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?

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 World Cup Focus: Players vs The Mental Side of Football

PENALTY! It is this one to win it for Ghana and they will make it to the semifinals of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa. Asamoah Gyan steps up to take the last kick of the match. 1-1 is the scoreline against Uruguay. The referee gives the greenlight…OH…HE MISSES!

This event sparked the abusive attacks that the player received in person and on social media blaming him for his country’s elimination from the tournament in the quarterfinals. The whole continent of Africa was rooting for Ghana to go all the way and they were on the verge of a record-breaking semifinal place for an African team only for him to mistakenly hit his shot against the crossbar and fail to score. What many might not know is what the player went through after walking off the pitch at the end of the penalty shootout. Asamoah Gyan’s confidence ran low. He also missed a great penalty for Ghana 2 years later at the 2012 African Cup of Nations against Zambia in the semifinals.

He said, “I'd like to apologize to the fans. It's been very difficult for me. I'd never miss a penalty on purpose. It's now two of the biggest penalties in my country's history and it's difficult to take. I've been unlucky. We all miss them. Fans should know it's not easy. (Didier) Drogba missed in the final. (Samuel) Eto'o has missed before. It's happened to the greatest before, I'm sorry.” He apologized deeply because he had received so much stick which could have caused depression.

Another player who eventually could not recover from this depression and psychological pressures that players experience as part of the game is Robert Enke. The German goalkeeper ended up committing suicide. His club’s president confirmed the Hannover player had been ‘unstable’ but it had not been noticed publicly. He left a suicide note after a culmination of a long struggle with depression which shocked the world of football. It is such extreme instances that brings sense to everyone that the players are also human. They experience a lot throughout their career and sometimes play with injuries just to avoid being attacked by the fans.

Just recently, Loris Karius of Liverpool was culpable for conceding two cheap goals in the UEFA Champions League final against Real Madrid. He immediately apologized at the end of the match. Today I lost my team the game and I feel sorry for everyone.

“I’m sorry for everyone – from the team, from the whole club – that the mistakes cost dearly. If I could go back in time, I would. I feel sorry for my team. I know I let them down today,” Karius said in the post-match interview with talkSPORT.

Memes have already been created by his mistakes and he is dubbed treacherous.

He is already being compared to Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus’ disciples who betrayed him for a bribe in The Bible. Many former players have come out to ask the fans to show the player some love. Mistakes are part of the game and he never intended to give away a win when he was also fighting for the title. It was a dark day for the player and the fans in the stadium clapped him at the end of the match. Their reaction proves that they understood what he was going through as a person and we only wish for that to spread across the world.

The FIFA World Cup is commencing in less than 3 weeks and it is almost certain that someone will make a big error leading to a goal. There are some players that will be psychologically challenged and our duty as fans of the game is to spread love in our messages to show support to the people that sacrificed their lives to entertain us in each and every 90 minutes of play. STOP abusing the players. They are human. They are like you and me. Let us support the game!

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.

UCL Road To Kiev Final: Senegal’s Mane fires warning shots at Real Madrid

It is only two days before the winner of Europe’s elite club competition is decided in Ukraine. Record winners, Real Madrid will be looking to secure their third consecutive title when they face the challenge of the free-scoring Liverpool. A lot of talking points have been explored about this match, with the most popular one being that of the battle for supremacy as far as 2017/18 football matters are concerned, between the incumbent Cristiano Ronaldo and the Egyptian King, Mohamed Salah. The winner of the match is tipped to seal the fate of the 2018 Balon D’Or trophy for world’s best player.

Away from the noise of Salah and Ronaldo is the Senegalese who is just as dangerous. Mane scored 19 times in this campaign for Liverpool, behind Salah at 44 and the final third of the fab 3, Roberto Firmino weighing in at 27. Liverpool’s front three have become one of the fiercest attack flanked on both sides by the African connection and supported by the Brazilian. They seem not to be moved by the acclaimed BBC of Bale, Benzema, and Ronaldo and might perhaps turn the Champions League to a victim of an African rout. Mane has promised one thing come Saturday, goals galore! Liverpool has already smashed the record of goals scored in a single Champions League campaign having found the back of the net, 46 times already this season.

Here is what Sadio Mane had to say:

"I think more goals are coming. Of course, I am happy, but as a striker, you'd love to score every single game to help your team. Now we have one more important game, so why not try to do our best, score for the team and win the trophy?"

"The power of Liverpool Football Club is the collective. We always do everything together -- this is our power. Of course, it will not be easy because we know they have experience and also they have qualities in the team. We respect them a lot but we also have players and staff to beat any team in the world."

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.

Football Business: La Liga club Sevilla reach three-year kit sponsorship deal with Nike

Congrats to La Liga’s own Sevilla, as the have just announced a new three-year kit sponsorship with Nike.

Nike will take pole position as the Seville club’s technical sponsor until the end of the 2020/21 season, creating the squad’s match and training kit as well as a range of new merchandise for the clubs fanbase.

Rival and domestic brand New Balance has seen its five-year deal with Sevilla expire at the end of this 2017-18 season, with Sevilla providing confirmation over their impending partnership with Nike following several months of negotiation between both parties.

The financial terms of the contract have yet to be disclosed, but reports in Spain describe the deal as “more than favourable” for Sevilla.

Sevilla finished this past 2017/18 La Liga season in seventh place, ensuring qualification for the UEFA Europa League in the 2018/19 season. Even though they have won this competition three times in the last four years, we wonder if Nike will be pushing the club to have consistent top 4 aspirations in La Liga.

Do you think Sevilla will have the consistent performance needed in domestic and foreign competition to eventually keep their Nike partnership after 2021?

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 5 Young Players With African Roots: Ryan Sessegnon [Fulham]

Ryan was born on 18 May 2000 in Roehampton London together with his twin brother Steven. He is a distant cousin of the Benin international footballer, Stephane Sessegnon and plays as left back/ left winger for EFL Championship side, Fulham which he joined starting from the U-9 side.  In the 2016/17 season, Ryan became the first professional player born in the 2000s to score a goal in the English top leagues when he found the back of the net against Cardiff City. He made a total of 30 appearances for Fulham in that season and delivered performances that earned him a spot in the PFA Championship Team Of The Year, the youngest player ever to be included in such a setup. He became a person of interest among the media houses with Sports Illustrated naming him the 19th best U-20 footballers in the world in May 2017 and a subject of speculation in the summer transfer window with Everton, Liverpool, Manchester United, RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich reportedly interest in the teenager who was then too young to sign a professional contract according to PFA rules. After his 17th birthday, Ryan opted to stay at Fulham with an assurance of game time being his main reason for the choice.

"Last season I got a lot of opportunities so I want to continue that. When you are young you just want to play as many games as you can." - Ryan Sessegnon

The just-ended season was no exception to Sessegnon’s ingenuity, scoring 16 goals and 7 assists for Fulham in 51 matches. He helped them to a third-place finish and delivered a standout performance in their playoff semi-final against Derby. He became the first Championship player to be nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year eventually won by Manchester City’s Leroy Sane. He won an unprecedented five awards, Championship Player of the Season, Young Player of the Season, Apprentice of the Year, and named in the Championship Team of the Season and EFL Club Developed XI. Ryan has also featured for England in the 2017  U-19 Euro Finals where he scored three goals to finish joint top scorer and included in the team of the tournament as England won the championship for the first time.

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 5 Young Players With African Roots: Munir El Haddadi [Barcelona]

Munir is in Barcelona’s ranks on loan at Deportivo Alaves and was interestingly a Real Madrid fan up until he was 14. He was born on 1 September 1995 to a Moroccan father, Mohamed El Haddadi Arbrqui, who moved to Spain at 18 in a fishing boat and fell in love with Zaida, a lady from Spanish autonomous city of Melilla who was a kitchen hand at the time. He grew up in Galapagar and starred whilst playing for CF Rayo Majadahonda’s Cadete A team scoring 32 goals in 29 matches. He was on loan from Atletico Madrid at the time who had to capture him after a successful trial in 2010. None of the big two Madrid clubs was interested in tying down to their club and Barcelona seized the opportunity by bringing him into their youth team, frustrating the onlooking Manchester City and other top sides.

He made his senior debut for Barcelona on 24 August 2014 in a La Liga match against Elche, scored a goal to become Barcelona’s third youngest goalscorer after Bojan and Lionel Messi. He did not get a lot of game time for the remainder of the season with the Catalans and was sent on loan to Valencia the following campaign. He only managed to score 6 times for Valencia in appearances but has since improved that record with his 2017/18 loan spell at Deportivo Alaves, scoring 10 times and registering 6 assists in 32 matches.

Morocco was interested in having him join the Lions of the Atlas’ 2018 FIFA World Cup squad but saw their joint appeal with the striker to overturn FIFA Cas’ ruling on him switching nationalities denied. FIFA Cas stated that the current rules prohibit him to switch as a per his one-time appearance for Spain in a UEFA Euro Qualifier against Macedonia.

FT 2017/18 African Transcendent XI: CB - Eric Bailly [Manchester United]

Many African players have light up the European leagues ever since the days of George Weah. These include Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto’o, Yaya Toure, Okocha, etc. who have performed at an extraordinary level in the past decades. Mo Salah of Liverpool and Egypt has been the fan favorite this year for his record-breaking goals and guiding his club to the UEFA Champions League final. But this is not all the continent has to offer. There are other young players who are showing early promises of reaching these levels or even better them. Therefore, FirstTouch reflects on the next transcendent U23 players in each position.

CB - Eric Bailly

The African continent has failed to produce the best talents in this position which means that the focus will be on the Manchester United defender even though he is an already established player. Bailly joined Manchester United from Villarreal for £30m in 2016. He has proved his consistency for the Red Devils but he has had problems with match fitness. He has suffered some setbacks and injuries which have kept him out of the United team of late but the Ivory Coast international is Mourinho’s first preference in the heart of a defense. Bailly is popular for his confident and aggressive approach to the game not forgetting his passing abilities. He can easily pass as a defensive midfielder because of his power, pace and forward runs that he often makes whenever he is given the freedom to roam around the pitch in search for a goal. Many African players have light up the European leagues ever since the days of George Weah. These include Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto’o, Yaya Toure, Okocha, etc. who have performed at an extraordinary level in the past decades. Mo Salah of Liverpool and Egypt has been the fan favorite this year for his record-breaking goals and guiding his club to the UEFA Champions League final. But this is not all the continent has to offer. There are other young players who are showing early promises of reaching these levels or even better them. Therefore, FirstTouch reflects on the next transcendent U23 players in each position.

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 5 Young Players With African Roots: Kylian Mbappe [Paris Saint-Germain]

Born Kylian Mbappe Lottin in Paris to Cameroonian father, Wilfried and Algerian mother, Fayza who hails from Algeria. He stated that he idolized Cristiano Ronaldo while growing up and began his footballing career at AS Bondy being coached by his father who is also his agent. Mbappe then moved to Clairefontaine Academy where he put in good enough performances to be noticed by Real Madrid and Valencia. He however travelled to London for a trial with Chelsea at 11 years of age and appeared once for their youth team against Charlton before settling for Monaco.

He became the youngest player to play for the Monaco first team in the 2015/16 at 16, breaking Thierry Henry’s record. Two months later, in February 2016 - he again eclipsed Thierry Henry’s record of the youngest scorer for the club when he found the back of the net in Monaco’s 3-1 win over Troyes. He had his mark in the 2016/17 season, scoring 26 goals times in 44 matches for Monaco and helping the club to their first Ligue 1 title in seventeen years. Mbappe also headlined Monaco’s excellent UEFA Champions League campaign that saw them reach the semi-finals, scoring against the likes Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund becoming the youngest French scorer in the competition.

He is currently on loan at Paris St Germain from Monaco in a deal which is understood to lead to a permanent move for the 19-year-old in the summer. The fee is rumored to be  €145 million and  €35 million add-ons. He has enjoyed the switch to Paris, forming a ruthless frontline with Cavani and Neymar that saw them score goals for fun in the 2017/18 Champions League campaign. He is set to appear for France at the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals in Russia as he has impressed for the Les Bleus ever since making his debut in March 2017.

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.

Unbeaten Barcelona run ended by Levante

Levante hosted Barcelona in the Estadi Ciutat de València for a La Liga clash between the two Spanish teams. The Catalonia giants had not been defeated up to this stage and were on course to be a part of the historical Invincible sides like Arsenal and Juventus who achieved this feat in their league. All they had to do was to avoid defeat in their last two matches but Levante had other ideas. Valverde started the match with Mina and Vermaelen in the middle of defense flanked by Semedo and Alba. He was made to rue this decision as he saw his Barcelona team ship in a number of goals. Barcelona started off well with Dembele fizzling a shot just too high over the goal before seeing his cross to an unmarked Suarez was blocked. On the 8th minute, Ghanaian striker Boateng scored from Jose Luis Morales cross. The forward scored Levante’s second on the 30th minute when he latched onto Sasa Lukic’s pass before rounding off Marc-Andre Ter Stegen and shrugging off a challenge from Barcelona right-back, Nelson Semedo. Philippe Coutinho reduced the deficit in half when he struck a beautifully curled effort on the 38th minute past the Levante goalkeeper.

From then, it was all Levante as Enis Bardhi scored just 33 seconds into the second half from a through pass by Jose Campagna. Boateng completed his hat-trick before Bardhi scored Levante’s 5th of the night. Barcelona needed to score 5 to win the match and they came close through Coutinho’s second-half double and Luis Suarez’s penalty. 5-4 was the final score from the match and Boateng shined on the greatest night in Levante’s 108-year history. This result marks the first defeat for Barcelona in La Liga meaning that Iniesta will leave the club without completing this final piece.