International Football
YUSUF AHMED COMMENDS EAGLES AS TITLE FAVOURITES
Chairman of the NFF Technical and Development Committee, Alhaji Yusuf Ahmed, better known as “Fresh” has praised the resoluteness of the Super Eagles following their 2-1 win over Angola on Sunday that took Nigeria to the semi-finals of the African Nations Championship for only the second time ever.
“The boys have really and truly done Nigeria proud. There are still battles to conquer but we must commend them for overcoming strong opposition right from the group stage to make it to the last four.
“Of course, it is one match at a time. But I am happy that we have a team that has been showing excellent spirit and resilience, and I see them going all the way.”
Nigeria have been in the CHAN’s last four only once before – when the squad coached by Stephen Keshi eventually took the bronze medals at the 2014 finals in South Africa.
Come –back kings, Nigeria have now emerged as real title favourites after a creditable day-in-the-office against Angola on Sunday.
The Super Eagles once more exhibited the globally –renowned ‘Nigeria spirit’ by coming from a goal down to triumph, for the second consecutive game at the 5th African Nations Championship.
Against Equatorial Guinea in their last group phase encounter in Agadir on Tuesday, Nsi Eyama’s bullet header put the Eagles behind five minutes before half time. But Anthony Okpotu sneaked between two defenders to level up in the 59th minute and further goals from Dayo Ojo and Rabiu Ali ensured Nigeria finished top of the table.
Angola had designs coming into Sunday’s match, with the plan being to use their pace and run hard at the Nigerian defence and force Stephen Eze, Kalu Okogbue, Osas Okoro and Ikouwem Utin to commit errors. That plan did not work against a tested back –line.
Utin, playing his first match of the tournament in place of the injured Daniel James, was calm and collected, and launched attacks brilliantly. He fitted well into the equation. Even when centre –back Kalu Orji Okogbue got injured, substitute Timothy Danladi acquitted himself well and showed that Nigeria indeed have strength-in-depth.
Old war –horse Rabiu Ali, showing no signs of slowing down, and Dayo Ojo worked hard in the midfield, same for Emeka Atuloma and substitute Augustine Oladapo. Another substitute, Gabriel Okechukwu, got the winner in extra time.
Wednesday’s semi-final against Zambia’s conqueors, Sudan in Marrakech will test the Super Eagles’ mettle further, but a team that has held its own while leading and came back from deficit in consecutive matches have tasted the swings possible in a match and have nothing to fear.
Anthony Okpotu, top scorer in the Nigeria elite division last season, has fought hard and worked hard in this competition, and is Nigeria’s leading scorer with two goals.
He has the potential to do more, of course, and that opportunity presents itself as Nigeria aim to bypass Sudan into Sunday’s Championship match at Casablanca’s Stade Mohamed V.
The Eagles have improved with every game, from a scoreless draw wih Rwanda in their first match, to pipping 2014 champions Libya with a late goal and then coming from behind to defeat Equatorial Guinea and Angola.
“Our progress has been remarkable. A team that gets better with each game is likely to emerge champions at the end of a competition. We are looking forward to the Eagles making us proud by winning this trophy for the first time,” Fresh’s deputy in the Technical and Development Committee, Sharif Rabiu Inuwa, told thenff.com.
Wednesday’s clash in Marrakech will kick off at 8.30pm Nigerian time.
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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