International Football
Morocco rewrite Africa’s World Cup history
African teams have claimed several giant-killing results at World Cups but nothing like the unprecedented run of Morocco in Qatar that will fuel hopes of more representation at future tournaments.
Morocco have eliminated Belgium, Spain and Portugal — all ranked in the world’s top 10 — to become the first African team to reach the last four and they now eye the scalp of holders France on Wednesday.
Cameroon upset holders Argentina in the opening match of the 1990 World Cup in Italy and went on to the quarter-finals while Senegal did the same to France when they began the defence of their title in 2002.
Algeria’s 1-0 defeat of West Germany in 1982 was also one of the tournament’s all-time shock results.
But for the rest, the continent’s achievements in the showpiece event have been limited, the reason why long-serving Confederation of African Football president Issa Hayatou put a lid on his members’ demands for more places at the finals.
“We need the result in order to make a strong case,” he repeatedly told CAF meetings.
Of the 160 matches played by African sides at the World Cup, only 37 have been won for a success rate below 25%.
FIRST PARTICIPANTS
Egypt were the first African participants in 1934, under Scottish coach James McCrae, but went home after one game, losing 4-2 to Hungary in Naples.
Most of Africa was still under colonial rule when the World Cup resumed after the Second World War but as countries gained independence, so CAF membership increased and Africa began to flex some muscle.
The continent boycotted the 1996 World Cup in England over the failure to grant Africa a place in the 16-team finals — it has to play off for one spot with teams from Asia and Oceania – and to protest against the entry of apartheid South Africa in the qualifiers.
A single African berth was granted for Mexico 1970 where Morocco finished bottom of the group, albeit holding Bulgaria to a draw in their last game.
Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of Congo, were the subject of ridicule in 1974 as they lost all three games, including 9-0 to Yugoslavia. Zaire’s Yugoslav coach Blagoje Vidinic changed the goalkeeper after going 4-0 down in 22 minutes.
DISGRACE OF GIJON
A 3-1 victory for Tunisia over Mexico in Argentina in 1978 went a long way to restoring Africa’s morale and in 1982 two teams were unlucky not to advance — Cameroon going home after three draws and Algeria eliminated after the “Disgrace of Gijon” when West Germany beat Austria 1-0 in an allegedly contrived result that left the north Africans out third in the group.
The Germans scored early and the game progressively deteriorated to a virtual standstill in the second half. Subsequently, FIFA ruled the final two games in each group be played simultaneously to avoid any repeat.
Morocco were the first African side to qualify for the second stage in Mexico 1986, beating Portugal to finish ahead of England in their group.
Cameroon’s advance to the last eight in 1990 captured worldwide imagination, especially the goals and dancing celebrations of 38-year-old Roger Milla, whose inclusion had been ordered by the country’s president.
HANDBALL
That achievement held out the promise that Africa would not take long to produce a World Cup winner, but only Senegal in 2002 and Ghana in 2010 were able to make the last eight.
With South Africa hosting in 2010, Africa had six teams but only Ghana got past the first round, denied a semi-final spot by a controversial handball from Uruguay’s Luis Suarez.
It got even worse in Russia in 2018 when no African teams made it to the last 16, sparking serious reflection about the direction of the game on the continent.
But Morocco’s class of 2022 have changed the mood and will be celebrated for years to come.
Africa has nine berths — plus a possible extra via playoffs — at the expanded 48-team finals in 2026, but there are now certain to be calls for more at tournaments after that.
-Reuters
Morocco fans in London after the Morocco v Portugal match – London, Britain – December 10, 2022 Morocco fans with flags in Piccadilly Circus celebrate after reaching the semi final REUTERS/Henry Nicholls/
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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