International Football
Nigeria deploy top guns for first ever Grade A clash with Central African Republic
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
When the Super Eagles face Central African Republic on Thursday next week in the Match Day 3 of the Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifiers at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos, it would be the first ever clash of both nations at the top level.
Both could have crossed path in the qualifying series for Argentina ‘78 World Cup, but Central African Republic (CAR) withdrew in the encounter with Zaire (now DR Congo) which advanced and also withdrew from the fixtures with Nigeria.
That left Nigeria advancing to face Cote d’Ivoire. So on Thursday in Lagos, the possible fixtures averted in February 1977 will now come up.
Expectedly, no weapon is being spared by the Super Eagles’ handler, Gernot Rohr who has listed century-cap candidate and team captain Ahmed Musa among others for the back-to-back clash with the Group C bottom placed CAR.
After Thursday’s match, both teams will play again three days later in Douala, Cameroon, the adopted home ground for CAR.
The Super Eagles will therefore also test-running one of the venues for January’s Africa Cup of Nations.
If the Super Eagles get four points from the available six from the double encounters, they will almost be assured of eternal group leadership.
Also listed for the destiny-shaping encounters are deputy captain Wlliam Ekong and 21 others. With the maximum six points from their first two matches of the campaign (against Liberia in Lagos and against Cape Verde in Mindelo earlier this month), the Eagles countenance another six points against the central Africans and Franco-German Rohr has largely kept faith with the troops that delivered in a September to remember.
Goalkeepers Maduka Okoye, Francis Uzoho and Daniel Akpeyi return, just as defenders William Ekong, Abdullahi Shehu, Chidozie Awaziem, Leon Balogun, Jamilu Collins, Olaoluwa Aina and Kenneth Omeruo. Added to the rearguard now are Kevin Akpoguma, who missed the last games as a result of illness, and new call-up Calvin Ughelumba of Glasgow Rangers FC in Scotland.
With enforcers Wilfred Ndidi and Oghenekaro Etebo out injured, the lot falls on Frank Onyeka and Joseph Ayodele-Aribo to replicate their firm handling of things in the middle in Mindelo, when Central African Republic comes calling on Thursday and in Douala on Sunday. Rohr has now listed England –based duo Alex Iwobi and Kelechi Iheanacho in the midfield.
Captain Musa leads the line at the fore, with in-form France –based Moses Simon, Victor Osimhen, Chidera Ojuke, Paul Onuachu and Samuel Kalu also called.
Victory in both games will all but guarantee the Super Eagles’ passage to the all-important knockout rounds scheduled for March 2022, which will produce Africa’s five flagbearers in Qatar.
THE FULL LIST
Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho (AC Omonia, Cyprus); Daniel Akpeyi (Kaizer Chiefs, South Africa); Maduka Okoye (Sparta Rotterdam, The Netherlands)
Defenders: Chidozie Awaziem (Alanyaspor FC, Turkey); Kenneth Omeruo (CD Leganes, Spain); Leon Balogun (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); William Ekong (Watford FC, England); Olaoluwa Aina (Torino FC, Italy); Jamilu Collins (SC Padeborn 07, Germany); Abdullahi Shehu (AC Omonia, Cyprus); Calvin Ughelumba (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Kevin Akpoguma (TSG Hoffenheim, Germany)
Midfielders: Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England); Joseph Ayodele-Aribo (Galsgow Rangers, Scotland); Innocent Bonke (Malmo FF, Sweden); Alex Iwobi (Everton FC, England); Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England)
Forwards: Ahmed Musa (Fatih Karagumruk, Turkey); Samuel Kalu (FC Bordeaux, France); Victor Osimhen (Napoli FC, Italy); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France); Paul Onuachu (KRC Genk, Belgium); Chidera Ejuke (CSKA Moscow, Russia)
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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