International Football
FIFA NAMES NIGERIA’S DELE-BASHIRU, PRESIDENT WEAH’S SON AMONG BOYS TO WATCH
As Nigeria’s Flying Eagles take on Qatar this Friday on Match Day 2 of the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland, midfielder, Tom Dele-Bashiru has been named by FIFA among the 10 stars the world should watch out for.
The U-20 tournament has always been a breeding ground of stars having unveiled players like Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero among others.
If fielded, Dele-Bashiru will be having possibly his first competitive outing with the Flying Eagles having being plying his trade abroad.
He was born in Manchester and represented England’s U-16s but will be pulling the strings for the Flying Eagles at Poland 2019.
He earned his first appearance for Manchester City during a league cup match against Leicester City in 2017.
Another player in the expected emerging stars is President George Weah’s son, Timothy who is featuring for the US as an attacker.
Loaned to Celtic by Paris Saint-Germain at the beginning of the year, the 19-year-old became a super-sub for the Scottish Premiership winners, scoring three times and adding an assist in 11 league appearances. His father won the 1995 FIFA World Player of the Year.
Other players named by FIFA as potential world stars include Poland’s goalkeeper, Radoslaw Majecki. He was however at the receiving end in one of Thursday’s opening matches, conceding two goals in the 0-2 loss to Colombia.
He reportedly won the starting job with Polish giants Legia Warsaw in October 2018 and didn’t look back. The 19-year-old kept seven clean sheets and allowed only 12 goals in 14 league appearances. He is anchoring the hosts at Poland 2019.
Next is Argentina’s defender, Nehuen Perez. He was paramount in central defence as Argentina’s captain during their second-place finish at the South American U-20 Championship. He caught the eye of Atletico Madrid, who signed the 18-year-old in February 2019.
Also profiled is French defender, Dan-Axel Zagadou. He will turn 20 years old during Poland 2019, and the fearless centre-back already cuts an imposing figure at 6ft 5ins (1.96m).
Acquired by Borussia Dortmund from Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, Zagadou made 17 appearances and scored twice in the 2018/19 Bundesliga. He has represented France at every youth level from the U-16s.
Eyes will also be on Diego Lainez, a midfielder with Mexico. He’s only 18 years old, but the gifted attacking midfielder has already won four caps for Mexico’s senior team.
Lainez joined Spain’s Real Betis in January 2019 and made 16 appearances for the club this past season. He played every minute of Mexico’s four matches at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in India in 2017. He is figured to be the key man in Mexico’s attack at Poland 2019.
Lee Kangin, a midfielder with Korea Republic is also in the frame. Valencia swooped in for Lee early, as the Incheon-born attacking midfielder joined the Spanish side’s youth set-up in 2011.
His maturation at the club culminated with his senior debut in January 2019. For country, Lee received his first senior call-up in March 2019.
Moises Ramirez, the Ecuadorian goalkeeper is also in focus. He was in goal when Ecuador won their first ever South American U-20 Championship in 2019.
He kept five clean sheets in the tournament, which included a 298-minute streak without conceding to close it out. According to head coach Jorge Celico, “He may become of one the greatest in Ecuador’s history.”
Saudi Arabia’s midfielder, Turki Al-Ammar is another player to watch out for. He was recognised as player of the tournament at the AFC U-19 Asia Cup and earned similar acclaim competing for Al Shabab in the Saudi top flight this past season. Expect him to be the catalyst for Saudi Arabia’s attack in Poland.
Last but not the least is Erling Haland of Norway. The 6ft 3ins (1.91m) 18-year-old powered his country through the UEFA U-19 European Championship qualifiers, netting a hat-trick against Scotland to help Norway top their group and eventually become the final qualifiers from Europe for Poland 2019. He recently completed a moved to Red Bull Salzburg.
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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