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Why Nigeria Can’t Talk Tough On W/Cup Qualifiers

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Even at the peak of their
powers Nigeria’s Super Eagles would have had to be very much apprehensive of their chances of topping a World Cup ‘Group of Death’ that has Algeria, Cameroon and Zambia.
And now without a permanent coach, a directionless and broke Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) as well as public confidence in the team at an all-time low, the signs are even more disturbing that the Eagles will fail to qualify for Russia 2018.
Algeria has for some time now been ranked as Africa’s No 1 team and for good reason too, while Cameroon has proved that despite their internal problems, they know how to qualify for the World Cup having done so on nine occasions.
Surprise African champions in 2012, Zambia may no longer be the force they were a few years ago, but the results the other teams in this group record against them could well determine the team on the flight to Russia in 2018.
It was not luck or that Nigeria accidentally found themselves in the toughest qualifying group for the 2018 World Cup, but the failure to qualify for two straight AFCONs sealed the country’s fate.
So, while Egypt were battling Tunisia to get into Pot 1 of the seedings for the qualifying tournament draw, the Eagles already knew their chances of making it to a sixth World Cup had already been hugely compromised by their FIFA ranking.
Brave players and officials have won my admiration for their tough talk soon after the draw, but we all know that football matches are not won on the pages of the newspapers or in the airwaves.
Self delusion and deception only leads to only one thing – FAILURE.
It is what you do on the pitch after all the painstaking preparations outside it that will count on the day, tough talk and brave faces notwithstanding.
One could safely say that for this year, Nigeria has two “manageable” qualifiers – away to Zambia on October 3 and at home to Algeria on November 7 – before the tournament restarts in August 2017 with a home game versus Cameroon.
To stand any chance of qualifying for the next World Cup, both games against Zambia and Algeria are must-win.
And so the build-up for these two games will be first the Rio Olympics in August as well as the final AFCON 2017 qualifier at home against Tanzania.
Nigeria Olympic coach Samson Siasia has listed as many as 19 full internationals on his provisional squad for the summer games and that should be the core of the team for the matches against Zambia and Algeria.
The AFCON qualifier at home to Tanzania in September has now assumed a greater importance as this will serve as the final warm-up before the trip to Zambia the following month.
This match can no longer be played by players from the domestic league as the Eagles will use it to get ready for the clash against The Chipolopolos.
In previous qualifying campaigns, Nigeria has banked on a perfect home record added to a couple of away results to go through, more like Kano Pillars in the league.
But this can no longer be the case as teams have been known to come and get a result in Nigeria these days – For the 2015 AFCON qualifiers, Congo Brazzaville beat Eagles 3-2 in Calabar before South Africa achieved a 2-2 draw in Uyo, while Nigeria failed to beat Egypt in Kaduna before they lost to the Pharaohs to exit the 2017 AFCON.
Then comes the vexed issue of who should coach the Eagles.
Pinnick has made it abundantly clear that Nigeria football salvation is in the hands of a foreign coach, but he also knows he will have to get the cash to pay for such a coach.
Indications still point to Frenchman Paul Le Guen, who has previously worked with Cameroon, as the man the NFF will soon appoint for the top Eagles post.
But is the Frenchman the most suitable man for the job and how do his employers hope to bankroll his contract even if it were just for the qualifiers?
One only hopes that the $1.5m touted to have been made available by an unknown sponsor would not develop into another ‘tale by moonlight.’
The NFF executives were voted to take the best decisions on behalf of a country of 180 million fans and should they fail again in the discharge of this mandate, they ought to take the honourable path of resigning without being told, and not just tell us they have taken responsibility and then fall short of doing the needful.
Audu writes for African football.com

 

Samm Audu

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Tottenham Fight Back To Hold Brighton

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Tottenham fought back from two-goals down to secure a deserved point against Brighton.

The Seagulls were second best for much of the match but found themselves 2-0 up after 31 minutes thanks to Yankuba Minteh’s early strike and Yasin Ayari’s powerful drive.

However, Richarlison halved the deficit just before half-time when he stopped a shot by Mohammed Kudus before slotting in.

Spurs dominated the second half but their finishing let them down as Richarlison and substitute Xavi Simons were both unable to make the most of promising opportunities.

But the equaliser came eight minutes from time when Jan Paul van Hecke turned Kudus’ cross into his own net.

Spurs then pushed for a winner as they looked to continue their impressive start to the season, but Brighton held on for the point.

Bundesliga: Kane Continues Goal Harvest (5)

Harry Kane scored his second hat-trick of the season as Bayern Munich overcame a shaky start to win at Hoffenheim and continue their 100% start.

The England captain, 32, broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time with a clinical first-time finish from a cleverly worked low corner, and doubled Bayern’s lead from the spot after Albian Hajdari was harshly penalised for a handball.

That broke Hoffenheim’s resistance and Kane completed his ninth Bundesliga hat-trick with another penalty, given for a foul on substitute Michael Olise after a video assistant referee (VAR) check.

This time Kane sent home keeper Oliver Baumann the wrong way for his 13th Bayern goal in seven matches across all competitions this season, adding to his Champions League double against Chelsea last Wednesday.

“Hat-trick Harry is what they called me in school,” Kane told Tidesports source after the match. “That one kind of stuck when I was younger.”

“Any ball in the box, whether penalty or not, I back myself to hit the target.”

Hoffenheim had the better of the first 45 minutes, Fisnik Asllani only able to hit the post after goalkeeper Manuel Neuer passed straight to the Kosovan.

They eventually got some reward for their efforts, former West Ham full-back Vladimir Coufal’s deflected free-kick beating Neuer to earn the Czech his first goal for the club.

Ex-Liverpool winger Luis Diaz hit the top of the bar late on as he failed to continue his record of scoring in every Bundesliga game this season, but Serge Gnabry added a fourth for Bayern with the last kick, converting a rebound from a tight angle after Baumann saved from Joshua Kimmich.

Nicolas Jackson made his first start since joining Bayern on an initial loan deal from Chelsea, but the Senegal striker had a very quiet game before being replaced in the 62nd minute.

In Italy, Lorenzo Pellegrini fired Roma into the Serie A top four as Lazio had two players sent off in a fiery derby.

The midfielder found the bottom corner in the 38th minute as Roma extended their unbeaten run to four games against their city rivals.

Lazio have lost three of their opening games of the season and had Reda Belahyane and former Arsenal midfielder Matteo Guendouzi dismissed in late drama.

Roma started well and Rome-born Pellegrini claimed the vital goal – his fourth in a Rome derby after being available for transfer in the summer – following good work down the right by Matias Soule.

But the hosts will rue missed opportunities as Boulaye Dia, Mattia Zaccagni and Alessio Romagnoli all had openings.

With four minutes left substitute Belahyane was shown a red card for a late studs-up challenge on Manu Kone.

Danilo Cataldi struck the outside of the post for Lazio in a last-gasp effort to snatch a point, while team-mate Guendouzi was sent off for dissent after the final whistle.

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Zidane’s Son Switches Allegiance To Algeria

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Luca Zidane, the son of France’s World Cup-winning playmaker Zinedine, has switched his international allegiance from France to Algeria.

Born just outside Marseille, the 27-year-old goalkeeper had appeared for France at various youth levels.

The move, which was approved by Fifa, may enable Zidane to follow in his father’s footsteps by appearing at a World Cup, with Algeria expected to secure a place at the 2026 finals in North America in their qualifier against Somalia next month.

Zidane, who is the second of four brothers, all of whom came through the Real Madrid academy, currently plays for Spanish second tier side Granada.

He played two matches for Madrid and has La Liga experience at Rayo Vallecano, but dropped a level in 2022 to play for Eibar before heading to Andalusia in 2024.

Zidane qualifies for the North African country through his father, whose parents hailed from the Kabylie region of Algeria.

Zinedine Zidane, who is regarded as one of the games greatest players scored twice for France in their 1998 World Cup final victory over Brazil, but was famously sent-off in the 2006 final, which was won by Italy after a penalty shootout.

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Man Utd Beat Chelsea To Ease Pressure 

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Manchester United capitalised on Robert Sanchez’s fifth-minute red card to secure a crucial victory over Chelsea in torrential rain at Old Trafford.

The first match in Premier League history to see two or more goals, red cards and substitutions in the first half was settled by goals from United skipper Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro, who was the other player sent off before the break.

It was Sanchez’s dismissal that set the course of the game though.

The Spain international raced from his goal to meet Bryan Mbeumo as the striker ran beyond the Chelsea defence.

Sanchez then upended the forward outside his area rather than allow him past to tap the ball into an empty net.

Enzo Maresca’s response to the red card was to take off both Pedro Neto and Estevao Willian and, as Cole Palmer had to be replaced after suffering a recurrence of a groin injury, Chelsea had lost three attacking players in the space of 20 minutes.

Trevor Chalobah pulled one back for Chelsea with a header 10 minutes from time but United kept their nerves at bay to make it to the final whistle with their lead intact.

The victory was United’s second of the season and came in front of minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who gave head coach Ruben Amorim assurances over his future 48 hours earlier.

It also means Chelsea have still not won at Old Trafford since 2013, when Sir Alex Ferguson was United manager.

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