International Football
World Cup play-off: Ghanaians resort to blasts from the past to psyche up
It is exactly one month today to the first of two World Cup qualifying play-off, Ghanaian publication, Ghanaweb is recalling a 5-0 defeat of Nigeria in a duel played 59 years ago.
On that day, 24 February 1963, in Accra, the Black Stars defeated the then Green Eagles 5-0 to qualify for the final of the Kwame Nkrumah Cup.
The publication went ahead to recall the flowery description of the match by another Ghanaian newspaper. ‘The Black Stars playing like the real emperors led 1-0 at half time.
‘They came back in the second half to overwhelm the Green Eagles (now Super Eagles) who had no answer to their copybook soccer.
‘Scorers for Ghana were inside right Mfum (brace), Aggrey –Fynn, Baba Yara and Edward Acquah.
‘Ghana kicked off and for the first three minutes harassed Nigerian goalmouth.
‘Mfum was put through thrice but was superbly checked by the Nigerian right back, Nwosu.
‘A typical Baba Yara pass found Edward Acquah at inside left who headed a neat ball, goalkeeper Ezekwe had to dive full length to concede a corner kick.
‘Nigeria forced the tide in their favour. Their centre forward, Ekpe, thrilled the crowd with his dribbling but inside left Hamilton always shot over the bar.
‘In the eighth minute, right-winger Kwame Adarkwa with his typical body swerve, beat three Nigerian defenders in a row, passed to Mfum who missed the post by inches.<
‘But barely five minutes later, a beautiful Baba Yara pass went straight to Mfum. He trapped it and with, his usual bulldozing manner, cut through the Nigerian defense and gracefully beat goalkeeper Ezekwe to put Ghana ahead.
‘That goal really inspired the Black Stars. Their characteristic shot passes were in full cry and the Nigerians could not find their feet.
‘Halftime came with Ghana leading with one goal. Ghana resumed the second half with a terrific bang and for sometime kept the Nigerians under heavy pressure, but a number of scoring chances were wasted
‘Aggrey-Fynn increased Ghana’s lead in the 65th minute from a penalty kick.
‘Mfum, the hero of the day weaved his way through a bunch of Nigerian defenders when right back Nwokedi brought him heavily in the penalty box.
‘Senegalese referee Moustafa did not hasten to award a penalty kick and Aggrey- Fynn made no mistake about it. “King of West African wingers”, Baba Yara in a solo effort scored Ghana’s number three goal in the 70th minute.
‘It was a long pass from Ben Simmons which reached Yara.
‘Yara made a quick dash through the Nigerian defenders and after bamboozling goalkeeper, Ezekwe he beautifully placed the ball right in the corner of the net.
‘Nigeria were completely out of the game from that moment. All their passes went the wrong way and the Black Stars treated them with cheeky ease.
‘In the 81st minute left-winger, Tetteh Akrong put Mfum through to score a beautiful goal to give Ghana a comfortable 4 -0 lead
‘With a minute to full-time Edward Acquah sealed Ghana’s victory with a powerful shot.
Line-up
Ghana: Dodoo Ankrah, Anum Okai, E. O. Oblitey, E. J. Aggrey-Fynn, Addo Odametey, Ben Simmons, Kwame Adarkwa, Wilberforce Mfum, Baba Yara, Edward Acquah, Tetteh Akrong
Nigeria: Ezekwe, Nwosu, Shotayo, Nwokedi, Oduah, Remi, Osah, Edguonu, Ekpe, Hamilton, Iyamu
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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