What’s the reason for Argentina’s woes and how can they change the narrative?

Rabbit out of the hat

Almost everyone in the Argentine football circles knows about their once "unofficial Godfather," the controversial Julio Grondona, as he is referred to by several media outlets. The man who oversaw the affairs of the Argentine Football Association for something close to 40 years as if it was a monarchy, also having some unpopular influence in FIFA. Counter-intuitively, La Albiceleste's football somewhat thrived during his tenure but was also dying slowly and unnoticeably like a degenerative disease.

It all became apparent at his demise in 2014 when a supposedly democratic election to replace the forefather, raised a middle finger towards the whole of Argentina's football fraternity. It was a rabbit out of the hat moment, less of a lucky redemptive moment but a curse springing out of nowhere. Two candidates, one who preached reform and the other a perceived perpetuation of Grondona's iron fist regime lined up for voting as 75 members of the association went to the polls. A ridiculous and unmathematical 38-38 tie was the result, yes, out of the 75 votes cast, with the latter candidate eventually getting the nod.

Five years later, things have never been the same as far as Argentina's football is concerned.

Beginning of the end

Lionel Messi, Pablo Zabaleta, Martin Demichelis, Marcos Rojo, Lucas Biglia, Javier Mascherano, Rodrigo Palacio, Ezequiel Garay and Sergio Aguero of Argentina celebrate defeating the Netherlands in a penalty shootout during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Semi Final match between the Netherlands and Argentina at Arena de Sao Paulo on July 9, 2014 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

(July 8, 2014 - Source: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images South America)

The election did hint on the beginning of the end and so did the team's performance on the pitch in the same period, though not obvious to the eye. This was the same 2014 where Lionel Messi led La Albiceleste to the World Cup final against Germany in Brazil. Everyone had been rooting for the talisman to bring home the only prize missing from his illustrious trophy cabinet and indeed, he had put on a show worthy of praise and honor. He, in fact, walked away with the Golden Ball prize, the award for the best player of the tournament, howbeit reluctantly receiving it. He wanted more, their people wanted more, a chance to redeem a nation by winning a first major senior trophy in close to 21 years had been tombstoned by the Germans in the final. To be fair, it was not only Messi who had rearranged highways and landscapes on their way to the final. The whole of the White and Sky-Blues had punched way above their weight and just like the Germans, could have exhausted all their drive and winning mojo in that tournament.

Although they were not the most talented squad, players like Lionel Messi, Angel Di Maria, Ezequiel Lavezzi, Javier Mascherano and Gonzalo Higuain were the crème de la crème. As few as they were, their quality did rub on the likes of Marcos Rojo and Sergio Romero, with the whole unit fighting like gladiators, giving even what they didn't have for football and country. It was not just the World Cup, La Albiceleste had phenomenally appeared in 2 of the 3 prior Copa America finals before Brazil 2014. They would then appear in two more finals after 2014, however, they were unlucky not to get their hands on some elusive silverware on all the occasions.

Most or nobody could have known, but that run in which they lost no match in regulation time during the whole of the 2014 FIFA World Cup was a fat lady sings moment, almost the end of an impressive era.

Their 2018 World Cup run was just a symptom

The degeneration became apparent during the 2018 World Cup in Russia where the casual football fans witnessed a shocking performance by the South Americans.

Lionel Messi (L) and Pablo Zabaleta of Argentina look dejected after their 1-0 defeat against Germany in extra time during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Final match between Germany and Argentina at Maracana on July 13, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

(July 12, 2014 - Source: Matthias Hangst/Getty Images South America)

The seasoned Jorge Sampaoli who had masterminded Chile's Copa America triumph and done a great job at Sevilla looked way out of his depth at the helm of the White and Sky-Blues. Bizzare tactics and formations that left out key players such as Sergio Aguero, Paulo Dybala, Angel Di Maria on the bench for the likes of the unheralded and untested Christian Pavon and Maximiliano Meza got everybody talking. Sampaoli himself was crucified on social media to say the least. Of course, he did deserve some of the criticism, but even he was just a symptom and scapegoat of a much rooted and bigger problem. Preparations for the Russia tournament were far from ideal. Sampaoli was even appointed to save Argentina of the bushes of missing out on the World Cup in 48 years after a poor qualifying campaign that was rescued by a Messi hat-trick against Ecuador on the final day. A result that became Sampaoli's only competitive win prior to Russia. Scheduled international friendlies didn't help him thoroughly prepare either with a couple getting cancelled, for instance, the Jerusalem one had poor funding from the federation being a major obstacle (which we will thoroughly explore in the next section). It was during such preparations in March 2018 that Argentina suffered their record-equalling defeat at the hands of Spain, a 6-1 humiliation, which Messi was hardly able to finish as he made his way into the tunnel.

In the end, their 1-1 draw against Iceland, 0-3 loss to Croatia and a last-minute fortuitous 2-1 win over Nigeria that granted them passage into the round-of-16 were all actually not shocking but deserved results. La Albiceleste were eventually knocked out of the round-of-16 by eventual champions France with a 3-4 scoreline.

AFA Shenanigans

In 2019, results have barely improved either. A third-place finish at the 2019 Copa America clouded just how dismal their overall performance had been. An opening 0-2 loss to Columbia, a dull and lucky draw against Paraguay and an eventual win over lowly ranked Qatar were enough to send them through as one of the best 3rd placed teams. Something which shouldn't have been the case for the 2-time world champions. Their governing footballing body, the Argentine Football Association (AFA), has had a lot to do with this, if not everything to do with it. Let's look at only a few of the issues;

Players of Argentina look dejected after losing the Copa America Brazil 2019 group B match between Argentina and Colombia at Arena Fonte Nova on June 15, 2019 in Salvador, Brazil.

(June 14, 2019 - Source: Felipe Oliveira/Getty Images South America)

a. The 2014 Election

Surely without getting any more evidence; the circumstances surrounding the succession outlined in the introduction tells a lot about the cancer of corruption damaging the institution. Corruption itself as a phenomenon basically means more money to people behind the scenes and less towards the development of the game where results are expected. This can even be further evidenced by the following two other concerning issues.

b. Managerial appointments

It's very hard to explain Argentina's recent managerial struggles given just how endowed they are in terms of managerial talent as a nation.

Think Diego Simeone, Mauricio Pochettino, Marcelo Bielsa, Gerardo Martino only to mention but a few. They have a pool of renowned tacticians which has been headlining UEFA Champions and Europa League finals as well as the most competitive domestic leagues in Europe. But who have they appointed instead in recent times, Edgardo Bauza, Jorge Sampaoli and the current caretaker coacher Lionel Scaloni, Sampaoli's assistant who has been barely tested. Maybe the top guys are not just interested in the national team job, but for them not to be, there should be a good reason why. It's fair to assume that such former international players and sons of the soil would be at least patriotic enough to want to help revive their country's football. The former Barcelona manager, for example, Martino quit his role after somehow having only 12 players ready at his disposal heading into the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympics.

Simply put, AFA actually seems to be holding back in financing top managerial appointments.

c. National team logistics

Many would remember that the Argentinean captain, Lionel Messi once quit the national team. It was immediately after the 2016 Copa America where they lost to Chile in the final. The five-time Balon d'Or winner had himself missed a penalty during the final shoot-out. Messi would then eventually cite poor professionalism and far from ideal logistics by the administrative body as reasons for him quitting. For someone who had given so much over the years and still not managing to help his nation regain major silverware in over 20 years, you would understand the frustration. He was tired especially given the fact that AFA didn't seem to be pulling their own weight. Messi obviously returned to international duty after a presidential and public plea.

More of friendly matches scheduled in the less known parts of the world for financial gains, only if AFA can guarantee the appearances of top players such as Messi and Aguero has also been damaging the team's competitiveness. They are treating their stars as cash cows.

There could be more, but who else wants to continue hearing about such pathetic stunts by Argentina's football governing body.

“Two candidates, one who preached reform and the other a perceived perpetuation of Grondona’s iron fist regime lined up for voting as 75 members of the association went to the polls. A ridiculous and unmathematical 38-38 tie was the result, out of the 75 votes cast, with the latter candidate eventually getting the nod.”

— Dennis Takaendesa, FirstTouch Africa

Pablo Zabaleta (L) and Lionel Messi of Argentina look on with teammates after being defeated by Germany 1-0 in extra time during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Final match between Germany and Argentina at Maracana on July 13, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

(July 12, 2014 - Source: Martin Rose/Getty Images South America)

A drying talent pool

Contrary to popular belief, the current Argentinean squad is not actually very talented and balanced. After mentioning names of aging stars that include Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, Angel Di Maria, Gonzalo Higuain, Paulo Dybala, Icardi, Manuel Lanzini and Lautaro Martinez; the rest of their team members' names are not as glamorous and neither do they have crucial first-team roles at their respective clubs.

Even the above crop of excellent forwards, they are just that, forwards and they all can't play together at once. Take the 26-year-old Juventus forward for instance, Dybala, he has made little impact on the international stage because he is most effective from a position and role undertook by arguably the biggest talent of the century, Lionel Messi. The same can also be said about Lanzini; Icardi, Aguero and Higuain. No wonder coaches like Sampaoli ended up dropping some popular names on the bench.

On the face of it, this may look like karma is residing in Argentinean football right now, perhaps by having mothers give birth to and nurse only forwards in the current generation. Not really. Their current footballing structure is to be blamed for letting this happen. They are no longer as impressive in being a convincing conveyor belt of talent. La Albiceleste won the Under-20 FIFA World Cup in 2001, 2005 and 2007 and of their 20-man 2018 World Cup squad in Russia, seven of those were U20 World Cup winners from 11 or 13 years previously. Now in their last three U20 World Cup squads (2011, 2015, 2017), only two players featured in Russia. Evidence that the pathway to the first team for youth players has become less straight forward.

It is because of that reason that many talented players could be "leaking" from their current system.

Lionel Messi of Argentina football team player arrives to compete in the 2018 World Cup at Zhukovsky airport on June 9, 2018 in Moscow, Russia.

(June 8, 2018 - Source: Oleg Nikishin/Getty Images Europe)

Spare the rod on Messi

It's fair enough to argue that the case we have presented so far is enough to exonerate Messi from being the scapegoat of the national team's woes. Punditry commentary such as "he doesn't mark for the ball, he is not a good leader, he doesn't care about his country enough," should be trashed.

If it were not for Messi's stunning free-kicks and late solo goals against the likes of Iran, they wouldn't have made the 2014 World Cup final. Argentina might have not made even the Russia finals if the talisman had not bagged a hatrick against Ecuador in their 3-0victory on the final match-day of the qualifiers. It was only the 32-year-old who scored a competitive goal for Argentina between November 2016 and the commencement of the 2018 World Cup finals. So when he lost his cool against Brazil or Chile in the 2019 Copa America finals, understand he had more than one good enough reason to justify a mere normal human emotional outburst.

To say the criticism on La Albiceleste's all-time leading goal scorer has been unfair, it's a gross understatement. Where can Argentina go from here Their challenges and shortcomings surely seem obvious now, but how do they turn it around? It's simple at least on paper, AFA just has to do the opposite of what they've been doing right now. They should take good care of players on international duty, schedule friendlies that make competitive and not just financial sense, become more international in establishing a clear pathway to the senior team for the youth players, recruit vastly experienced managers amongst many other things.

If their recent 6-1 friendly victory over Ecuador is anything to go by, maybe they've started the rebuilding process with youthful players under Lionel Scolani.

Here is what the gaffer said;

"It was a positive tour. We got what we wanted which was that the kids get some minutes and for them to be able to show that they could be here. I'm excited because of the way they understand what it means to play with this shirt. There are five or six players which are the base of my team. They don't need to play as much anymore because they've shown and have given us so much.

After that you could win or lose because the best team doesn't always win. No one is unbeatable but this is a national team that will be difficult to beat." – Lionel Scolani

Is VAR a superhero or a villain in the future of global football?

VAR has come under scrutiny once more after a series of controversial decisions made using the instant replay system during the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup.  FIFA introduced virtual assistant refereeing technology on the global football stage in the 2018 FIFA Men's World Cup in Brazil. It has received significant push back from football fans who argue that VAR will disrupt the game as it has come to be loved. Much of the same argument still exists. The position of VAR skeptics is that an increased focus on accuracy would take away the flair and free play. The relevance of VAR has been brought into question even further this year. VAR dominated headlines in the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup after players and coaches raised fresh criticism about its relevance to global football.

“The statistics still show VAR improved the decision-making accuracy in the group stages to 98% as compared to 92.5% without it. Human error in football has always been frustrating given the fact that once the referee makes a call, whether right or wrong; there was no way to check in real-time.  ”

— Margaret Mandeya, FirstTouch Africa

Alex Morgan of the USA is fouled by Stefanie Van der Gragt of the Netherlands leading to a penalty during the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup France Final match between The United States of America and The Netherlands at Stade de Lyon on July 07, 2019 in Lyon, France.

(July 6, 2019 - Source: Getty Images Europe)

VAR controversy at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup  

FIFA's decision to approve the use of VAR at the tournament came in March, just three months before the start of the competition. The timing of the VAR was the major challenge, with some coaches and pundits calling out FIFA for using the Women's World Cup as a testing ground for VAR. Cameroon's Indomitable Lionesses had a passionate protest during their round-of-16, 3-0 loss to England. Specifically, after feeling hard done by, the Cameroonians proceeded to stop play for minutes, refusing to continue the game in protest of the VAR decisions. Ellen White's second goal of the match was firstly ruled as offside and later allowed after VAR consultation. The same way that the Indomitable Lionesses felt that VAR had robbed them of their chances; other teams also faced a similar fate to the Cameroonians.

Among the other teams that had a bone to pick with the VAR system, was Scotland.  In the group stages of the tournament, Argentina came back from a 3-0 loss against Scotland to draw, 3-3. In stoppage time, a late infringement led to a VAR penalty decision which was initially saved by the Scottish goalkeeper. In a shocking twist, the referee ruled that the goalkeeper moved from the line before Argentina took the penalty shot and after consulting VAR, the penalty was retaken. Nigeria was too a victim of the penalty retake after France had missed the penalty, it was judged with VAR that the Nigerian goalie had moved off the line before the kick. 

Previously, such minor infringements would have gone unnoticed, but VAR is making the enforcement of the rules of the game much stricter. While everyone would agree that the rules should be observed for fair play, some do feel that football is becoming too rigid and too technical. 

Part of the debate around the FIFA Women's World Cup was around the new rule that was responsible for dashing the dreams of both Scotland and Argentina. The new rules from the International Football Board say that a goalkeeper must always have one foot on the line during a penalty kick as opposed to the previous rule of two feet.

The big screen inside the staduim informs fans of a VAR review in consideration, after referee Milorad Mazic awards Senegal a penalty, which he then rescinds after looking at the VAR footage during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia group H match between Senegal and Colombia at Samara Arena on June 28, 2018 in Samara, Russia.

(June 27, 2018 - Source: Michael Steele/Getty Images Europe)

Do we even need VAR?

VAR is not detached from traditional refereeing —it's a sidekick to the match official, and it's not an either-or situation. Referees still have the last call in deciding whether an infringement has been made. Having video-assisted refereeing has overall reduced the number of incorrect calls and improved the accuracy of referees. The statistics still show VAR improved the decision-making accuracy in the group stages to 98% as compared to 92.5% without it. Human error in football has always been frustrating given the fact that once the referee makes a call, whether right or wrong; there was no way to check in real-time. 

A positive aspect of VAR is that it increases the transparency of the calls made by referees. They are countless allegations of dubious referees being caught in the thick of match fixing scandals that have rocked the footballing world and made us question the authenticity of the entire system. These referees were often part of a large scheme of match-fixers and betting mafias. When these ​match-fixing scandals​ come to the public's attention, it has always triggered a discussion around solutions to prevent such callous disregard of ethics by match officials. VAR can bring accountability, which has sometimes been lacking in football.  Before VAR, it was easy for referees to make dubious calls as a referee, VAR makes it more challenging to hide blatant match-fixing attempts. 

Colombia players confront referee Milorad Mazic after he awards Senegal a penalty before rescinding the decision after reviewing VAR footage during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia group H match between Senegal and Colombia at Samara Arena on June 28, 2018 in Samara, Russia.

(June 27, 2018 - Source: Stu Forster/Getty Images Europe)

While the coming of VAR was quite a noble effort by the football governing bodies, the interpretation of "match-changing situations" needs to be given more attention. Referees have lost the autonomy to make decisions without leaning on the VAR to confirm each decision, leading to longer and slower games. I would argue that the biggest flaw of VAR is that it slows down the pace of the game. Games are now featuring more abrupt 2 minutes, even up to 4 minutes stop to allow the referee to review the VAR footage. Before VAR, it was rare to see a game stop as many times as has become common. Ultimately, increase in stoppage time has increased the average length of matches. In the 2018 Men's World Cup, the average stoppage time increased from 5.4 minutes to 6.4 minutes.

VAR going forward

The success of VAR depends on making some critical changes to how it's used. The Premier League will use VAR for the first time in the 2019/20 season. The Football Association has been paying close attention to the controversies surrounding VAR at the Women's World Cup in preparing for the launch of VAR in the 2019-2020 season. One thing that has come up in how the FA would like to do things differently to how we've seen VAR in previous tournaments is to reduce its interference and apply it more consistently in accordance with the laid out rules.

Despite the controversies, I would argue that VAR should stay. Fair play is becoming more of a reality owing to VAR. The FA has correctly defined the guidelines for the part that VAR will play in the Premier League. FIFA must reanalyze the interaction with VAR globally which would allow for more seamless consultations.

FT World Cup 2018: Round of 16 Preview [Argentina vs France]

France vs Argentina is a salivating matchup on paper, as both nations boast a wealth of talent across the pitch, especially in midfield and attacking positions. As underwhelming as each team has been through in the group stage though, one must remind themselves that France and Argentina are familiar with this stage of international competition. In recent memory, France reached the Finals of Euro 2016, and the Quarter Finals of World Cup 2014 and are more than overdue a major international trophy. The same could easily be said about La Albiceleste, who reached the Copa America Final in both 2015 and 2016 only to lose to Chile on both occasions. Argentina also made it to the World Cup Final against Germany in 2014, ending up losers again in a 1-0 extra time drama.  Even though each may have underperformed thus far in Russia Here are our three reasons for each nation on why we believe they could progress to the 2018 World Cup Quarter Final.

Argentina

They have the best player on the field

As it has been for each of Argentina’s games in the tournament so far, Messi has been the best player on the pitch. Against France, it will be no different. It is no secret that France will field a more talented side than Argentina on Saturday, but Argentina will take solace in the fact that similar to themselves, France has looked uninspired and disjointed at times. Lionel Messi is a man ready to seize the moment and has proven that time and time again over the course of his career. His 3-touch majestic goal against Nigeria in a must-win situation should be more than proof that the Barca man could prove a match winner at any moment.

They will have momentum after the huge win

France hasn’t played poorly by any means so far in Russia, but they haven’t exactly impressed either. At times they have even played down to their competition during the group stage, which could be a sign that they have yet to receive a stern enough test. Argentina experienced need the opposite in their journey to the Round of 16. Argentina was tried, tested, and bullied around in each of their matchups against Iceland, Croatia, and Nigeria. In a must-win match against the Naija Boys, they rose to the occasion through a late Marcus Rojo winner which will surely give them confidence that anything can happen for them this tournament.

Ever Banega

As much has been said about Soampali and his controversial control of “his” men during the group stage, maybe his biggest mistake in the first match was not starting Ever Banega over Lucas Biglia. Everybody and their mum knew that Iceland would remain compact and up to the task of defending behind the ball against Argentina in Round 1, so it shocked Parnell and me when we saw Biglia’s name on the starting lineup sheet next to Javier Mascherano, already a more than a capable holding midfielder. In this appearance later that game, and especially against Nigeria, Banega has shown his quality, and could easily be regarded as Argentina’s 2-3 most influential player thus far in the tournament. Even if Deschamps adjust France’s tactics to press Banega and attempt to shut down his playmaking abilities, Argentina should still see this as a positive as it will divert France’s (mainly Kante’s) attention away from Messi at times.

France

They have a more balanced squad and more depth

We have all seen the mock team sheets and memes at this point of France’s B and C teams. Their depth of talent in the tournament can only be rivaled by Brazil or Spain, and whatever starting XI that Deschamps selects will be full of technical ability, pace, and industry. Cohesion is the one adjective that has so far evaded Les Bleus in Russia, but if they find juice on Saturday, as we already saw against Croatia, Lionel Messi can’t play in goal as well.

Antoine Griezmann vs Javier Mascherano

Masche put in vintage and inspirational performance in Argentina’s dramatic win against Nigeria on Tuesday. He was everywhere Argentina needed him to be and then some, as he harassed Nigeria’s midfield and front men, refusing to let any opposing player in the attacking third feel comfortable on the ball. Nigeria has no shortage of talent in their team, but they don’t have a Griezmann. As deadly a finisher the Atletico forward can be in and around the box, he is a player who’s the best quality may be his clever movement and ability to create space for himself. To make matters worse for Argentina and Mascherano, France has a wealth of players who can break lines and push forward past the midfield third, which makes it easier for Griezmann to drift and occupy space in dangerous areas. Even if Masche marshals him well, it may only take one chance for Griezmann to make the Argentinians pay for leaving him open.

Pace, pace, and more pace

We have seen Argentina’s midfield and defense struggle to adapt to a few tactics in Russia, but perhaps what is most indefensible for them will be the genuine and industrious pace of France. Nigeria may have possessed a similar weapon, but ultimately broke down in the final third a bit too often to finish off Argentina in their gutting 2-1 loss. But that doesn’t mean that they didn’t get into the dangerous positions in the first place. France has more than enough pace through the likes of Mbappe, Griezmann, and Dembele to stretch Otamendi and Rojo and allow Pogba and Matuidi to burst forward and create numbers in the oppositions half. Even though Banega could prove a big asset for Argentina going forwards, he will have to do his fair share of tracking if Argentina hopes to retain defensive numbers against France’s attack.

FT World Cup 2018: Nigeria go down fighting

The Super Eagles of Nigeria missed out narrowly on reaching the knockout stages after Marcos Rojo scored a late winner to send Argentina through.

The West African boys came into the match on the back of an impressive 2-0 win over Iceland after faltering 2-0 to Croatia in the opening match. Their win collapsed social media as Africa celebrated with the nation of over 180 million people. With this game, everything was on the line, the Super Eagles only needed a draw to secure qualification to the next round while the shaky Argentina side had to bag all three points with the hope that Iceland would fall to Croatia.

Fourteen minutes into the match, Lionel put the South American side ahead after controlling an overhead pass from Arsenal-linked Ever Banega and firing the ball into the net. It was really a vintage Messi moment and if you ask me, not much could have been done to stop it. An organized defense led by Brighton Hove Albion’s Leon Balogun and a wonderful fingertip save by Uzoho from a Messi free-kick kept the scoreline at 1-0 on the 45-minute mark.

After the halftime period, the Super Eagles came out flying, meticulously hunting their prey. Etebo curled a corner into the box in the 51st minute which did not lead to a call but meant that Javier Mascherano had to put his arms over Balogun to avoid one, granting the Eagles a penalty. Victor Moses made no mistake from the spot, canceling Argentina’s opener. At this stage, Nigeria could actually have been two or three goals up after some neat interplay that saw Wilfried Ndidi’s long-range shot narrowly missing the target. Odion Ighalo also missed an open chance before a penalty appeal was rejected after a VAR review when Marcos Rojo seemed to have handed the ball to stop Musa’s cross from reaching the lurking Ighalo. The 86th minute was to become the heartbreaking moment.

Gabriel Mercado swung a cross into the box that met the Marcos Rojo who fired it into the bottom corner becoming the unlikely hero of the night. Argentina’s qualification was further aided with Croatia’s 2-1 win over Iceland.

In the end, the result was disappointing and some decisions might have gone against the Super Eagles but the overall performance by the Nigerians was nothing less than a fight to the death. Now, four of five African teams have been knocked out from the tournament. Africa’s last hope lies with Senegal, who plays Colombia on the 28th of June.

FT World Cup 2018: Africa Has Arrived - Nigeria

In the history of the FIFA World Cup, no African team has ever reached the semi-finals. Ghana was agonizingly close in South Africa 2010 but crashed out after Luis Suarez’s heroics in goal, in place for a goalkeeper who was still in the game. Senegal’s Lions of Teranga had a great run in the 2002 finals before losing to Turkey, 1-0 after extra time. Can this year be a historical one for Africa?

The Naija boys have done so well in claiming the unofficial World Cup fashion awards by rocking a designer Nike outfit that has left everyone in the soccer world talking. It also sold out and generated millions for the West African nation. As if that was not enough, the Super Eagles consolidated their position as the best dressed by wearing an impeccable traditional outfit that effortlessly differentiated them from the rest of the suit and tie wearing nations touching down in Russia. Representing a nation of more than 180 million people, they inevitably got most of the media attention in the build-up to the finals in Russia, receiving both “blessings and curses”. Will they really be able to deal with all the pressure and make their killer outfits count for something?

I think it’s going to be really tough, but they will manage to do just enough to at least reach the knockout stages. Nigeria will be wary of Lionel Messi and Argentina having faced them in 2002, 2010 and 2014 finals. Although they lost 1-0, 1-0 and 3-2 in all occasions, respectively, they will be optimistic about getting a result this time around. They recently got one over them in a friendly played in November 2017, winning 4-2 and will be confident of getting a result on the 26th of June. As for the challenge of Croatia, it will really be a game of two halves but I am confident that Victor Moses and Alex Iwobi can work something out to expose the defense that conceded an avoidable goal against Senegal in a World Cup warm-up friendly. It should also be said that captain John Obi Mikel and Wilfried Ndidi will really have to be on their A-game as they will battle some of the best midfielders alive in the form of Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic. As for their second group D match against the fairytale itself, Iceland, if they do the basics right I do not see them losing that match.

Here are my group D final standings;

Argentina (1st); Nigeria (2nd); Croatia (3rd); Iceland (4th).

What are your predictions? Let us know in the comment box below.
 

FT Top 10 World Cup Snub: Honorary Mention - Leroy Sane

The FIFA World Cup is the biggest individual sports tournament in the whole world. Russia successfully submitted a bid and are going to be hosting this year’s World Cup. Many players have given their all during the 2017/18 season in a bid to get a sit on the plane to Russia to represent their national teams. Since the decisions lie on the managers and their team, it was bound that many players would be shockingly dropped in teams especially with a lot of competition for places. Here, we look at the 10 players who failed to make the cut on the final squad list.

Leroy Sane - Germany

Most arguably the biggest omission of them all. Leroy Sane, one of the best players in Manchester City’s title-winning squad, has been left out of the German team to compete at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia. No one could have predicted that he would not make it having scored 14 goals and contributing 17 assists in the most competitive league in the world, the English Premier League. He also won PFA Young Player of the Year. Surely, Joachim Low has made a big decision that could backfire against him. He prefers Brandt and Draxler who have a combined 16 goals and 9 assists in the 2017/18 season. Clearly, these two are not on the 22-year old’s level which leaves us wondering. Why is it that he has been dropped out of that German squad? We need answers!

FT Top 10 World Cup Snub: #2 - Alexander Lacazette

The FIFA World Cup is the biggest individual sports tournament in the whole world. Russia successfully submitted a bid and are going to be hosting this year’s World Cup. Many players have given their all during the 2017/18 season in a bid to get a sit on the plane to Russia to represent their national teams. Since the decisions lie on the managers and their team, it was bound that many players would be shockingly dropped in teams especially with a lot of competition for places. Here, we look at the 10 players who failed to make the cut on the final squad list.

Alexander Lacazette - France

Alexander Lacazette has reasons to be extremely disappointed as he will not be flying to Russia with the French National Team to play in the World Cup this summer. After making a triumphant return with Arsenal following a mid-season knee injury, his goals helped guide Arsenal to the UEFA Europa League Final. French manager, Didier Deschamps, pointed to Lacazette perhaps not impressing him over the last two years as opposed to his recent form. During the last international friendlies, Lacazette and Anthony Martial were both decisive players and Lacazette scored against Germany. Nevertheless, a massive snub indeed, and some of the French media have focused on the fact that Deschamps has chosen more versatile attackers that are capable of playing in multiple positions and tactically assuming multiple roles. Olivier Giroud, Kylian Mbappe, and Antoine Griezmann are most likely the starting attacking players and with players like Nabil Fekir and Ousmane Dembele also in the 23-man group, France certainly may not regret Lacazette’s absence.

FT Top World Cup Snubs: #1 - Mauro Icardi

The FIFA World Cup is the biggest individual sports tournament in the whole world. Russia successfully submitted a bid and are going to be hosting this year’s World Cup. Many players have given their all during the 2017/18 season in a bid to get a sit on the plane to Russia to represent their national teams. Since the decisions lie on the managers and their team, it was bound that many players would be shockingly dropped in teams especially with a lot of competition for places. Here, we look at the 10 players who failed to make the cut on the final squad list.

Mauro Icardi - Argentina

Mauro Icardi has been exempted from the FIFA World Cup 2018 Squad for Argentina. Many analysts have come out to say that the Inter Milan striker is so unfortunate to be playing in the age of great attacking options for the country with players like Sergio Aguero, Gonzalo Higuain, Paulo Dybala and Lionel Messi. Nonetheless, the player has done enough to deserve a place in the squad. The role of the striker is to score goals and Icardi has just done that for his club this season scoring 30 goals in 38 matches. This rate is better than Higuain and Dybala’s returns this season who played in the same competitions with the player but only managed 27 and 26 each respectively. There are not many players as gifted as the young 25-year old at finishing but Jorge Sampaoli could not trust that he would bring them success in the tournament which raises questions about how these decisions are made. The player evidently had a better season than many but is omitted from the squad which proves that he falling short because he represents a smaller club than his counterparts.

FT Top 10 World Cup Snubs: #3 - Mario Götze

The FIFA World Cup is the biggest individual sports tournament in the whole world. Russia successfully submitted a bid and are going to be hosting this year’s World Cup. Many players have given their all during the 2017/18 season in a bid to get a sit on the plane to Russia to represent their national teams. Since the decisions lie on the managers and their team, it was bound that many players would be shockingly dropped in teams especially with a lot of competition for places. Here, we look at the 10 players who failed to make the cut on the final squad list.

Mario Götze - Germany

This one is quite shocking. Who would have ever thought that Mario Götze of all people, would be left out by Joachim Low. The attacking midfielder won Germany the FIFA World Cup in 2014 by scoring the goal that made the difference against Argentina in the final. He controlled the cross from the left and finished past Romero on the 112th minute. This gutted Lionel Messi who went on to retire from the national team. The young German became a hero for his goal which gifted Germany with the World Cup and many assumed that he would be repaid by a place in the final squad. The player has not had a terrible season either having made 38 appearances across all competitions which yielded 3 goals and 6 assists. Surely, Goetze deserved more from his team but the coach thinks otherwise. At the end of the day, Low probably sees that the player delivered when asked to but is now surplus to requirements. Such is the life of a footballer. One moment you’re idolized and the next, you’re insignificant.

FT Top 10 World Cup Snubs: #4 - Renato Sanches

The FIFA World Cup is the biggest individual sports tournament in the whole world. Russia successfully submitted a bid and are going to be hosting this year’s World Cup. Many players have given their all during the 2017/18 season in a bid to get a sit on the plane to Russia to represent their national teams. Since the decisions lie on the managers and their team, it was bound that many players would be shockingly dropped in teams especially with a lot of competition for places. Here, we look at the 10 players who failed to make the cut on the final squad list.

Renato Sanches - Portugal

Young Portuguese prodigy, Renato Sanches had a breakout season in the 2015/16 season which earned him a place in the Portugal national team at the UEFA Euro 2016. Ronaldo’s team went on to win the tournament for the first time and the youngster was influential with his second half cameos. Since then, the young midfielder joined Bayern Munich, failed to compete for a starting spot before being shipped out on loan to Swansea this season. The player struggled to make the first team at Swansea who were relegated. He had so much promise which persuaded Bayern Munich into paying £27.5m for his services from Benfica but his trajectory is gradually declining. He will not be a part of the Portugal team that will compete at the FIFA World Cup Russia and he has no one to blame. 20-years of age and is already regarded as an extravagant option. He would not have imagined this, not in a million years.

FT Top 10 World Cup Snubs: #5 - Shkodran Mustafi

The FIFA World Cup is the biggest individual sports tournament in the whole world. Russia successfully submitted a bid and are going to be hosting this year’s World Cup. Many players have given their all during the 2017/18 season in a bid to get a sit on the plane to Russia to represent their national teams. Since the decisions lie on the managers and their team, it was bound that many players would be shockingly dropped in teams especially with a lot of competition for places. Here, we look at the 10 players who failed to make the cut on the final squad list.

Shkodran Mustafi - Germany

Another World Cup winner, Shkodran Mustafi has been left out of the Germany squad to compete at this year’s tournament in Russia. The Arsenal defender has had a poor season this year which saw his club finish 6th in the English Premier League. Mustafi was culpable for a number of errors alongside his injury-prone partner, Laurent Koscielny and the pair summarize the defensive problems that the club has. Although Arsenal scored 74 goals, they also shipped in 51 which explains their position in Wenger’s final year in charge. Mustafi had been an international regular as he was also in defense when the country won the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2017. Many expected him to continue his fill-in role where he usually stands in at right-back, left-back or anywhere in defense. He had been getting away with murder by turning in better performances for his national side than at Arsenal and his luck has finally run out. Joachim Low chose to drop the out of form defender and chose Rudiger instead who has had a slightly better season. Mustafi will not play at this year’s tournament. Ask the Arsenal fans for more.

FT Top 10 World Cup Snubs: #6 - Javier Pastore

The FIFA World Cup is the biggest individual sports tournament in the whole world. Russia successfully submitted a bid and are going to be hosting this year’s World Cup. Many players have given their all during the 2017/18 season in a bid to get a sit on the plane to Russia to represent their national teams. Since the decisions lie on the managers and their team, it was bound that many players would be shockingly dropped in teams especially with a lot of competition for places. Here, we look at the 10 players who failed to make the cut on the final squad list.

Javier Pastore - Argentina

The creative midfielder has failed to make the provisional list of the Argentina national team. This comes as a shocker for the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder who has enjoyed an amazing season with his club after the recruitment of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar. Rubbing shoulders with great players is a dream for many footballers but Pastore’s numbers this season fail to reflect his contributions for PSG. He only managed 5 goals and 5 assists in all competitions which have led to his omission from the national team side. Pastore must be heartbroken to miss out on such a prestigious tournament that his national team came close to winning in 2014. That wraps up the list of the players that failed to make it because they were dropped but there are also big name players who have been ruled out because of injuries which include Dani Alves (Brazil), Chamberlain (England), Koscielny (France) among others.

FT Top 10 World Cup Snubs: #7 - Sandro Wagner

The FIFA World Cup is the biggest individual sports tournament in the whole world. Russia successfully submitted a bid and are going to be hosting this year’s World Cup. Many players have given their all during the 2017/18 season in a bid to get a sit on the plane to Russia to represent their national teams. Since the decisions lie on the managers and their team, it was bound that many players would be shockingly dropped in teams especially with a lot of competition for places. Here, we look at the 10 players who failed to make the cut on the final squad list.

Sandro Wagner - Germany

The self-proclaimed ‘best striker’ in Germany, Sandro Wagner has been left out of the World Cup squad by Joachim Low. The player joined Bayern Munich in the middle of the season from Hoffenheim where he had scored 4 goals already. Wagner has scored a total of 14 goals in all competitions and has assisted 4 goals which are not a bad return considering that he has been playing second fiddle to Robert Lewandowski. The player is an out-and-out striker which is a position that Germany has been lacking in talent in recent years. They resorted to Klose and Mario Gomez in recent years because of the lack of options. Now, in a new age of players like Timo Werner and Wagner, the Bayern Munich striker thought he had a chance to represent his nation at the World Cup. Instead, he has been left out which is not just disappointing but shocking as well.

FT Top 10 World Cup Snubs: #8 - Karim Benzema

The FIFA World Cup is the biggest individual sports tournament in the whole world. Russia successfully submitted a bid and are going to be hosting this year’s World Cup. Many players have given their all during the 2017/18 season in a bid to get a sit on the plane to Russia to represent their national teams. Since the decisions lie on the managers and their team, it was bound that many players would be shockingly dropped in teams especially with a lot of competition for places. Here, we look at the 10 players who failed to make the cut on the final squad list.

Karim Benzema - France

The Real Madrid striker has not featured for France since 2015. The player was involved in a scandal with teammate Valbuena which saw them both dismissed from the national team fold. Karim Benzema’s qualities are undeniable having been trusted to be Real Madrid’s first choice striker ever since Gonzalo Higuain left in 2013. He fell out of favor with the coach of the national team, Didier Deschamps who is refusing to bring back the player to the national side. The player had a below average season compared to his other outings in the Los Blancos colors but he still scored 10 goals and also helped his teammates to score on 11 occasions. Cristiano Ronaldo likes his strike partnership with Benzema, imagine how France would line-up with Mbappe, Benzema and Griezmann. Anyways, the squad is yet to be announced by Benzema is almost certain to not be included in the team. What a waste of talent by the French national team setup.

FT Top 10 World Cup Snubs: #9 - Zlatan Ibrahimovic

The FIFA World Cup is the biggest individual sports tournament in the whole world. Russia successfully submitted a bid and are going to be hosting this year’s World Cup. Many players have given their all during the 2017/18 season in a bid to get a sit on the plane to Russia to represent their national teams. Since the decisions lie on the managers and their team, it was bound that many players would be shockingly dropped in teams especially with a lot of competition for places. Here, we look at the 10 players who failed to make the cut on the final squad list.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic - Sweden

Yes. The Greatest of All Time, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been snubbed by his national team, Sweden at this year’s grandest tournament. The 36-year old recently joined LA Galaxy from Manchester United after having struggled to retain his form due to a knee injury which he picked up in 2017. The striker was received in Los Angeles with a bang after scoring a vicious rocket from more than 30 yards out on the volley. Such moments typify his career where he has scored some amazing goals not only for his clubs but also for his national team. The player has always been the face of the Swedish national team as long as we can remember but it has finally come to an end. Zlatan Ibrahimovic retired from the national team own his own last year when he was trying to focus on his fitness for Manchester United. He has since recovered and was contemplating on offering his services. He claimed, “It is up to me to decide whether I should play at the World Cup”. Well, I guess it was not all up to him as the Swedish manager, Lars Richt stated that, “Zlatan Ibrahimovic is in that case, for the same reason as with previous national team gatherings, not under consideration for the World Cup squad that national team coach Janne Andersson will announce on May 15.” It’s official, the player will not be playing at the FIFA World Cup Russia 2018.

FT Top 10 World Cup Snubs: #10 - Jack Wilshire

The FIFA World Cup is the biggest individual sports tournament in the whole world. Russia successfully submitted a bid and are going to be hosting this year’s World Cup. Many players have given their all during the 2017/18 season in a bid to get a sit on the plane to Russia to represent their national teams. Since the decisions lie on the managers and their team, it was bound that many players would be shockingly dropped in teams especially with a lot of competition for places. Here, we look at some of the players who failed to make the cut on the final squad list.

Jack Wilshere – England

Regarded as England’s only creative genius, Jack Wilshere has suffered from injuries which hampered his progress ever since he made a name for himself at Arsenal. The player left for Bournemouth last season in search of playing time and had a decent season. He came back to Arsenal and was slowly integrated back into the first team fold. He played some crucial matches in the UEFA Europa League before being handed the chance to redeem himself in the Premier League where he scored 2 goals and provided 5 assists in all competitions. The player was called up to the national team by Gareth Southgate last month before picking up a slight knock that prevented him from playing. I think he is ruing that opportunity because it has cost him his place in the final team.

The England boss named his final list and the player was not even a part of the provisional five. He must be disappointed not to make it. Without Wilshere, England has little creativity from midfield which means that their chances of going far in the tournament have already reduced before even kicking a ball.

The Spanish midfielder takes a jibe at Zidane

Spanish midfielder Isco bagged a hat-trick in Spain’s 6-1 demolition of a Messi-less Argentina. The headlines from that match came in the post-match interview when he opened up about his situation at Madrid. The ambitious 25-year old bluntly stated that he does not have the confidence that a player needs in Madrid. This comes after he has seen a limited number of minutes on the pitch due to the resurgence of the young Asensio, and also the tactical approach to matches by Zidane. Many have seen this as an attack on his coach Zinedine Zidane as the player went on to say that, “At the national team, I have the confidence of the coach.” This clearly shows that he feels more alive when he is with Spain. Who should blame a player for being honest? Isco has stated the truth that he does not feel well appreciated at club level than at national level. However, his truth could land him in hot soup for he is a good player, but is not irreplaceable especially when considering the fact that the club can afford to send quality players like James Rodriguez on loan. Do you think Isco should have been more careful with the diction he used?