EURO2020: From the heights of glory in 2014 to the dumps; Die Mannschaft struggles explained

Breaking hearts, they've been mostly known for being masters at breaking hearts and crushing dreams. Now, you have to persistently pinch us to understand that Germany being a case of broken hearts and crushed dreams is no Matrix movie, it's almost as good as reality gets. But how did we seriously get here?

(L-R) Thomas Mueller, Manuel Neuer, Mesut Oezil and Philipp Lahm of Germany celebrate a 7-1 victory over Brazil during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Semi Final match between Brazil and Germany at Estadio Mineirao on July 8, 2014 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

(July 7, 2014 - Source: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images South America)

The Mineirão Incident

It might not be the beginning of Die Mannschaft's free fall but definitely a moment in history worth reminiscing, for neutrals that is. Back in the 2014 FIFA World Cup semi-finals, Brazil vs Germany, eight world titles between them; it was a fixture loaded with so much promise and had the world on its feet, anticipating to watch football entertainment at its best. It was supposed to be an edge of the seat encounter decided on fine margins and would have taken rocket scientists to study the performances and understand how one side outdid the other. But what happened? The churning German machine flipped the script! Only forty-five minutes into the match, they were 5-0 up and had already scored all sorts of goals. Long range shots, finesses, headers and you name it. Mesut Ozil in particular, had picked up his magic wand and reincarnated himself as a combination of Doctor Strange, Iron Man, Captain America and you get the idea. Almost like an Avengers movie. Rumors say, one of the main talking points during their half-time talk was a directive to tone it down a little bit, in bid to be more respectful to the hosts. It's no suprise how that worked out, the likes of Andre Schurrle came in and wanted in on the act. At the end of the day, Brazil had received seven digits! A 7-1 scoreline capped it all. A classic Germany side, ruthless and unrelenting. Now five years later, it looks like they used up all their vibranium on that day and in that championship. The cookie has crumbled.

“Controversially, retiring Boateng, Hummels and Mueller in the name of “fresh faces” looked like Löw dusted the mirror only to see his face looking back, straight at him.”

— Dennis Takaendesa, FirstTouch Africa

The end of the line

Prior to their World Cup triumph in Brazil 2014, the Nationalelf had to dig, claw and climb several times with no success. It was almost poetic justice that they became world champions in Brazil. Under the guidance of Jurgen Klinsmann at home in 2006, Miroslav Klose scored a ton of goals and Lukas Podolski won hearts by pipping the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo to the FIFA Young Player of The Tournament Award, as Germany ran riot only to be denied by Italy in the last few minutes of a semi-final extra-time. They dusted themselves, Joachim Löw picked up the pieces and unleashed the likes of Mesut Ozil and Thomas Mueller in South Africa 2010. Once again, scoring goals for fun including a 4-0 thrashing of Diego Maradona's Argentina in the quarter-finals. You guessed it, history repeated itself and the then 3 time champions were outdone by a Carles Puyol header in the World Cup semi-final against eventual champions Spain. In light of all this, it’s hard to contest that the ever consistent Germany deserved to finally conquer the world in Brazil for the 4th time. However, the generation of players that had lived through the so near yet so far moments since 2006 which included Philip Lahm, Klose and Lukas Podolski; had inevitably come to the end of their lines. They had given it the sweat of their youth over the years and to expect them to give more past 2014 could have been a difficult ask. Much of Germany's early to late 2000s dominance was used up in Brazil. It went with the Lahms. Now the obviously next sensible thing would be to raise a new generation to pick up the mantle right?

How did that go?

(L-R) Timo Werner of Germany, Mats Hummels and his team mate Mario Gomez react during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia group F match between Korea Republic and Germany at Kazan Arena on June 27, 2018 in Kazan, Russia.

(June 26, 2018 - Source: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images Europe)

The champions' curse

It's a thing. After Italy won the 2006 FIFA World Cup, the Azzuri failed to go past the group stages in 2010 and even totally missed out on the 2018 Russia finals for the first time in 60 years. So did Spain, after winning the 2008 and 2012 European Championships and the coveted World Cup in South Africa 2010, for only their first time, they ran out of steam in Brazil 2014. Infamously humiliated by the Netherlands in the group stages as they lost 2-5 and like Italy, bowing out before the knock-out rounds. We all thought Germany's proven consistence would break the duck but "the champions' curse," proved stronger. Joachim Löw's men were also kicked out of the 2018 World Cup group men were also kicked out of the 2018 World Cup group stages by Mexico and Sweden, even losing to lowly ranked South Korea in their final group match. Clearly, their misfortunes post 2014 could be excused by the champions' curse. Maybe the fire just dies out after winning as complaceny sets in. But is that all?

Square pegs, round holes

Forget the superstitions for a minute, Germany's issues can also be equally attributed to the way they've been setting up. The National Eleven gaffer clearly tried coping the winning formula from 2014, setting up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, employing the same personnel, howbeit with a few tweaks in one or two positions that had been vacated by those who had retired. He forgot to give a more keen eye to the upcoming talent and also fix some problems which had been overshadowed by the glory of 2014. For instance, one of their problem areas right now, the left-back position dates back to Brazil 2014. Löw had to use Benedikt Howedes, a natural center-back as a make shift option in that position. It worked then but was no permanent solution. Dortmund's Nico Schulz is the latest to be tried in that position, who has done well but likes to go forward more than is necessary. It is quite ironic that a second fiddle Germany team won the Confederations Cup in Brazil 2014 whereas the main side failed to progress past the group stages of the World Cup. The younger side had their own of the World Cup. The younger side had their own culture and rhythm which helped knit them as a unit. Borrowing the likes of Goretzka and Timo Werner to take up roles in the main side wasn't going to work straight away. The German technical team were naïve to think that Werner would just be the next Klose or Podolski and churn out goals. He would be the first Werner and it could have worked better if they studied his individual style of play and gradually fitted him into the team. That idea of direct transfer and replacement of talents is one of the reasons why players like Reus, Werner, Goretzka and Sane have done well at club level but not so much in a German shirt. In short, it's not a lack of talent to fill the shoes of the 2014 champions that they lack. They are just failing to organize and get the best out of them.

German national football team coach Joachim Loew gives a press conference on the eve of the friendly match against Italy in Milan on November 14, 2016. / AFP / GIUSEPPE CACACE

(Nov. 13, 2016 - Source: AFP)

No one is above the Löw?

How do you question someone who has steadied the ship for close to 13 years and on most occasions produced results? It's very unlikely. Such is the case of the national team coach, Joachim Löw. An argument to phase him out together with some more experienced campaigners who departed cannot clearly be unfounded. Somehow, it’s almost treasonous in German circles. Essentially, a new team and generation work better with new set of eyes to identify it. That's what Kovac is doing at Bayern and Favre at Dortmund to keep the continuity. Controversially, retiring Boateng, Hummels and Mueller in the name of "fresh faces" looked like Löw dusted the mirror only to see his face looking back, straight at him. Nomatter how he has switched formations and personnel, the results have barely changed. Just recently, the Dutch embarrassed them to a 4-2 loss in the 2020 Euro Qualifiers. That was after they finished last in the League A of the inaugural UEFA Nations League tournament. Since October 2017, they won just 8 of 21 matches, losing a record 6 times in 2018 alone. They only beat a nation ranked 18th or higher once in that period. It's like they're stuck in a tailspin. For how much longer though and could Löw still be the man to turn it around?

When backstage, takes centre stage

It's a compound of issues surrounding the Germany national team, and not least the off-the-field debacles. In that same period where their struggles kicked in, Mesut Ozil, the five-time German footballer of the year retired in bizarre fashion. The mercurial playmaker released a long statement explaining how he felt racially discriminated against by the DFB who also spoke back sharply with a few other national players going for or against Ozil. It all started hinting at the possible division and unrest in the German camp which could have been a key factor also contributing to the poor results. Just recently, Bayern Munich President, Uli Hoenes spoke out threatening to stop sending their players for national duty if the veteran goalkeeper, Manuel Neuer was removed from the number 1 spot. Seriously, where does that happen? Barcelona shot-stopper, Marc Andre Ter Stegen has gained worldwide acclamation for Superman-like reflexes and sweeper role for the Blaugrana but still remains the second choice to the 32- year-old. Even after the former missed out the bulk of 2017-2018 season due to injury, only managing 3 Bundesliga appearance in before the World Cup, Neuer still surprisingly got the nod ahead of Ter Stegen. The German football house clearly needs to be put in order.

Serge Gnabry

Image Credits: Skysports

Rays of sunshine in dark clouds

We have talked all about the doom and gloom surrounding the National Eleven, but one thing we have learnt throughout history is that German Football is an institution. Quite capable of reinventing itself and bouncing back to glory. After crashing out of the 2002 and 2004 UEFA European Championships group stages, they remarkably revived to make the next four semi-finals. In addition, players like Serge Gnabry who has scored 11 times in his 10 caps for Die Mannschaft, the unblooded Jann Fiete Arp, Leroy Sane, the uniquely huge and quick Nicklas Sule and Joshua Kimmich are still 24 or younger and can only get better. More interesting to me is the creative Kai Havertz, one interesting to me is the creative Kai Havertz, one tipped not to directly replace Mesut Ozil but help carry on the creative mantle, seems quite special. The Bayer Leverkusen midfielder became the youngster player to reach 50 Bundesliga appearances and at 20 years of age, more is definitely coming from him. They are down and out, but still uniquely endowed with the talent and experience to conquer the world yet again.

The only real question is when? The German fans would be hoping its sooner rather than later!

FT World Cup 2018 Recap: Nigerian Pride

As a kid, I have always been a football fan. The first football team I ever supported was the Nigerian Super Eagles. I was such a super fan that, whenever they lost a game, I used to cry so much, my parents would have to console me and tell me, “Its just a game”. Even though it was just a game, I was so passionate about the Super Eagles. I have watched them play in the world cup on TV in the previous year. This year, I got the opportunity to watch them play live, in Russia. I got my ticket as early as December 2017. Going to Russia became a dream come true. Something I never really wished as a kid but became a reality.

Once arriving in Russia, I had my ups and downs. Following Nigeria all around for all the group matches was tedious. According to the ranking, Nigeria would be the second most traveled team, Egypt being the first.

The first match was against Croatia. It was in a city called Kaliningrad. The train ride was 23 hours but I deferred to flying into Kaliningrad and then, taking the train back. It was a two-hour flight from Moscow, which was my base, where I was with my friends. On match day, I was not too happy because I got to the stadium late. I missed the Nigerian National anthem. Listing to your countries National anthem during the World Cup definitely gives you the jitters but, I missed it because our flight was delayed and the shuttle from the airport to the stadium was driving at the rate in which a snail moves. Nigeria ended up losing the match 2-0 to Croatia. The energy was CRAZY. I was surrounded by a pool of Croatian fans. Around me was probably about 10 Nigerian fans. This was the ratio all throughout the rest of the matches. After the loss, to my surprise, the Croatian fans were super nice to me. I was expecting to be heckled but, they showed sympathy towards the loss and said to me, “Nigeria played a good game”. I ended up taking loads of pictures and heading back to my Airbnb.

The following day, I decided to take the 23-hour train ride back to Moscow. Once I arrived at the train station, I was not allowed to board due to the fact that, I had a Nigerian Passport and didn’t have a Schengen visa. Kaliningrad was a city that is sandwiched in between Schengen state countries. So to get to Moscow from Kaliningrad, I would have to go through immigration in Latvia, and some other countries. So, I had to go back to the airport and get a flight back to Moscow. I got to the airport at about 5 pm and only one flight had seats back to Moscow going for about $450. I had to pass on the seat and get a ticket that left for the following evening for about $90 so, I had to sleep at the airport overnight. I was not alone in the predicament because about another 30 Nigerian fans slept in the airport with me due to the same Schengen visa situation.

Nigeria Vs. Iceland was a much better story. I decided to take the train from Moscow to Volgograd. It was an 18-hour train ride, a cabin with 4 beds, bunk style. I roomed with three Russians. Fortunately for me, two of them spoke English and we were able to conversate throughout most of the train ride. The ride was not so bad, I slept for about 5 hours and enjoyed the fascinating countryside view of Russia. We got to Volgograd in the morning and toured the city until the fan fest opened. The Icelandic fans flooded in to celebrate before the game while the Nigerian fans came in a very light but, it was still a very friendly environment. The match was great, Nigeria ended up winning 2-0. As a fan, I had high hopes we would go to the round of 16 because Argentina tied with Iceland and lost to Croatia so Nigeria was sitting in second place. All we had to do was a tie or beat Argentina.

Nigeria Vs Argentina was played in the beautiful city of Saint Petersburg and to me, it was the most beautiful city I visited from all the 5 cities I visited. I took an 8-hour train from Moscow to Saint Petersburg. I was in a cabin with 4 other Argentine fans. It was an overnight train that departed from Moscow at about 8 pm and arrived in the morning. 

The Nigeria game started with Messi scoring in the early minutes. Being a fan, I was down but I knew we were not out of the game. At the beginning of the second half, Victor Moses converted a penalty to make the scores 1-1. I was exciting sitting next to a pool of sad Argentine fans until Marcos Rojo scored at the end of the match and Nigeria, went home packing.

An interesting moment happened after the game. I left Saint Petersburg at about 3 am to head back to Moscow. Once arriving in Moscow in the morning, I was doing some souvenir shopping in the train station and an Argentine fan walked up to me and said “Change Shirt?”, he wanted to swap his Argentina jersey for my Nigeria jersey. I replied, “No”, and walked away but, about 5 seconds later, I thought to myself, I get to experience this kind of feeling once every four years, it’s just a Jersey, I could always buy another Nigeria jersey online but I don’t want to miss out on saying, I swapped a Nigeria jersey for an Argentina jersey with an Argentine fan. So, I walked back to him and we swapped jerseys.

All in all, the World Cup 2018 was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I enjoyed every moment of it and don’t regret any single moment. I made friends, shared drinks with strangers, sang songs and mingled with football fans all over the world. All I can say now to the World Cup is not goodbye, but so long, see you in Qatar in about 4 years.

FT World Cup 2018: Nigeria's Tournament in Review

“I think like the President said, this is the first time we are going into a tournament like this without any issue of money, bonuses or anything like that. I think everything is sorted now for us and all we have to do as players is go out there and make this country proud and we hope with your support as the father and the leader of this great nation, we will go out there, give our best and make sure we come back with the trophy.” - John Obi Mikel, Captain of Nigeria

These were the words of the former Chelsea man as the Super Eagles took flight for Russia as one of the five teams to represent the continent of Africa at the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals. As you can probably tell from Mikel’s speech above to the Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, they were ready. For the first time ever, they had probably ticked all the boxes in terms of preparations for a highly organized campaign. Even their trendy Nike kits and elegant African dresses told the story of Eagles ready to reach new heights. In a group with Argentina, Croatia and Iceland, was the success going to be a certainty? Did they actually have enough wind in their sails?

The Croatia Fiasco

In all honesty and truth, that word summarises Nigeria’s first fixture against Croatia, fiasco (a complete failure). As we had anticipated in FirstTouch’s Group D  overview of the World Cup, Gernot Rohr used the 4-3-3 system with the exception that he chose Etebo for Onazi and Idowu instead of Echiejile in the back four. In fairness, the team actually made sense, it seemed to be the strongest possible from the 23-man squad. However, when the 90-minutes were up, all the positivity and hype had disappeared into thin air, Africa and Nigeria were stunned by the 2-0 loss to the organized Croats. A team that had only registered two shots on target for the entire match. It’s not like Nigeria had more. The entire match was a boring affair pitting the Super Eagles who seemed to be lacking desire, strolling the pitch and passing sideways with no sense of urgency. When going forward, a chance created that would be created would just fizzle out as a result of not having a clear attacking plan. The Croats, who were not actually great on the day, revealed more intent and purpose, and left the game with all three points.

A much more re-invigorated Nigerian side melted the Icelanders

Matchday Two arrived and we were all thrown into a frenzy. The social network communities came to a standstill as the African community, ring-led by the 180 million Nigerians flooded Instagram and Twitter notably crowning Ahmed Musa as a ‘governor.’ The CSKA Moscow forward had struck twice in the Iceland fixture to deny the “Vikings” a fairytale campaign, blowing Group D open and giving Argentina some hope of reaching the knockout stages after they had succumbed 3-0 to Croatia in a “tactics gone wrong” scary movie showing by Jorge Sampaoli. A much more disciplined and hungry Super Eagles team could be attributed to the positive result against Iceland. A switch of the formation to a 3-5-2 introducing Chelsea’s Omeruo as part of the back three offered more defensive stability and attacking prowess as Victor Moses was shifted to a more familiar right wing-back role and Ahmed Musa partnered with Kelechi Iheanacho upfront to deliver the goals in place of Ighalo. We started seeing the Nigerian side we had all hoped for; youthful, talented and passionate, and with one game to go in the group stages, the Super Eagles had put themselves in prime position to qualify for the knockout phase as they now sat in a second place ahead of Argentina and Iceland, who both had a point each.

A familiar tango with Albiceleste had a familiar end

The final fixture shaped up to be the most important one. With Nigeria needing only a point to book a spot in the Round of 16 and Argentina counting on some complex permutations coupled with a victory over the Super Eagles, Nigeria had it all to do heading into this last fixture. Gernot Rohr named an unchanged line-up from the starting XI that faced Iceland and had to start on the back foot after Messi seized the first decisive moment of the match and put the South Americans in front with a sublime goal in the 14th minute. As the match progressed, we witnessed the birth of character, winning attitude and fighting spirit in the Nigerian squad as they came from being a goal-down to dominate the 2014 World Cup finalists and equalize from the penalty spot. They could have scored another goal to make it 2-1 but a penalty appeal was rejected after VAR consultation. Mighty Argentina was pushed to the brink by Nigeria, resembling more tactical awareness and skill than the acclaimed South Americans led by arguably the best player to have ever played the game of soccer, Lionel Messi. With the scores tied, Nigeria guaranteed qualification and with five minutes left on the clock, the dreaded lack experience manifested itself. Marcos Rojo latched onto a cross and fired the ball into the bottom corner. The Super Eagles had to succumb to another Argentina loss, a fifth in five World Cup meetings. This time, the loss was definitely not a tactical blunder or shortcomings in skill but that which I think is as a result of a lack of experience and the wherewithal needed to perform at the highest level. The collapse of concentration in the final moments of the match not only by Nigeria but by a  host of other African teams could vindicate me on this assertion.

What now for the Super Eagles?

It is no secret that in terms of talent, Nigeria can boast and say “we own it.” A generation of brilliant midfielders in the form of the 21-year-old 2017/18 top English Premier League tackler, Wilfred Ndidi, the versatile Etebo, young forwards in Iheanacho and Alex Iwobi as well as the 19-year-old goalkeeper, Francis Uzoho, exemplify the array of talent Nigeria possesses. Not to mention Arsenal’s Kelechi Nwakali and the likes, Moses Simon who didn’t make it to Russia, shows that Nigeria has the right mix of youth and experience - I think it’s all about blending it well. It is obviously easier said than done but here is my short letter to the Nigeria footballing community containing fast-five bulleted notes:

1. Hire a local head coach who builds the team from within the country not relying on foreign-based players who take longer to form team chemistry

2. Schedule a lot of international friendlies to gain exposure

3. Soccer is a team sport, build teams and do not bank on individual talents

4. Invest in the growth of local football systems by improving local leagues

5. If you have to use juju, please do if it will stimulate an ever ending desire and character to win.

Super Eagles, thank you for fighting as hard as you could. We wish you all the best in the future.

FT World Cup 2018: Live From Russia - Messi vs Iceland

I don’t think my fanatical appreciation of Lionel Messi appears as a surprise to anyone in my immediate life at this point. When it comes to athletes, I have a high level of respect for plenty, but only a couple would really make me feel some type of way if I met them in real life. The list goes Lionel Messi, Serena Williams, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic (who I actually got to see him during the Mexico 🇲🇽 vs Germany 🇩🇪 game, and lost it for a good 30 seconds).

Like many football fans, i’ve been in awe of Messi since he was 17-18, breaking onto the scene with a then, Ronaldinho-led Barcelona squad after a ridiculously dominant U-17 World Cup performance with Argentina. I’ve watched his squad number change from 30, to 19, to the eventual legendary 10 he now effortlessly dons today. I’ve watched him take the torch from Ronaldinho and grow into the best player in the world, gifting two separate coaches Treble honors with the Catalan club (Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique). I even have gotten to witness him live during a football trip of my own to Barcelona with The Ohio State University’s Men’s Soccer team in 2010. But June 16th 2018 would mark my first time seeing Messi in live action for his nation Argentina. Admittedly, being a childhood Brazil 🇧🇷 fan, I more or less loathe Argentina 🇦🇷. I am in no way a stranger to rooting against them, but am definitely unfamiliar with the notion of rooting for them. Tel est le pouvoir de Lionel Messi. Similar to LeBron James in the NBA Finals, knowing the battle that lies ahead of him whilst considering who is at his side going to battle with him, these GOAT-level players are enjoying a certain level of empathy they may never have received until this unique juncture in their respective careers.

“Oh lawd I can’t wait to see Messi embarrass someone today” I thought at breakfast. 2010 feels like so long ago, and I was too hype to see Messi boss the game in only a manner he knows how (more on this shortly). Who would his victims be you ask? Iceland. Iceland 🇮🇸are definitely a nation that are just happy to have been a part of the tournament, but similar to South Korea 🇰🇷, they were about to embark on a World Cup group stage performance from both players and fans that would earn them much deserved respect in the footballing world. Watching the team warm up, one thing was clear to me. Argentina will

not have it easy. From the blow of the first whistle, everyone and their mum could see Iceland were not only up for the fight, they were prepared for it. Their tactics seemed to be relentless pressure supported by the tactical acumen and maturity to surround Lionel with multiple bodies in the midfield, while allowing him to find his teammates who were then placed in situations where they were being dared to be the decisive ones instead of Messi. Definitely a gamble, but a rewarding one if your team possesses the fitness and discipline to carry this out for 90 minutes.

Argentina struck early in the game through Sergio “Kun” Aguero in the 19th minute. Even though La Albiceleste were 1-0 up, there was a certain calm amongst the Icelandic players. They didn’t panic or abandon their tactics and were rewarded with an equalizing goal in the 23rd, within the infamous “first five minutes” after a team scored a goal but is the most prone to mistakes due to a momentary lapse in focus. Iceland striker Finnbogason found himself in the right place and the right time in Argentina’s box to tuck in Iceland’s first ever World Cup goal at the expense of Messi and Co. As you all know by now, both teams went into the break level and Messi once again failed to convert a potential game winning penalty kick, something he has done 4 out the last 7 times he has attempted a pk for club or country. The rest of the game would go on to be an all too similar narrative for Argentina during the Messi era as none of his teammates looked to be able to conjure up genuine scoring chances in a match that begged them to. Iceland ended with a tie, a much deserved one at that, and Argentina were already thrust on the back foot for the tournament. After all was said and done during the matchday, two things really stood out to your boy.

One. This Messi guy really is a genius. By far the smartest footballer I have witnessed play. Yes you can see this when you watch his matches on television, but the experience is heightened in live time. Even in a game where he may have let down a lot of spoiled Argentinian fans (yeah I said it), he was still playing at a speed and frequency separate from everyone else on the pitch, including his teammates. Which is why I think Portugal have done a much better job supporting their own GOAT Cristiano Ronaldo in my opinion. It was pretty breathtaking watching a player who was quadruply marked at times, continue to lose defenders and create space and opportunities for himself and teammates. Even those in Spartak Stadium who were rooting against him were given plenty of moments where their trolling was legitimately replaced with a gasp at something Messi did to impact the game. This leads me to my second thing that stood out to me.

My fellow Brazil fans. Why were there Brazil fans at this match between Argentina and Iceland you ask? Because that’s how deep the rivalry goes. Yeah yeah I know El Clasico turns everyone on these days, but Brazil vs Argentina is my favorite in football, only further confirmed today. Brazil fans are fully aware of Argentina’s seeming and recent propensity to choke in international competition and were genuinely excited at the chance embarrassment of Argentina during their tournament opener. For the 90 minutes in their entirety, the Brazilians taunted Messi and the stadium full of Argentina fans after every time he lost the ball or one of his teammates failed to do anything with it once Messi passed it to them. Iceland may have gotten the result, but no one left Spartak happier than the Brazilians.

Overall, a Messi goal would have been great, but I was more than satisfied with the match, having gotten to witness with my brother and family in what was our second out of six games scheduled to be seen live in Moscow. Thank you Iceland for the performance and the Thunder Clap. Onto the next one!

FT World Cup 2018: Africa’s winless streak perpetuated by a set-piece and 90th minute ‘curse.’

It began with the Pharaohs of Egypt. Matched up against the two-time world champions, Uruguay in a Group A clash, a match they had lost already on paper and in the eyes of many ‘pragmatic’ football enthusiasts. The lack of optimism originated more so because their talisman player, Mohamed Salah, was sitting this one out, working towards full recovery from his shoulder injury after his UEFA Champions League final controversial clash with Sergio Ramos. 

It was a totally different story on the pitch, the Pharaohs stood from their thrones and fought for their lives. Their plan to frustrate the ferocious La Celeste’s frontline of Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani had been working successfully for nearly the entire match, and the Egyptian goalkeeper, El Shenawy defied gravity a couple of times, making saves that earned him the Budweiser sponsored Man of the Match Award which he turned down because of his faith. In the end, the 90th minute decided to pass a verdict on the match. Jose Maria Gimenez rose highest to head Sanchez’s free-kick into the back of the net, breaking Egyptian and African hearts.

The script was a bit different and somewhat similar for the Moroccans. The Lions of the Atlas started their Group C campaign with an Arabian derby against Iran. It was a match that most people expected them to win having reached the World Cup finals with some fluid displays and conceding no goals. Six-goal thriller participants, Portugal and Spain will certainly view themselves as favorites against Morocco, hence the need for Morocco to win the Iranian match and maximize any chances of reaching the knockout stages. They indeed came motivated to the match, creating more chances, showing more intent to win and forcing a couple of saves from their opponent’s goalkeeper. Again, a 90th-minute free kick decided the match. The substitute striker, Aziz Bouhaddouz, unfortunately, deflected an Iranian free-kick into his own net and handed the Iranians their first world cup win in 20-years.

The 90th-minute 'curse' was not necessary for the Croatia-Nigeria match but the set-piece curse was having none of it. Luka Modric curled a corner into the box which Mandzukic flicked before finding the unsuspecting Nigerian midfielder, Oghenekaro Etebo who finished the job for the Croatians. The second goal of the match came in the 71st minute, a penalty which Modric calmly converted, and ending any hopes for points for the Super Eagles.

As far as Africa is concerned, the task was left for Tunisia to walk the walk heading into Monday’s match against England. As the commentator described it, the Three Lions flew out of their traps early in the match and found the net through their captain, Harry Kane who turned in a rebound from close range after John Stones had forced off a fine save from Hassen. Again, it was from a corner-kick, another set piece piling misery on Tunisian fans and Africans. The Carthage Eagles did bounce-back and scored Africa’s first goal of the tournament through Sassi who converted from the penalty spot in the 35th minute. They seemed content with the stalemate and closed up shop, defending in numbers and trying to catch England on the break for the remainder of the match. The unfortunate and recurring theme of decisive moments in the 90th-minute occurred again when Kieran Trippier swung in another corner-kick which found its way to Harry Kane, who netted his second for the night and ended up being the winner for the English side.

Now, only Senegal remain unscathed. How will they fare against Poland in their Group H opener on Tuesday?

World Cup Rush: Kenya Power Company urged not to interrupt broadcasts

Perhaps no region might be preparing as much as Africa, for the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals kicking off on the 14th of June and specifically, Kenya. The chairman of Gor Mahia, the most successful team in the Kenyan Premier League history, has challenged the Kenya Power Company to be at their consistent best from 14th June to 15th July so as to avoid interruption in viewing the world’s greatest soccer showcase. Ambrose Rachier spoke from his club in Upper Hill, Nairobi after the Pay-TV channel, StarTimes, confirmed live broadcasting of all the 64 matches.

"StarTimes have done well to offer football fans a cheaper and quality option to watch football on TV and mobile phones. The remaining part is for Kenya Power to do their best and ensure fans watch these games without interruption." - Ambrose Rachier, Gor Mahia Chairman

It is actually a common phenomenon in some African countries, that blackouts occur during periods of the most anticipated football tournaments. At times the reason is beyond power authorities’ assumed maliciousness. This time, Kenya is not taking any chances. They are getting ready!

Although the Harambee stars failed to qualify, the CECAFA affiliated nation will be hoping that the likes of Nigeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Senegal, and Morocco will make the continent proud.

Transfers: Premier League clubs on Egyptian “Trezeguet” alert

Mahmoud Hassan nicknamed after the French striker, David Trezeguet, is in the hot red form on loan at the Turkish side, Kasimpasa from Anderlecht. Sources to ESPN informed that Everton, Leicester City, and Burnley have sent scouts to watch the 23-year-old play as the clubs are on the lookout to bolster their attacking options this summer. Hassan has scored 14 goals for Kasimpasa and registered five assists. With one year remaining on his contract, the English Premier League clubs would be very optimistic of landing him for a bargain price.

‘Trezeguet’ was also instrumental in Egypt’s successful world cup campaign, playing on the opposite wing of imminent Ballon d’Or candidate, Mohamed Salah. He will most likely follow his countryman to England, more so if he impresses at next month’s FIFA World Cup Finals in Russia.

World Cup Rush: Iheanacho next in line for Leicester’s No.10 role

Nigerian international, Kelechi Iheanacho who plies his trade with English top flight side, Leicester City; is tipped to end the season on a high as he sets his eyes on being part of Gernot Rohr’s final 23 man squad for the FIFA World Cup Finals in Russia. Kelechi has struggled to get some consistent game time since moving from Manchester City in a £25 million deal in the summer. He has scored five times in 23 appearances inclusive of only ten starts in all competitions since moving to the King Power Stadium. This lack of game time at his club might have somehow influenced the extent of his role in the Super Eagles squad as Rohr used him mostly as a substitute in Nigeria’s world cup qualification campaign.

There is new hope for the Nigerian to make a statement before the season comes to a close as Leicester City boss, Claude Puel hinted at trying him out on the No.10 role as opposed to his familiar No.9. It’s a position that Puel has not been satisfied with even after deploying Riyad Mahrez and Demarai Gray in it. Could the 21-year-old ace it ahead of Okazaki and build some momentum to be considered for a crucial role in Nigeria’s squad for Russia 2018? Nigeria could actually benefit from having more attacking options since they have not been very good going forward.

“I think until the end of the season it will be an opportunity for different players to play and take some habits, perhaps to give a good solution. We know all the hard work from Okazaki, for example, and, in the last game, Kele had good intensity and quality. Yes, Kele is a young player he can have game time, he can improve and give a good option for the future. We will see. We have different options and it is interesting to try.” - Claude Puel, Leicester City Manager

Leicester City will play Crystal Palace on the 28th of April where Kelechi could start for the foxes in the No.10 position.

World Cup Rush: Nigeria’s Ighalo picking up form and Elneny injury scare

One of the Super Eagles’ likely striking options at this years’ FIFA World Cup finals in Russia seems to be picking up form just the moment they desperately need him to. Gernot Rohr’s men were criticised for not being decisive or picking out the right passes in the final third over the international break when they succumbed to a 2-0 defeat against Serbia. The Chinese Super League based, Odion Ighalo stepped up in a huge way over the weekend, scoring four times in Changchun Yatai’s 5-2 win away at Guizhou Hengfeng. He has now found the back of the net, five times in seven matches.

"I have not been lucky in front of goal but today God gave me all the ones that haven't been entering since the start of the season at once." - Odion Ighalo

Meanwhile, Egypt got an injury scare ahead of the world cup finals after Arsenal midfielder, Mohamed Elneny had to be stretchered off their match at home to West Ham United. The North London club has confirmed that Elneny suffered an ankle ligament injury and are hopeful that he would return to action before the season expires.

"We are hoping that Mo will available for Arsenal again this season and we are keeping in regular contact with the Egyptian Football Association."  - Arsenal FC

The 25-year-old midfielder has recently become a favorite in the Arsenal defensive department of the midfield in Arsene Wenger’s last days at the club. He also possesses the ability to charge forward and pick out the right passes or even threaten the goal. He is expected to link up nicely with the PFA Player of the year, Mo Salah, in Russia, for the Egyptian Pharaohs.

World Cup Rush: Nigerian Football body wants $2m from FIFA

Reports suggest that the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) wrote a letter to FIFA, dated 9 April, requesting for $2 of their 2018 World Cup finals qualification bonus. All that countries that qualify for the world cup finals are awarded bonuses by the world’s football governing body.

In hopes to prevent any future protest by the national team as was the case in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, the NFF and Super Eagles have already agreed on the salaries and match bonuses. The Super Eagles will also get 30% of the total prize money, should their walk away with the world cup gold.

Nigeria have been pitted against Messi’s Argentina, Croatia and the European surprise package, Iceland. Their opening match is on the 16th of June against Croatia.

World Cup Rush: El Said joins Finnish side to increase world cup appearance chances

Another Pharaohs striker has joined a Finnish in bid to get some time so they could be available for selection into Hector Cuper’s World Cup squad. Al Ahly forward, Abdallah El-Said has joined Kuopion Palloseura on a two-month loan before his permanent move to Saudi club Al Ahly Jeddah on a two-year deal, come next season.

A Red Devils official, Adly Al Qaie confirmed that the 32-year-old has been allowed to go so as to prove his fitness for World Cup finals commencing on the 14th of June this year. El-Said joins Al Ahly teammate  Amr Gamal who recently left the South African side, Bidvest Wits to complete his loan spell at Helsinki in Finland with the bid to impress for a spot in the Pharaohs World Cup squad.

“Abdallah is a big name and very high-level player, we are happy to have him here. We wish Abdallah good luck and wait for him on the field and believe he will be a key player at the World Cup.”

— KuPS Sporting Director, Konstantin Shipulin

Russia 2018: El-Hadary eyes historical appearance at the age of 45

The Pharaohs veteran goalkeeper, Essam El-Hadary is hopeful of making into the team’s squad for the FIFA World Cup finals to start on the 14th of June in Russia. El- Hadary, 45, would become the oldest player in history to appear in the world cup finals after Faryd Mondragon of Colombia featured against Japan in Brazil in 2014 aged 43 years and 3 days.

"My age is 45 years old, but for me, this is just a number on paper. I train hard every day, I don't know what the word 'impossible' means. I will keep fighting until the World Cup to have the chance to play and defend my homeland colours." - Essam El-Hadary

The Egyptian shot stopper has build his name on the continent, mostly remembered for amazing reflexes, vocal attitude and penalty stops in the Pharaohs’ three consecutive African Cup of Nations triumphs in 2006, 2008 and 2010. He currently plays for Al-Taawoun FC in the Saudi Professional League and did feature a lot in Egypt’s world cup qualifying rounds, most notably in the 2-1 win against Congo Brazzaville that sealed their spot.

When asked about what he thinks of their group stage opponents in Russia, he said;

"All the teams in our group are very strong. Saudi Arabia is an Arabic team and our matches with them will be very interesting, so it will not be easy.Russia will play in front of their fans and in their grounds, and when you talk about Uruguay you talk about an amazing team and big names like Edinson Cavani and Luis Suárez, so it will not be easy at all." - Essam El-Hadary

Even with so much respect for an opponent, we have to know El-Hadary to be a competitor and certainly a winner. June promise to produce nothing but fireworks.

Russia 2018: FIFA chooses six African referees

Amongst the 99 officials at this year’s FIFA World Cup finals in Russia, 19 are from Africa. Of the nineteen, six are referees while the rest are assistants. FIFA has also confirmed that Video Assistant Refereeing will be used in the June tournament with the VAR officials due to be chosen from the pool of the 99 selected officials. The chosen officials representing 46 nations of the world will attend a two-week seminar in Italian Football Association’s base in Coverciano this April.

The following is the list of the six African referees:

• Mehdi Abid Charef - Algeria

• Malang Diedhiou - Senegal

• Bakary Papa Gassama -The Gambia

• Gehad Grisha - Egypt

• Janny Sikazwe - Zambia

• Bamlak Tessema Weyesa - Ethiopia

International Friendlies Round II: How did Africa’s world cup five perform?

Tunisia and Morocco made it two wins in two matches after seeing off Costa Rica and Uzbekistan. Tunisia edged the Central Americans 1-0 courtesy of Wahbi Khazri’s goal who also finished the job in Eagles of the Carthage’s 1-0 win over Iran a few days ago. Morocco continued their impeccable form by comfortably beating Uzbekistan by two goals to nothing even after fielding a second-best team. So far they seem to be the favorites to write history for Africa at the FIFA World Cup finals in June but with Spain, Portugal, and Iran in their way to the knockout stages, it is easier said than done.

Nigeria narrowly escaped the onslaught of Lewandowski and friends against Poland, in their 1-0 win but they wouldn’t be so lucky this team. Mitrovic’s brace revealed the Super Eagles’ weakness which might actually be a blessing in disguise for Nigeria as the world urges closer. Salah-less Egypt were humbled 1- 0 by Greece and capped off the international break with no wins in two. Injury-hit Senegal drew 0-0 with Bosnia Herzegovina, finishing the break with only stalemate score sheets.

In the light of these recent events, are you still confident in your world cup team? Let us know in the comments below!

Russia 2018: Africa’s world cup five out to cap off friendlies in style on Tuesday

Nigeria: After snatching a 1-0 win against Poland (sixth-ranked team in the world), away from home, courtesy of a Victor Moses penalty, the Super Eagles will be out to prove their doubters wrong by putting up a more convincing performance against Serbia.

Morocco: The Atlas of the Lions have been a great revelation under Herve Renard and they continued that streak by dominating Serbia in a 2-1 win at home. With their recent performances and the backing of legend, El Hadji Diouf to write history for Africa in Russia, Morocco will be expected to come out on top against Uzbekistan.

Egypt: The Pharaoh's performances against Portugal were not too bad. They fell out by two goals to one, thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo’ stoppage time brace after Mohamed Salah had opened the scoring. Anyone would tip them to bounce back against Greece.

Tunisia: The Carthage Eagles won hearts with their 1-0 victory over Asia’s surprise package, Iran, who will also face North Africans, Morocco in the June world cup finals. Whether or not they are not they will do the same against the challenge of Costa Rica tomorrow, one would be brave to pick a winner there.

Senegal: The Lions of Teranga shared the spoils with Uzbekistan in 1 -1 draw on Friday in Casablanca. With at least three key players expected to be on sidelines through injury, the Senegal camp will be desperate to show that they have enough depth in their squad to overcome any opponent as they face Edin Dzeko’s Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Morocco: Real Madrid defender pulls out of squad

The Lions of the Atlas will be without breakout teen, Achraf Hakimi for this months’ friendlies as result of the injury he picked out on his first day of training. The 19 year old suffered the injury in Turin ahead of Morocco’s match against Serbia in preparation for the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals in June. Hakimi came to the spotlight after being deployed by Zinedine Zidane on the right back position of the Los Blancos set up in the absence of injured Dani Carvajal. Since then, he has appeared 14 times for Real Madrid this season scoring once and was handed his Moroccan debut by Herve Renard also scoring in his four international caps so far.

Achraf Hakimi was born in Spain and has always represented Morocco at youth level even though he had an option to play for the European giants.

What’s happening to the World’s number one keeper?

Former World’s number one shotstopper Manuel Neuer is still in recovery after breaking a bone in his foot. He has had this injury three times already and this time it is proving difficult for him to get fit to compete again at the highest level. This raises some questions to the medical department at Bayern Munich who confirmed that the player had supposedly recovered in January. Bayern coach Heynckes is hopeful that the player can return to the training pitch at the start of April so that they can have a chance to compete for the Champions League. David De Gea has since overtaken the player as World’s best goalkeeper after some consistent displays in recent months. Some suggest that even with Neuer at his best, he cannot be compared to De Gea who has raised his game and is rumored to be a target of Real Madrid once again. Whether we will be able to see Neuer back in April is something that we will wait to see but we hope that he at least recovers in time to join the German squad at the FIFA World Cup in Russia 2018. The best of luck Manuel!

Russia 2018: Nigeria Goes For Gold

Nigeria’s head coach, Gernot Rohr has mentioned that the Super Eagles have their eyes set on winning the world cup title come June 2018 in Russia. No African team has ever won the cup nor has any team ever made it to the semi-finals in world cup history. However, when the FIFA World Cup Trophy arrived in Lagos for the tour, the German was bold to send a statement to the other 31 finalists.

“Every team going to the World Cup in Russia has a dream of winning it, but to be realistic, we believe in our dream and we are working so hard to achieve it." - Gernot Rohr