International Football
SENEGAL CAN MATCH BRAZIL, COACH CISSE INSISTS
Senegal coach Aliou Cisse insisted yesterday that there is “nothing at stake” in today’s friendly against five-time world champions Brazil.
But the Senegalese appear serious enough about the clash to plot an unscheduled training session at Jalan Besar Stadium on Tuesday, just hours after arriving in Singapore from Paris.
And despite his words to the contrary, Cisse, 43, has nothing but victory in sight, telling a pre-match press conference: “What’s important is to come out of the game victorious.”
While some would rate the Lions of Teranga as the underdogs in
tonight’s game at the National Stadium, the former Paris Saint-Germain and
Birmingham defensive midfielder is confident his men will be able to hold their
own against the likes of Neymar, Gabriel Jesus and Philippe Coutinho.
He explained: “Their strength is in attacking together and defending together. It is important to play our own game and to our talent.”
While world No. 20 Senegal may boast names such as Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly and Idrissa Gueye of PSG, Sadio Mane, who joined Liverpool for £34 million (S$57.3 million) in 2016 to briefly become Africa’s most expensive player, is undoubtedly the team’s biggest star.
Cue the chants of “Mane, Mane” from Liverpool fans gathered at Swissotel the Stamford to catch a glimpse of the 27-year-old star as he boarded the team bus for a training session at Bukit Gombak Stadium yesterday evening.
The roar of the 50 fans even attracted the attention of two curious Hong Kong tourists, who wandered in and wondered aloud in Cantonese who the football squad walking through the lobby were.
But despite his status, Mane, with a black-and-green snapback perched on his head, was relaxed as he fielded questions at the press conference.
And he is looking forward to facing Liverpool teammates Roberto Firmino and Fabinho on the pitch.
“Brazil are one of the best teams in the world and I’m always talking with Fabinho about it before the game,” said the soft-spoken player.
“I say, ‘Listen, we’re going to win 4-0’,” he added with a grin. “I love to win, to play against Brazil and win is a big thing for me, my teammates and my country, and I’ll try to get a positive result.”
Having netted 50 goals in 100 appearances for his club and 19 for his country, he has received accolades from Argentina captain Lionel Messi, who recently voted for Mane as the best player in the world.
“Wow, what a compliment, I wish, I wish,” said the Senegalese, when asked about the vote. “I take it as a compliment, try to do my best and never give up.”
After leading the team to a runners-up finish at the Africa Cup of Nations in July, Cisse is aiming for his talented side to go further at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and better Senegal’s best finish of a top-eight placing in 2002.
He had captained the 2002 squad that stunned France 1-0 in the group stage before losing 1-0 to Turkey in the quarter-finals.
When asked to compare the 2002 team with his current side, he said: “We can’t compare the two generations because the mentality, approach are different.
“In terms of results, I can say the 2002 generation is a little bit better because we reached the quarter-finals. If they want to be better than us, they must reach the semi-finals.”
Mane certainly got his coach’s message yesterday, as he leaned in, gave a knowing smile and nodded.
-The Sraits Times
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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