes  coach  Bilton Musonda said.

 

Advertisement

“We are doing a lot to also tell them that football is not all about home advantage because even away, you can surprise people and win it if you have the right mentality and good attitude towards the game.”

 

Buffaloes second  round date should they successfully  navigate  their  way in Juba  will be a big  second round test against  the tournaments record  three-time champions  CS  Sfaxien away in Tunisia on December  15.

 

Advertisement

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

International Football

Portugal call up same player named in England Under-18 squad

Published

on

Mateus Mane in England's colour

Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Mateus Mane has become hot property after Portugal named the 17-year-old in their Under-18 squad on Friday, one day after England included him in their squad.

Mane was called up for a second successive England youth camp by coach Liam Bramley before the team travel to Marbella for a four-team tournament this month.

Mane is eligible for both teams having played for the Portugal Under-17 side last season. As the Under-18 team is a non-UEFA age group, both nations are entitled to call the player up.

He made his England international debut last month against the Portugal Under-18 side who have named Mane in their squad for a four-nation tournament this month.

With both tournaments running concurrently, Mane can only play for one team and Wolves and England confirmed he would feature in Bramley’s side.

Advertisement

Reuters has contacted Portugal’s football association for clarification.

While players with multiple nationalities have played for more than one country if they are eligible, they are not allowed to switch allegiances at senior level – unless they have played only in friendly matches for the first country.

-Reuters

Continue Reading

International Football

Soon Cisse ceases to be Senegal’s Coach

Published

on

After 107 matches spanning nine years, Aliou Cisse will not have his contract renewed as Senegal coach, officials confirmed on Wednesday. Of the 107 matches, Cisse’s team won 70, drew 24 and lost 13.

But the impressive scorecard is not enough to impress his employers.

Thus, the end beckons for Cisse’s successful nine-year spell in charge of the side that included a first Africa Cup of Nations title and two World Cup qualifications.

He had been under increasing pressure after Senegal’s surprise last 16 exit at the 2023 Cup of Nations when they lost on penalties to hosts Cote d’Ivoire.

Senegal are unbeaten in six matches since then, but home draws with the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burkina Faso, and criticism from certain quarters over their style of play, made up the mind of the country’s sports ministry, who fund the salary of the national team coach, that a change was needed.

Advertisement

“The FSF would like to thank Aliou Cisse for his good collaboration and his brilliant results at the head of the various national selections that he has managed since his arrival in 2011 and wish him every success for the future,” the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) said in a statement.

FSF added Cisse’s exit stemmed from a failure to fulfil the targets in his last contract, which expired at the end of August, which included victory at the 2023 Cup of Nations and reaching the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup.

They also said the “regression of our national team in the FIFA rankings and the risk of disaffection between our national team and the Senegalese (public)” had played a role.

The FSF will appoint an interim technical team to lead the side in Cup of Nations qualifiers against Malawi at home on Oct. 11 and away four days later.

Cisse, 48, was captain of Senegal when they reached the quarter-finals of the 2002 World Cup with what is heralded as a golden generation of players.

Advertisement

He briefly had a spell as caretaker coach of the national team in 2012, but took over full time three years later.

He led Senegal to 2018 and 2022 World Cup qualification, making the last 16 in the latter before losing to England. They were beaten in the final of the 2019 Cup of Nations by Algeria.

The side made up for that disappointment when they beat Egypt in the final two years later to be crowned African champions for the first time.

Continue Reading

International Football

Why  FIFA banned Samuel Eto’o

Published

on

Always in the news for bad reasons, Samuel Eto’o has again made global headlines. The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has banned the former striker and the current president of the Cameroon Football Federation.

He is banned from attending Cameroon’s matches for the next six months for violating conduct rules during the recent U-20 Women’s World Cup, where his national team faced Brazil in the round of 16.

According to FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee, Eto’o was found to have breached articles 13 (“Offensive behaviour and violations of fair play principles”) and 14 (“Misconduct of players and officials”) of FIFA’s Disciplinary Code.

The sanction stems specifically from the match between Brazil and Cameroon, held on September 11 in Bogotá, Colombia. As a result, Eto’o will be prohibited from attending any matches involving Cameroon’s national teams, both male and femaleacross all age groups.

“Mr Eto’o has been notified today, the date on which the sanction comes into force,” stated the FIFA press release.

This is not the first time Eto’o has faced controversy. He previously drew attention for his behavior towards players and national team coach Marc Brys, whom he allegedly threatened in front of cameras if his directives were not followed.

Advertisement

During the Qatar World Cup, the former Real Madrid, Mallorca, and Barcelona player made headlines again after assaulting a fan who filmed him outside a stadium after a match.

Continue Reading

Most Viewed