UEFA Champions League Preview (Matchday 2): Group H

Tammy Abraham of Chelsea celebrates after scoring his team's fourth goal during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea FC at Molineux on September 14, 2019 in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom.

(Sept. 13, 2019 - Source: Getty Images Europe)

Group H

Valencia vs Ajax- Wednesday, 02 October 2019

These two might be fancying themselves for the group winners spot after excellent displays on matchday 1. Valencia edged Chelsea 1-0 at Stamford Bridge while last season’s semi-finalists dispatched Lille by 3-0. Ajax in particular weren’t really at their best despite what the score line suggests. The Eredivisie champions enjoyed themselves a little too much, showboating excessively with manager Erik Ten Hag and talisman, Hakim Ziyech calling themselves out on the relaxed performance. Ajax will definitely not afford to have any more such luxuries when they travel to the Mestalla. Despite their unsteadying backroom changes, Valencia have done relatively well. Just this past weekend, they recorded a rare and famous 1-0 win at Athletic Bilbao. A fortress in Spanish football.

It’s a close one, the winner here will be one of the favorites to progress to the knock-out stages.

LOSC Lille vs Chelsea- Wednesday, 02 October 2019

Lille choked on opening night at Ajax, which was understandable, considering their long-time absence from Europe’s biggest club football tournament. The French club can definitely not be any worse than they were against Ajax and Chelsea should expect a tough match against last season’s Ligue 1 runners-up. Nigerian international Victor Osimhen is one of the players who has to level up his weekend’s performance if Lille are to get a result against a Chelsea side who have seemingly found their identity under new boss Frank Lampard.

Group H seems to be one of the most unpredictable groups this season. Let’s get popcorn and soda as it unfolds.

UEFA Champions League Preview (Matchday 1): Group H

The Ajax team celebrate victory after the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final second leg match between Juventus and Ajax at Allianz Stadium on April 16, 2019 in Turin, Italy.

(April 15, 2019 - Source: Getty Images Europe)

Chelsea vs Valencia- Tuesday 18 September 2019

Probably the least predictable group. After a sluggish start to the 2019/20 Premier League season, punctuated by a 4-0 loss at Old Trafford and a 2-2 stalemate at home against promoted Sheffield United, Chelsea have peaked at the right time. Lampard’s youthful Chelsea who are under no pressure whatsoever to win anything this season mark a return to the UCL on the backdrop of an impressive 5-2 Premier League win over Wolves. Their opponents Valencia, were 2-5 losers to Barcelona in the same weekend. Logically, the Blues look like favorites but with the new gaffer at Mestalla desperate to win the community over, he will likely make every match and minute count.

Ajax vs Lille- Tuesday 18 September 2019

On the other hand, last season’s surprise package and semi-finalists are looking like themselves again despite losing key players such as Mathijs de Ligt and Frenkie de Jong. Ajax are sitting pretty on top of the Eredivisie after 5 matches and will welcome Lille OSC. A surprise package in the French top flight last term who finished second behind champions PSG. It’s really Ajax vs the probable “new Ajax” of the new champions league season.

FT African Legends Series: Salif Keita, a forgotten hero?

African football has much to thank for the legacy of a certain Salif Keita who played in Europe between 1967 and 1980. There is another famous person who goes by the name Salif Keita but he is an Afro-pop singer-songwriter from Mali. Our FirstTouch Legend Keita, is the uncle to the Seydou Keita who played for Barcelona recently. Let’s take you through the career of the goal scoring machine that earned our African Football Legendary status.

Background

Also known as ‘The Black Pearl of Bamako’, Salif Keita was born in Mali in December 1946. He moved to France in 1967 to pursue his career in soccer at AS Saint-Etienne where he won three Ligue 1 titles. Keita scored an astonishing 71 league goals in his two seasons at the club. He moved on to fellow Ligue 1 side Olympique de Marseille in 1972 after scoring 42 goals in his last season for his former club and failing to win any silverware. His time at Marseille was cut short after the club tried to force him to assume French nationality so that he could represent them on the international scene. Keita was a proud African and he refused those advances which saw him leaving for the Spanish side, Valencia. Racism was still rife during those days which is evidenced by a headline which read, “Valencia goes out to buy Germans and comes back with a black man.” However, he was loved by his new club who gave him the nickname, ‘La Perla Negra de Mali’ which translates to The Black Pearl of Mali. He later played for Sporting Clube de Portugal before moving to New England Tea Men in the MLS where he retired at the age of 34.

Contribution To The Game

Salif Keita was one of the first soccer players that shone in the Number 10 jersey and made it as famous as it is today. He dazzled fans in Europe with his amazing dribbling ability carrying that number at the back which inspired many players who followed. Soccer greats like Ronaldinho, Zinedine Zidane, and others have worn this shirt which is respected and usually reserved for the best players on the team. Without Keita carrying 10, the jersey might not have been as significant as it is present day football. The game has evolved over the years but much respect should be reserved for the Malian striker who left a mark in the sport which many now call their religion.

Soccer took its time to rise up in terms of popularity within the US. Many suggested that the culture in the country is a major reason why this is. They alluded that Americans are generally interested in sports in which there are a lot of scores. This affected their perception of soccer which sometimes has matches that end in goalless draws. During Salif Keita’s time, however, this would not have been a concern. The striker was famous for scoring goals. As mentioned earlier he scored a total of 71 goals in two seasons during his stint at AS Saint-Etienne. He was a joy to watch. These numbers are difficult to match in the present day with only a handful of players reaching these numbers on a consistent basis.  

Salif Keita left a legacy in the game. His nephew Seydou Keita carried the family torch after him as he played for Barcelona under Pep Guardiola. As football fans, nothing beats the feeling we get when we see a young player following in the footsteps of our former heroes. Think of Jay-Jay Okocha for example, and his nephew Iwobi. These youngsters are adored in the sport because they bring memories of players who shed their sweat, blood, and tears to entertain the millions of soccer fans who watch the games. Salif Keita was one of the players who inspired their family members to play soccer and supported them throughout their career. We have him to thank for that.

If you were wondering what type of a striker he was, think of Cristiano Ronaldo. Keita was ruthless in front of goal but also had the composure and trickery to create space for himself and beat opponents before rifling in a shot past the goalkeeper. He was also versatile and could play anywhere up front. If you recall how Edinson Cavani adjusted his game during his early years at PSG where he played out wide, that paints a picture of how Keita was when he was asked to play for Valencia. He had a football brain so it was easy for him to play in any position.

Image Credit: Bamada.net

Today, many players are seen moving to the MLS in the later stages of their career. Football greats such as Kaka, Steven Gerrard, David Beckham, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic have all plied their trade in the US in their 30s. This was started by Keita who moved to the MLS in 1979 and has become a trend for many star players who are looking for some competition before retirement. The Malian forward has clearly left a mark on the game of soccer.

Also, we look at his ranking among FirstTouch African Legends. It is only fair to compare him with fellow African players who played in the same position. There are probably just three players ahead of him i.e. Eto’o, Rodger Milla and Didier Drogba. This is only because these other players were more consistent than him and played on the biggest stage for a long time. They also managed to win multiple African Player of the Year awards as compared to Keita’s sole accolade awarded in 1970.

Life After Football

1. In 1994, Keita created the first training center for professional football players in Mali

2. June 2005, he was elected president of the Mali Football Federation

3. A year later, the Confederation of African Football selected him as one of the best 200 African Soccer players of the past 50 years

4. Since 2007, he has been acting as a delegated minister of the Prime Minister of Mali

Andre Gomes opens up about his frustrations

The 24-year-old Portugal international joined Barcelona from Valencia in the summer of 2016 for a fee rumored to be around €35m plus add-ons that can rise to €20m. He explained how desperate he was to integrate into the Barca style of play and succeed but he acknowledges that anxiety has held him back from progress. The midfielder joined around the time when Portugal were celebrating their success at the Euros in which he had played an integral role and huge expectations were placed on the young enforcer to replicate those performances and play even better at the Camp Nou. Since then, the player has suffered psychologically after receiving tantrum from the fans who call him a flop when all he needed was time to adapt to the demands of a massive club. He now shuts himself and avoids interacting with anyone. He has lost confidence in his play. This is a cry to the fans to sometimes think about the well-being of these players and show them some love when they need him the most. Sergio Busquets has come out to back him and explain that the team is doing all they can to make life easier for Gomes. His only plea is to the fanbase to reduce the level of negativity to a player who is in a delicate situation.