International Football
Women’s World Cup 2023: Setbacks for Africa’s four qualifiers in friendlies
Africa’s four qualifiers for next year’s Women’s World Cup all suffered fresh setbacks in their preparations for the tournament in Australia and New Zealand.
South Africa, Morocco and Nigeria experienced humiliations in their latest friendly matches, while visa issues meant Zambia had to call off a scheduled warm-up game in Europe.
After being outclassed by Brazil in two friendlies last month, African champions South Africa were thumped 4-1 by Australia in London.
Desiree Ellis’s Banyana Banyana were without a host of key players, including captain Janine van Wyk and United States-based Thembi Kgatlana – with the latter recovering from an injury suffered at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) in July.
The Matildas dominated by scoring three times in the first half and a fourth in the 53rd minute before Hildah Magaia netted a beautiful consolation towards the end.
“We were looking for an improved performance. It’s not where we wanted to be but it’s step by step and I felt we have improved,” said Ellis.
South Africa have played 13 games in the calendar year, scoring 15 goals but conceding 25 times (including five at the Wafcon).
Despite losing three friendlies by an aggregate score of 13-1 against two nations ranked in the world’s top 12, Ellis was impressed with her team’s response.
“A lot of positives for us because I thought it was a better performance,” she said.
“We tested some new players and I thought they really raised their hands. That’s the big positive for us – and we scored a goal.”
Pain in Spain for Morocco
Elsewhere, Wafcon 2022 hosts and runners-up Morocco suffered back-to-back 4-0 defeats against Poland and Canada in Spain.
The Atlas Lionesses, ranked 76th in the world, were also missing key players including captain Ghizlane Chebbak, defender Hanane Ait El Haj and Tottenham striker Rosella Ayana, who are all injured.
Coach Reynald Pedros admitted the North Africans played against two highly experienced sides before their maiden appearance at the World Cup.
The Frenchman said “important lessons” were learned in the loss to Poland in Seville on Thursday, while Canada found out “how difficult it is to break down” his defence in Jerez on Monday.
Morocco had previously faced Canada twice in February 2001 in Rabat, with the visitors winning the opener 4-0 before losing the rematch 1-0 two days later.
Falcons flying without wings
Nigeria were beaten 4-0 and 2-1 by the USA last month, and pressure on coach Randy Waldrum is increasing
Nigeria coach Randy Waldrum, meanwhile, has again come under criticism from local media after the Super Falcons’ 2-0 defeat by Japan in Kobe.
The West Africans were deprived of six regular starters in Asia and Mina Tanaka scored twice within a four minute second-half period, while brilliant goalkeeping from Chiamaka Nnadozie prevented the 2011 world champions from increasing the score line.
After a disappointing Wafcon semi-final exit on penalties, the nine-time African champions are winless in three friendlies since then.
Conceding eight times and scoring once in three lethargic performances has increased the pressure on the American coach.
“We can be proud of the women who gave Japan a fight,” said Waldrum.
“I am proud of their development and I think the fans will be proud of their performance at the World Cup.”
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) board, under then-president Amaju Pinnick, announced in August that it was reviewing the team’s Wafcon performance, saying a “thorough evaluation of the capability of the coaching crew to lead the team to a creditable performance at the World Cup” is ongoing.
But the newly elected NFF boss Ibrahim Gusau is yet to comment about the future of Waldrum.
Zambia grounded as Senegal and Cameroon await draw
Elsewhere, Zambia could not travel to Breda for their friendly against the Netherlands on 6 October because of visa problems.
The game was cancelled with their European hosts unable to rearrange another fixture.
“Despite many efforts by the Dutch and Zambian FA and the authorities involved, it was unfortunately not possible to bring Zambia to the Netherlands for the match,” said Dutch FA (KNVB).
Despite the four qualifiers all suffering an underwhelming international break, Africa’s number of representatives at the 2023 Women’s World Cup could yet increase.
Senegal and Cameroon will contest a 10-team intercontinental play-off in New Zealand next February, where three slots for the World Cup will be available.
Chile, Chinese Taipei (Taiwan), Haiti, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay and Thailand have also booked their places at that tournament, with Europe’s sole representative yet to be decided.
A draw for the play-off is set to be conducted later this month, and the World Cup is scheduled to be played from 20 July to 20 August next year.
-BBC
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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