The pursuit of justice for racial abuse on Kalidou Koulibaly continues

We cannot not deny the impact of the efforts that have been made by the responsible authorities over the years to curb racism but still, players of color often receive this kind of abuse on and off the pitch. On the 26th of December 2018, Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly was a subject of racial abuse in a match with local rivals, Inter Milan. We have been made to believe that the due process to deal with such issues is to report it to the FIFPro and UEFA who will launch a probe on the matter before making a decision. However, no action has been taken so far against the disrespectful fans. Here’s a recap.

The incident

Kalidou Koulibaly of Napoli during the Group C match of the UEFA Champions League between SSC Napoli and Liverpool at Stadio San Paolo on October 3, 2018 in Naples, Italy.

(Oct. 2, 2018 - Source: Catherine Ivill/Getty Images Europe)

The Senegalese defender was at his job on a typical matchday Sunday in the Italian Serie A before the unfortunate incident took place. Some of the Inter Milan fans started making monkey noises directed at Kalidou Koulibaly in the match. The player was then sent off after picking up 2 yellow cards. He was suspended for two matches as punishment for sarcastically clapping off the referee after receiving marching orders. In the aftermath, Napoli coach Carlo Ancelotti came out to say that they made calls to end the match after hearing the abuse but it fell on deaf ears. He was not pleased with the way the officials handled the matter in the game.

Koulibaly’s support system

Not so long after, Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba wore an armband in support of Kalidou Koulibaly after the incident. The player’s message was clear and directed to the perpetrators who are fighting against the game’s values of honor, tolerance and respect. He was not the only one to show much needed support to the player. Even the Inter Milan coach, Luciano Spalletti was quoted to having said, “We were with Koulibaly, as we are at the side of all those who are targeted during the games.”

Also, fellow African Faouzi Ghoulam of Napoli wore Koulibaly’s No 26 shirt in the warm up for the game against Bologna in which the defender was suspended. He was joined by the fans who held up anti-racism banners and photos of Koulibaly.  

Ancelotti’s threat

Carlo Ancelotti has since threatened to lead his team off the pitch if there is a repeat of such an incident. There is no place for racism in the game of football and everywhere else. He said, “The boy was on edge, he's an educated footballer who was targeted. What happened today was bad, not only for us but also for Italian football.”

The authorities’ actions

The Italian League judge gave the verdict that Inter Milan would play the next two home matches behind closed doors. This means that their supporters would not be allowed to populate the stadiums and support their club. Also, the verdict included a partial closure for the club’s third home game.

However, the culprits who led the chants have not been punished. The Italian FA should do more and make sure that these fans are banned from the stadium for life.

FT English Premier League Preview: Can Pogba Help Lead Man United To The Title?

Paul Pogba of Manchester United celebrates scoring the first goal during the Quarter Final Second Leg match between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old trafford on April 10, 2018 in Manchester, England. “Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images Europe”

Surely this has to be the Frenchman’s season, or so we think. His heroic exploits in the World Cup where he helped the French national team claim football’s greatest prize, have not gone unnoticed. Paul Pogba’s time to shine is now. The Manchester United talisman has received his fair share of criticism both at the club and national level for all the wrong reasons. Some cite his failure to offer more defensive work in his game, some criticize him for trying to do too much (or little) with the ball, and lest we forget, he’s also received stick for his numerous hairstyles which have been said to somewhat contribute to his disappointing displays at times. Nonetheless, the real question to be addressed right now is can he replicate his France form to the Red Devils’ midfield, going into the new season? Let’s wait and see.

Paul Pogba’s time at Manchester United has been rather bittersweet. Carrying a record-breaking $90 million price tag on his shoulders, the stakes were bound to be high for the Frenchman and they surely have been. In his first season, Pogba had quite an average season by his standards, chipping in with 5 goals and 4 assists in the league. Fast forward to the 2017/18 season, the stats didn’t change much, though we did see some improvements. Pogba managed to score 6 goals and provided 6 assists in what was rather a mixed season for him as his problems and consistency with fully expressing himself on the field continued.

Pogba’s season was filled with loads of activity, good and interesting. For instance, his perceived “fallout” with Jose Mourinho in the middle of the season affected the player’s morale as criticism of his play flew in left, right and center. The bone of contention about Pogba’s play has been more about his failure to assist his teammates defensively, exposing the already suspect Man United defense with the inconsistent midfield cover. This was largely attributed to the way Mourinho was deploying the charismatic Frenchman, playing him in a two-man defensive midfield alongside Nemanja Matic. This made Pogba get caught out of possession countless times, something that infuriated Mourinho who is a master of keeping things tight with his teams. As Pogba”s struggles continued to haunt him, Mourinho set tongues wagging when he started benching the Frenchman in a couple of United’s games, opting for the young Scott Mctominay instead. Many assumed Mourinho was trying to teach Pogba “a lesson” for his disappointing and inconsistent displays, but the Portuguese coach was quick to squash those allegations, citing that Pogba had not been playing at the level he wanted him to play at.

Most Manchester United fans were hoping that Matic’s signing would “unlock” Paul Pogba’s offensive prowess and enable him to provide those key passes and open up defenses with his defense-splitting passes. However, that wasn’t necessarily the case. The glimpses of what he can do were existent nonetheless. A good example that comes to mind was during the Manchester derby where Pogba played a pivotal role in helping United overcome runaway title winners City in a 3-2 victory. In that game, Pogba looked like his former Juventus self, winning balls and initiating attacks for the Red Devils, doing pretty much what we expect of him in every game.

In the lead up to the World Cup, there were worries that Pogba’s place in the France team was not guaranteed due to his poor form at United with some of the French fans even turning against the player. However, coach Didier Deschamps showed Pogba support and assured him of his key role in the French midfield. And indeed he seemed to be proven right as Pogba’s World Cup displays started to accrue more consistency and effectiveness. He was a threat going forward, always looking for the likes of Mbappe and Griezzman with his inch-perfect passes to unlock defenses. Defensively he also did due diligence as he was constantly falling back to assist Kante and company. Moreover, he also scored some crucial goals for France, including one in the final. Overall, Pogba’s World Cup play was a refreshing reminder of the talent he possesses and how impactful of a player he can be when motivated. It was like he had something to prove to the world and especially his critics, those of whom have been on his case for some time now. He definitely proved us wrong (his celebrations at the end of the final said it all). Every Manchester United fan was most definitely pleased with Pogba’s World Cup showing and are surely hoping that he can bring that form to the United team when the season commences.

With the World Cup being signed, sealed and delivered (to France), the focus has now shifted to club level for all players, Pogba included. As mentioned before, the expectations remain high for him and rightly so. I personally believe Pogba has all the attributes to become the best midfielder in the world and emulate the midfield greats such as Luka Modric and Andres Iniesta. Some blame his poor form at club level on Jose Mourinho’s defensive tactics which do not allow Pogba to have the freedom he needs in order to thrive. The validity of that assertion is rather open for various interpretations. But what I know for a fact is that Manchester United can get the best out of Pogba with him playing further up the pitch where he doesn’t have to worry too much about defensive duties. Perhaps the arrival of Brazilian midfielder Fred is the right tonic for Pogba’s chance to shine. It is expected that United will mostly play a three-man midfield with Fred and Matic taking care of the defensive duties and Pogba being the man more responsible for the creativity going forward from midfield. This is what most United fans want, for Pogba’s sake but it all boils down to Mourinho’s preference and we all know he can be very unpredictable with his lineups. Nonetheless, the presence of Fred should surely be the key to unleashing Pogba.

Above all, Pogba’s potential cannot be overlooked. We know he’s one of the best passers of the ball and on his day can make the tightest of defenses look ordinary with his mouth watering passes. His switch of play, footwork, and flair make him lethal and a threat against anyone. As such, coming off a successful World Cup, things look promising for Pogba and many believe the real Pogba will be unleashed this season. Great times lie ahead in the Premier League and many will be keeping tabs on Pogba’s performances. Hopefully, he will shame his critics and earn the respect he deserves with some outstanding performances throughout the season. More importantly, I believe Pogba is the one man who can help the Red Devils wrestle the title away from their cross-town rivals Manchester City and finally satiate the hopes of United fans longing for Premiership glory, a triumph of which they last enjoyed during Sir Alex Ferguson’s era.

FT Fashion and Football: Wilfred Zaha

Most of the times, the average soccer fan focuses on the day-to-day status of their favorite club’s business. This usually means concentrating on match results, previews, transfer news, and debates on which player is better than the next. That’s where FirstTouch Africa comes in and opens your eyes to some of the things that happen because of football. We are talking about fashion. The crazy hair-cuts and luxurious lifestyles of your star players are what we are going to shed some light on in this season-end.

The Crystal Palace star, Wilfred Zaha is first up on our list of the most fashionable players of African descent. He is popular in his squad for his heroic efforts in almost single-handedly rescuing his team from the drop in the English Premier League 2017/18 season. The club is guaranteed one more season in the top flight competition. But what has the club managed to do for the player? He can now afford a fancy lifestyle in England when he is not representing the Ivory Coast, the national team. The player is one of the few people who used to get a haircut EVERY day before he started growing his dreadlocked Mohawk. Yes, that’s right. He had the patience to sit down for a fresh cut which he says, “A haircut will take me from a 5 to a 10.” Nowadays he probably has someone to work on his fade while still maintaining his dreadlocks. Apart from that, the Ivorian winger has a pretty dope car collection. He owns a Lamborghini Aventador, Gallardo, Mercedes G63 AMG, Porsche Cayenne among others. He has also created a clothing line called Long Live. What more do you need when you are on a £110,000-a-week contract?

Manchester United through to the final after beating Tottenham 2-1

Manchester United have done it again and are on the right path to prove that they are becoming a competitive team in England. The club have been struggling since Alex Ferguson left but Jose Mourinho has achieved instant success after taking over from Louis Van Gaal. The Portuguese manager won what he calls a treble in his first season i.e. FA Community Shield, Carabao Cup and the UEFA Europa League which gave them qualification to the UEFA Champions League. This season, he tried to catch up with the cash rich City side who invested a lot but could not push for a title challenge as everyone anticipated. The club also crashed out of the Carabao Cup this season before being knocked out of the UEFA Champions League by Sevilla in the quarterfinals. Mourinho’s man now only had their eyes on the FA Cup for a last chance to salvage some silverware to the club. They had enough to defeat their opponents today to make it to the final of the tournament but it was not easy.

Dele Alli opened the scoring for Tottenham on the 11th minute from a Christian Eriksen cross and it looked like it was going to be a defeat for the Red Devils but they had other thoughts. The winter signing scored the equalizer for United to make it 1-1 on 24 minutes after Paul Pogba outmuscled Dembele on the left before delivering a perfect cross for the Chilean forward to score. Jese Lingard wasted an opportunity to give United the lead three minutes later when he blazed over the goal from a cross by Lukaku only 3 minutes after Sanchez had scored. Dier also had an opportunity when he shot from distance and saw his effort hit the post. Lukaku then combined with Sanchez in a counter attack that saw the Spanish midfielder, Ander Herrera scoring the winning goal. This is such a disappointment for the Tottenham team who have been improving year on year. They really need to start winning trophies soon if they are to keep their top talent because they have come short on so many occasions. Kudos Mourinho and his team. On to the next one now.

Manchester United earn bragging rights by defeating City 3-2

The result means that Manchester City’s party has to be postponed. Manchester City were looking to be confirmed the champions of the 2017/18 season after defeating Manchester United on Saturday. Only a win would do on the occasion and 30 minutes into the match, they were already 2 goals up and on-course to be the champions. Leroy Sane delivered in a fantastic ball that was met by the City skipper, Kompany who bullied Smalling and scored he opener past De Gea.  Gundogan scored the second just a couple of minutes later after fooling Nemanja Matic with a beautiful turn before picking the ball into the net. City probably thought they were going to run away with the win. Little did they know that Paul Pogba had something planned to spoil the party as he scored a brace moments after the restart. The game was level at 2-2 thanks to Pogba’s first goals against a top 6 team in the Premier League. Alexis Sanchez, who provided the second for the Frenchman, was at it again as he whipped in a pass that was volleyed home by Smalling and give United the lead in the match. Manchester City were denied a clear penalty late in the match after substitute Aguero came on and was crunched on the shin by Young in the box but the referee waved clear. The Argentine tried to leave a mark on the match with an effort that only required a world-class save from De Gea to stop it from entering. Raheem Sterling also squandered a glorious opportunity to level the matters in the derby which ended 3-2 to United. Paul Pogba went home with the man of the match award and this piled pressure on a City side that has a mountain to climb in reducing the 3-0 deficit in the UEFA Champions League Quarter-Finals.

The other derby played on the same day was not as entertaining as it ended in a goalless draw. Everton were made to wait for their first win against Liverpool in a longtime.

The Football Governing board to probe allegations of racism between France and Russia’s recent friendly match

The match between France and Russia showcased a fine performance from Paul Pogba, however the 90 minutes were overshadowed by the ugly side of the game. It has since been reported that monkey chants could be heard from the crowd and these were obviously directed at the black players in the France national team. The Russians do not seem to be learning from their mistakes and this probed the intervention of FIFA. Evidence from the pitch-side photographer’s testimony and the audible abuse on a television broadcast after Pogba’s goal are to be considered before any decision is to be made. FIFA have also contacted the anti-discrimination Fare Network to help them investigate the racism case. No comment will be released until they have reached a conclusion on that investigation. This incident is one of the many that has been raised against Russian teams and FIFA’s punishment does not seem to work. Football is becoming toxic to the victims and this needs to be stopped. What does this mean for the World Cup which is going to be hosted in Russia? If racism is failing to be curbed in these friendlies, what more when thousands of black people tour the country during football’s premier tournament?

Carvalhal says the Manchester United manager enjoys fights with players

Carlos Carvalhal says that the Manchester United boss enjoys fighting with people. The Swansea City boss used to work under Mourinho during his second tenure at Chelsea and the two managers will have a clash this weekend when Swansea face Manchester United. Carvalhal admits to having some similarities with the Portuguese but says Mourinho is more confrontational than him. He observed how the manager picked up fights with a lot of people and how it propels him to succeed under those circumstances. Some reports have surfaced about a possible clash between Mourinho and Pogba which has resulted in the player’s below par performances in recent weeks. I guess this explains why Pogba is not happy at the current situation and we know that Mourinho is to blame. It is just a matter of time before Mourinho picks another fight at United. Could that one be his last since he is failing to live up to the hype he created for himself when he arrived? Have your say below.

The player’s agent challenges the decision to omit Super Mario

Mino Raiola is one of the biggest player agents in world football. He represents players like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paul Pogba, Mkhitaryan and the controversial forward Mario Balotelli. Balotelli has had a history of causing havoc in the team’s that he has represented before with his temper issues and arrogance. This led to a clash between him and his old national team coach Ventura which ended up in him being dropped out of the squad. Ventura has since left the post but the problem seems to persist. The player has once again been omitted from the Italy squad that will play against England and Argentina although he has been in fine form having scored 21 goals in 33 matches this season. His agent Raiola is angry at this decision and wants to understand why he has been snubbed ahead of other strikers who have less production than Balotelli. Raiola calls for a different management at national level which supports players that are the best. Caretaker boss Di Biagio has disappointed many by this decision. Do you think he was justified and that Italy don’t need the polarizing vibes brought by the talented forward? Have your say in the comment section.