International Football
Walid Regragui, Morocco’s coach targets podium finish
“The Atlas Lions’ World Cup journey is still far from over, as Morocco’s head coach Walid Regragui emphasized during the pre-game press conference alongside Moroccan winger Zakaria Aboukhlal.
Morocco will face Croatia for the third place of the Qatar 2022 World Cup this Saturday at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha.
This is the highest profiled football match involving an African team.
The Moroccan coach noted that they still have four years to think about winning the next World Cup, but in the meantime, they must compete for third-place and they hope to go out on a high.
A win of the match will jerk up Morocco’s earning from the World Cup to $27 million from the current $25m- the highest football earning by any African team.
“Every match is important, even friendly matches; we want to win for our fans, and the goal is to finish third; the higher we rise in the rankings, the more we break records and make history,” Regragui remarked at the pre match press conference.
After expressing disappointment at not advancing to the finals following the team’s loss to France, Regragui stated that finishing on the podium is still important, despite the team’s fatigue and injuries.
The coach believes his players are still hungry for a good ending. They are aware that there is still a match to be played and that finishing fourth is not the same as finishing third and taking home a medal.
Playing against familiar opponents, Morocco had met Croatia on November 20 and ended their match in a draw (0-0.)
Highlighting that the game would be challenging, Regragui noted the pressure is on as it might be the final World Cup game for Croatian footballer Luka Modric.
Regragui described him as a “great player” who also wants to finish on the podium, so they must “be careful.”
He went on to say that Croatia had one more day to recover physically and that they knew it would not be an easy game, so they will have prepared themselves by putting their best team forward to try and win the third-place title.
Speaking about the Morocco- France game, Aboukhlal said, “I think the last game was a good game for us, but it was difficult. The second half, in my opinion, was better. Unfortunately, we were not able to score despite being close.”
“However, I believe we can be proud of how we performed against France and are now concentrating on finishing in third-place,” he added.
The Moroccan winger expressed good feelings about tomorrow’s game, saying that “it’s a good match to play. We can finish third in the World Cup, which has never happened to a Moroccan team or an African team.”
In addition, Morocco’s coach commented on the complaint made by Morocco’s Royal Federation of Football (FRMF) to FIFA about “unjust” refereeing during Morocco’s World Cup semi-final match against reigning champions France.
Regargui stated regretfully that the FRMF did its job, adding that when there is a refereeing error, they must report it as all federations do. That’s football; you have to accept it, he concluded.
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
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
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
Follow the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
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
Follow the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
- Nigerian Football6 days ago
Financial rainfall awaits Nigeria’s Flamingos for every goal scored in Algeria
- OBITUARY1 week ago
NFF mourns the demise of former FIFA referee, Bosede Momoh
- U-20 FOOTBALL1 week ago
Nigeria begin CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations title chase with Tunisian clash
- Nigerian Football6 days ago
Former WAFU President, Ogufere mourns Christian Chukwu
- Nigerian Football1 week ago
Remo Stars maintain ‘7Up’ lead over Rivers United
- feature1 week ago
Ghana’s Cardinal, Appiah Turkson, listed as a possible Pope
- Badminton6 days ago
It’s Nigeria again as Eniola Bolaji wins the 2024 Africa Women in Badminton Award
- CAF Champions League5 days ago
Al Ahly, Sundowns brace for Cairo showdown with final spot on the line