Sports
Essien, Germany’s Main Threat
Michael Essien is the man Germany has to stop if they are to take maximum points off Ghana in their first competitive meeting at senior level at next year’s World Cup,” Germany’s coach, Joachim Low has said.
That game is billed for June 23 in Johannesburg but Low is in no doubt the Chelsea man is the engine room of Ghana and already plans on getting some inside information on how to derail the man nicknamed the Bison and Train from Germany captain, Michael Ballack who plays alongside Essien at Chelsea.
“Ghana are going to be very difficult to play against due to their physical strength and in Michael Essien they have a real superstar,” Low said.
“I will have to ring Michael Ballack to get some inside info on Essien. The Ghanaians played well at the 2006 World Cup and have improved over the past few years”.
“It’s going to be difficult but it’s an interesting draw. I don’t think we need to fear any of the sides we are up against because we’ve got a very strong squad ourselves”.
Rivers United FC of Port Harcourt contingent, comprising players, technical crew, backroom staff, and officials, depart the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos State on Wednesday, bound for Kinshasa, DR Congo.
The team is set to face FC Les Aigles du Congo in the first-round first-leg match of the CAF Champions League.
This was contained in a press release signed by the media officer of the club, Charles Mayuku and made available to Tidesports on Wednesday.
He said that the highly anticipated match is scheduled to take place at the 80,000-capacity Kinshasa-Complexe Omnisports Stade des Martyrs on morrow with kickoff slated for 3:30pm.
According to the statement the encounter marks the first-ever meeting between both sides in any competition, adding that an air of excitement and unpredictability to the fixture.
“As the Pride of Nigeria embarks on this crucial journey, the team is determined to return with a decent result that will set them up favorably for the second leg on Sunday, 28th September” the statement said.
The new rankings, released via FIFA’s official X handle on Thursday, reflect the team’s continued struggles under Coach Eric Chelle amid a stuttering 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.
This marks a second consecutive decline after the Nigerian side dropped from 43rd to 44th in August on the back of poor outings in recent international matches.
Despite Nigeria’s setback, several African teams made progress. Morocco remains the continent’s highest-ranked side, sitting 11th in the world after winning eight of their last nine matches. Senegal, Egypt, Algeria and Côte d’Ivoire complete Africa’s top five.
Lesotho slipped to 153rd place, while Benin Republic, Nigeria’s upcoming opponent, climbed to 93rd. South Africa’s Bafana Bafana, who held the Super Eagles to a 1-1 draw in June, rose to 55th, strengthening their bid for World Cup qualification.
Zimbabwe had the biggest slide down the ranking table, dropping nine places to 125th position in the world.
The rankings highlight Nigeria’s struggle to regain form on the global stage as key rivals continue to surge ahead.
Similarly, the Super Falcons of Nigeria remain 36th best in the world], while the Spanish female national team replaced the USA at the top of the women’s ranking.
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