International Football
Which African team will scale the heights at Qatar 2022?
“ Ke Nako” was the official slogan for the only World Cup edition held in Africa. It was apt, being a South African Sotho language expression for ‘it is time’.
At the time, it may have just conveyed the literary expression that it was time for Africa to host the World Cup.
The expression may as well be apt again this year at Qatar 2022 to convey the desire for African teams to scale the heights.
Over the years, the best efforts of African teams had seen some of them getting to the quarterfinals.
Cameroon did that at Italia’90, Senegal as debutants, upstaged defending champions, France, to repeat the feat of Cameroon 12 years later and went on to get to the quarter finals.
Ghana’s Black Stars had a near fairy tale at the 2010 World Cup and were unlucky not to reach the semi finals stage which is the stage most Nigerians now look forward to as target for the Super Eagles if they qualify for the ‘United’ edition, as the 2026 edition will be the first to be co-hosted by three countries..
The three African countries that had reached the quarter finals in the past are back on familiar terrain.
Getting to the semi-finals will be an enviable feat. It may buoy the arguments that Africa deserves more slots in the World Cup that will be enlarged to 48 teams.
Besides, the financial rewards for the African teams will rise. The on-going World Cup is figuratively described as the most expensive ever.
It also has the largest purse ever. The total prize pool for the 2022 World Cup is $440 million, up from $400 million in 2018.
Winners will get $42m. The runners-up will be awarded a sum of $30 million for making it to the final. Teams finishing third and fourth will take home a sum of $ 27 million and $ 25 million, respectively
A semi-final placement will not only buoy the ratings of that successful African team and open up the possibility of Africa getting more slots at the future World Cup finals; the financial reward for the football associations will be earth shaking.
The semi-final slot for a team fetches a minimum of $25 million for the football federation following the increase in prize money announced by FIFA . In essence, an African team that ends its run in the semi-final and wins the losers’ final match will get $20 million which undoubtedly will be the biggest take home by any African team in a football competition.
Should the team win the third place match, the prize money rises to $22 million. This is an incentive that could and should drive the five African teams beyond their natural limit.
The final draw has thrown up the possibilities of achieving the feat. Squabbles over financial incentives had been a major problem afflicting African teams at global events.
African teams are often noted for their self – destructive antics as exhibited by the Togo team at the Germany 2006 as well as Nigeria and Ghana at the 2014 World Cup.
Thus, African teams often make more news off the pitch over disputes on bonuses.
In 2006, Togo’s coach, Otto Pfister who was a replacement for Nigeria’s Stephen Keshi , had to walk out just before their first match with Korea.
FIFA officials had to step in to stop players threatening to boycott their second match with Switzerland.
All these may have accounted for FIFA’s decision to grant each World Cup finalist, $2.5 million as preparation cost.
With the recurring financial dispute apparently taken care of, African teams should be in the right frame to scale the heights.
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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