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Qatar 2022: Nigeria To Replace Tunisia If FIFA Kicks Out Carthage Eagles

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Controversy has surrounded the Qatari World Cup ever since the country was announced as the host of the 22nd iteration of the major football tournament in 2010, Tidesports source reports,
It is now less than a month away from the start of the tournament, yet it is not exactly sure whether the 32 teams that have qualified for the 2022 World Cup finals will be the 32 teams that take to the field in Qatar.
Ukraine are calling on FIFA to exclude Iran, one of England’s group opponents, from the tournament due to the reported role they are playing in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, while Tunisia are also at risk of being banned from the tournament.
Tunisia has been warned by FIFA that they could be excluded from the upcoming World Cup in Qatar if their government intervenes in footballing matters.
All member federations must be free from any legal and political interference, but recent comments from the country’s Youth and Sports Minister, Kamel Deguiche, regarding the dissolution of the federal bureaux, which can also include the football federation, triggered a warning from FIFA.
The governing body believes Deguiche is attempting to meddle in the running of Tunisia’s Football Federation (FTF) and a letter was sent to the FTF about FIFA’s concerns to which they expect a hasty response.
If FIFA does not receive the clarity they need regarding Deguiche’s comments, Tunisia risk being banned from the 2022 World Cup.
Kenya and Zimbabwe have already received suspensions from FIFA for governmental interference over the past year.There’s plenty of speculation over who could replace Tunisia at the World Cup if they are indeed suspended by FIFA.
Hopeful Italian media outlets believe the Azzurri, who failed to qualify for the tournament after losing to North Macedonia in the play-offs, should take Tunisia’s place as they’re the highest-ranked nation that aren’t competing in Qatar. Roberto Mancini’s side are currently ranked sixth in the world.
However, a more likely scenario is that Tunisia are replaced by a fellow member of the African member association (CAF). If Italy replace Tunisia, that would put three UEFA members into Group D, which is prohibited.
Nigeria are the highest-ranked CAF member that failed to qualify for the World Cup. Mali may also have a shout of replacing Tunisia as they were beaten by the Eagles of Carthage 1-0 over two legs in their World Cup qualifier earlier this year.

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New Coach Promises Trophies At Barça

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Hansi Flick has said that Barcelona’s desire to always win trophies is why he is at the cub during his official unveiling as the club’s new head coach.
The former Bayern Munich and Germany coach signed a two-year deal with the LaLiga giants and said: “Before signing my contract I had a dinner with the president and I felt from the first second that I was arriving at an impressive club.”
“The squad has worked very hard from the first day in training. Each player wants to give 100% to show that they can play. The quality of the 16 or 17 year olds from La Masia is incredible.”
Two of the most recent standout products from Barça’s fabled academy are Lamine Yamal and Ansu Fati, two players who find themselves in very different situations.
On his 17-year-old star man, Flick was complimentary but also had words of warning.
“In the last year he has improved a lot. What he did in the Euros was incredible,” he added.

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Chelsea Will Concede Goals This Season – Coach

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Chelsea manager, Enzo Maresca says his side “are going to concede goals this season playing out from the back” after two defensive errors in a 2-2 draw with Wrexham in his first game in charge.
Midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu scored an 82nd-minute equaliser in Santa Clara, California, cancelling out two second-half strikes by the League One side.
A sharp finish in the penalty box from Christopher Nkunku opened the scoring in the 35th minute of Chelsea’s opening friendly on their pre-season tour of the United States.
But Wrexham took a surprise lead after both teams made wholesale changes at half-time with Luke Bolton and Jack Marriott scoring following mistakes.
The defensive errors were part of a weak second-half performance as Chelsea adapt to Maresca’s possession-based approach.
Wrexham impressed – adding to their 1-1 draw against Bournemouth on Saturday in a half-empty Levi’s Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers.
It is the Welsh club’s second consecutive US pre-season tour, capitalising on their popularity under co-owners, Hollywood actors, Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds, with Phil Parkinson’s side preparing for third tier football for the first time since 2005.
Maresca was asked about conceding goals through his playing philosophy, which included more patient build-up from back to front.

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France’s Olympics Come Alive With Les Bleus Victory

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The French starting 11 was worth more than $250 million. Their home crowd was stirring, waving flags, chanting “Allez Les Bleus.” Their fearsome front three alone had played more than 300 games in the English Premier League. They entered these 2024 Olympics as the men’s soccer gold medal favourite, and an early candidate to bring the Games to life.
And on Wednesday in Marseille, they did just that, beating the United States 3-0.
For an hour in Marseille, on opening night, a feisty American team stood up to them.
But in the 61st minute of Paris 2024’s first prime-time headliner, Alexandre Lacazette struck, and the Stade Vélodrome erupted. Kids kissed the French Football Federation badges on their shirts. Thousands of blue, white and red flags twirled.
Until that moment, the game had been somewhat dormant. And the Games, more broadly, were still waiting to awake. In Paris, many locals have escaped the craziness of the Olympics. Areas around the River Seine are all but locked down to prepare for today’s opening ceremony. Tuesday and Wednesday, in some ways, felt like normal Parisian nights, sans buzz.
The best cure for all of that was France’s most popular sport, the one that led the media’s front pages on Tuesday in a non-Olympic context, just three days before the official start of the Olympics.
This, of course, was not a full French soccer team. The Games are a mostly under-23 tournament. But it was still a French soccer team. And it was, by Olympic men’s soccer’s JV standards, stacked.
It came from Bayern Munich and Sevilla, RB Leipzig and Crystal Palace, in the German Bundesliga and throughout France’s Ligue 1. There were players valued at 25 million euros stuck on the bench. There were athletes all over the field whom, unlike many Olympians, the French public knows.
And the two biggest stars among them ignited the public. Lacazette, a veteran striker, one of three over-age picks, broke through the United States resistance.
Michael Olise, a 22-year-old creator who recently signed with Bayern, scored the second.

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