FT English Premier League Preview: Can Salah replicate his form from last season?

I imagine this question has been on everybody’s mind since Liverpool’s Champions League Final against Real Madrid. People are wondering if the Egyptian wizard Mo Salah can replicate his performances from last season. There is no simple answer to this question, but I will try to break down my thought process and let you in on how I think the forward can be a threat in the coming 2018/19 EPL season.

2017/18 was a fairytale season for new summer signing Mo Salah who arrived at Liverpool from AS Roma for a fee believed to be around £35m. Many thought it was an expensive purchase for a player who was most likely going to be a substitute when Klopp’s workhorse, Adam Lallana, returns from injury. Little did we know that the African star sought to challenge the records not just for the club but the historical competition dubbed ‘the most competitive in the world’. Mo Salah grew week by week into a fierce striker capable of scoring against any opposition placed in front of him. If you were not following football last season, you definitely need to know that he scored a record-breaking 32 league goals as well as providing 10 assists in the process. Perfection personified!

Now, the talk has been going on about whether he can grow from this season and replicate this performance especially after seeing his World Cup dreams dashed early in Russia. The Liverpool forward had suffered an injury in the UEFA Champions League final against 13-time champions Real Madrid. This meant that he arrived at the tournament in Russia not fully fit and was unable to make it past the group stage. Many believe that this dented his confidence and could affect his performances in the upcoming season commencing on the 10th of August. Some even drop in the issue of fatigue and say that he has not had enough time to rest which means that he is most likely going to burn out. All these arguments are fair and point to the direction that our bets should not be on the 24-year old Egyptian to star again under Klopp.

But what about the other side of it? What does history say about people like him who dramatically exceed expectations in their first seasons at big clubs? Players, who build year-on-year? Let me help you. Think of Tottenham’s Harry Kane. The forward shocked people when he scored 21 goals in the 2014/15 season. Some even called it a fluke and were convinced that the striker would never come close to those numbers again. Well, they were right. Not in the sense that he failed to reach 21 goals again, but that he has consistently scored more than 21 since that season. He went on to score 25, 29 and just recently reached the 30 goal-mark in a heated race for the golden boot with Salah. This is evidence of a player playing in the same league who managed to produce the goods after an unbelievable season.

Apart from that, Salah’s performance against Manchester City in the International Champions Cup on the 26th of July, 2018 shows that he has not let his foot off the gas. The player was brought onto the pitch in the second half with their team trailing by one goal to nil. It took him only 3 touches in just 53 seconds to find the back of the net and draw Liverpool on level pegging against Pep Guardiola’s side. The Egyptian headed past the helpless Joe Hart despite there being calls for him being offside. His presence inspired the Merseyside club into a victory as Sadio Mane finished off the comeback with a calmly taken penalty on the 94th minute.

What else did they talk about? Oh, yes. Fatigue. They say he is not going to be fit throughout the season. I think these comments are premature as well. Liverpool now have the strength in depth that they have lacked in recent seasons. They recently acquired the services of a certain Swiss talent called Xherdan Shaqiri. The man is short but can give you problems on the flanks and cutting in on his favored left peg. He is most likely going to be taking over in the matches that are not a top priority to the club which especially the cup games. If not him, then Lallana as well will be ready to prove to everyone that he is still a capable team player. All these options mean that Salah can afford to rest and be recalled in the big games to terrorise the defence like he is capable of.

Finally, he must be hungry for success. After witnessing his team bow out to a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Real Madrid, Mo Salah must be bitter about that loss, and his lack of contribution due to his injury. His dream, like every other player, is to win the biggest competition in Europe and shine on the biggest stage. After having tasted the fruits of hard work by reaching the final, he must be ready to push again, create chances, and score more goals for Liverpool to realise his dream. Antoine Griezmann is an example of a player who cried countless times after being eliminated by Real Madrid in the competition. But that pushed him to work harder and await his opportunity, and now he is a World Cup champion. Salah is ready for success. I believe he will replicate his performance. What’s your take?

FT English Premier League Preview: How will Aubameyang fair during a full EPL season?

Some call him Arsene Wenger’s gift to Unai Emery. Pierre Aubameyang was the last (mid-season) signing made by the Frenchman before he called time on his long career at Arsenal. There is a lot of hype around the forward and what he is capable of doing. I guess this comes naturally after he claimed Arsenal legend, Thierry Henry’s famous number 14 shirt. The question we try to answer here is how will he fair in a full English Premier League season as compared to other forwards.  

The Gabonese international is a well-known predator in front of goal. He scored a total of 23 goals in 29 matches across all competitions in the 2017/18 season. This obviously includes his contribution in Germany before the turn of this year and his record-breaking start in the EPL for Arsenal. He was brought in with a huge pedigree because he managed to outscore some of the best strikers in the world like Robert Lewandowski in the Bundesliga. Now, he has moved to England for a new challenge.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang #14 of Arsenal and Juanfran #20 of Atletico Madrid completes for the ball during the International Champions Cup 2018 match between Club Atletico de Madrid and Arsenal at the National Stadium on July 26, 2018 in Singapore."Thananuwat Srirasant/Getty Images AsiaPac"

The top goal scorer in the previous season was a fellow African, Mohamed Salah, of Egypt who scored 31 goals in 38 matches. Although he scored more than Pierre, the Arsenal man has a better shooting accuracy with 61% and also a better goals-per-match ratio with 0.77. Salah stands at 44% and 0.69 respectively. This on its own, proves that the Gabonese forward is a more efficient goalscorer than the person who lifted the Golden Boot accolade at the end of last season.

It is undoubtedly going to be interesting how Aubameyang will fair in a full season against other top goalscorers in the league including Sergio Aguero, Harry Kane, the above mentioned Mohamed Salah and Romelu Lukaku. The new Arsenal coach, Unai Emery, has been preaching about hard-work and is trying to find a new way for the team to play after being used to the tactics of Wenger for 22 years. The recent pre-season friendlies have shown that the team is becoming quicker in transition, which makes them deadlier on the counter. These tactics certainly suit a player of Aubameyang’s abilities whose pace is unquestionable. He managed to score a hattrick against Boreham Wood in a thumping 8-0 victory for the Arsenal. He managed to achieve all of this without the creative genius of Ozil and Mkhitaryan on the pitch. Just imagine how much more he can accomplish with those deadly passers of the ball on the pitch.

I think that Pierre will be a contender for the Golden Boot award in the English Premier League this season. He has already proved that he can do it in England, and can do it better than Salah so there should not be any reason to doubt his abilities in front of goal. However, there are some worries about his contribution in recent weeks after seeing that the new Arsenal coach is deploying the striker on one of the flanks. Against, Boreham Wood, he played on the left and against Atletico Madrid in the International Champions Cup, he was drifting to the right. This might limit his chances in front of goal and might affect his final standing as far as the top scorers' list is concerned. Who else will be the part of the attacking squad this season?

Romelu Lukaku is also in his second season with Manchester United and has adapted well to Jose Mourinho’s style of play. He scored 16 goals and provided 7 assists for the runners-up in the league. His position in the team is almost guaranteed as the club does not have another out-and-out striker to compete with him for his place in the squad. If he remains fit this season, he will certainly challenge Aubameyang to the top spot on the scoring charts.

Harry Kane is a proven goalscorer in the English Premier League. He has scored more goals in every season since the 2013/14 season. He was the top goal scorer for two years running before Salah came back to England. His Tottenham side is suited for a striker of his abilities and he will be sure to bang in goals. The Englishman seems to be more motivated by goals than trophies which makes him a threat to Aubameyang. He will give it his all to be the highest goalscorer in the league after managing to achieve this feat in the previous World Cup hosted by Russia.

Last but certainly not least. Sergio Kun Aguero. He plays for the defending champions, Manchester City, who won the league with 100 points last season. He scored a total of 21 goals in the league despite being dropped to the bench for Gabriel Jesus on a couple of occasions. Some pundits argued that he was the best finisher in the league, and rightly so, but that was before Salah and Aubameyang came onto the scene. Will he have enough to lift his first golden boot award since 2015?

Top Goal Scorer Predictions:

1. Aubameyang

2. Salah

3. Kane

4. Aguero

5. Lukaku

France's second World Cup triumph a win for African immigrants everywhere

France's World Cup 2018 winning team featured no less than 15 players with African roots.

Moscow, Russia - Luzhniki Stadium:  With a 4-2 win on Sunday, July 15th, France stepped over Croatia onto the podium for their 2nd ever World Cup title. The historical win marks their first major tournament win since 2000 when they won the European Championship, just two years after their legendary and inaugural World Cup win in 1998. And just like in ’98, France’s current batch of champions features a generous amount of immigrants. That first wave of the Golden Age graced the world with multinational French talents such as Marcel Desailly, Patrick Viera, and even Zinedine Zidane. For France, ’98 marked an unveiling of sorts of a talent pool so rich that for the tournament, then coach Aime Jacquet only selected three Parisians in his World Cup roster. The previous ’84 Euro-winning team had just one. The youth of Africa had created a new formula for the French.

Where was this infamous talent pool located? You’d have to go back to the late 1940s-50s when France was rebuilding the country after the destruction of WWII. By 1965, almost 3 million of France’s population were immigrants. By 1975, after a second wave of immigrants came to France from West Africa and the Caribbean, due to an economic shift and a country-wide labour shortage, 35% of France’s immigrants were African. These immigrants would often relocate on the outskirts of major cities such as Paris, Lyon, and Marseille, and in recent decades, these cities have become home to the children and grandchildren of these African immigrants. These cities are separated from Paris only by a single highway that circles around the city like a cage.

Thierry Henry, a youth product of Clairefontaine thrived in World Cup '98 for France

Timing, they say, is everything, but rarely a coincidence. During this same period of time, France were experiencing by far their least successful era in international football. Through 1960-1975, their men’s national team failed to qualify for two separate World Cup tournaments and a European Championship. In 1975, with the “How the f!@# do we get better?!” question creating pressure amidst the FFF (French Football Federation), then president Fernand Sastre created Clairefontaine, an academy for the country’s youth elite. At the time, Clairefontaine was regarded as arguably the finest footballing academy on the globe, as it produced some of the most gifted French players of the budding French Golden Age like Thierry Henry, Nicolas Anelka, and William Gallas. The rest is, what you call, history. 

Today, France's championship-winning World Cup team featured 15 players African roots, including the young man of the hour Kylian Mbappe, who was born to a Cameroonian father and an Algerian mother.  Defender Samuel Umtiti was born in Yaoundé, Cameroon, before emigrating with his family when he was two years old. Fellow defenseman Adil Rami, was born in Corsica to Moroccan parents and is the only player in the squad with North African descent. Midfield general N’Golo Kanté is also of Malian heritage. It has been wonderful for the world to get to see the entire team of heroes as well as their African sports icons embraced for bringing honor to the nation they have chosen to represent.

Mbappe finished the tournament with 4 goals and World Cup's best young player honors. 

During the 2010 World Cup, the team encountered many discipline issues. Instead of an investigation into the dysfunction that had led to such a situation, the criticism was focused on questioning the players’ loyalty to their country since they had roots abroad.

I hope that this national pride continues. It was not too long ago, when in 2011, the French Football Federation and then France manager, Laurent Blanc, faced accusations that they had secretly discussed limiting the number of places for players from ethnic minorities at their headquarters in Clairefontaine that would have seen players as young as 12 passed over in order to make room for their white counterparts.” In 2000, a poll indicated that around 36 percent of the French population thought that there were “too many players of foreign origin in the French football team.” Though the newfound celebration of their multi-racial national team is a positive, it is even more essential that this respect extends to the non-sports playing immigrants in the country who are still dealing with racial and ethnic discriminations based on the color of their skin or the countries they may be migrating from.

Steven Nzonzi, a French midfielder for Sevilla, is born to a Congolese father. 

A fan of the game myself, it has been rather enjoyable to watch the world celebrate the Boys from the Banlieue. Like you, I have read the articles, Facebook posts, and Twitter comments celebrating the French team as the last standing African team in the tournament. As a Cameroonian, these statements have been relatable. A lot of us share a sense of pride when we see moments of African excellence such as this. And while I congratulate France for adding a second World Cup star to their jersey, this is not a hate piece against the country, but rather a challenge to the African football federations. While even the harshest critic would admit that luck was not on the side of the five African nations representing the continent in the 2018 World Cup, the reality has still been a bitter pill to swallow for most. Out of these countries, none made it past the group stage of the tournament. This marks the first time since 1982 where an African team hasn't progressed to the Round of 16 in World Cup competition. AFCON 2019 will represent a chance for the continent to celebrate its culture, and the teams, especially the ones who missed out on Russia, an opportunity at redemption. The question that will be looming over many heads at CAF and the Ghana’s, Nigeria’s, and Cameroon’s of the world is how can we not only retain but continue to improve the youth talent pool in our African countries?  

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 2017/18 Best Africa XI: ST - Mohamed Salah

The 2017/18 season was as entertaining as any. Our African players took the European leagues by storm once more as they were taught by the legends who left a mark in these leagues as early as the 1970s. Most definitely, Mo Salah has been the talk of the town for his remarkable contribution to his club, Liverpool both in the English Premier League and the UEFA Champions League. In this piece, we are looking at the best African players to have played this season by each position and see who deserves to rub shoulders with the Egyptian King in the Starting XI. Here are our FT 2017/18 African Players of the Year lined up in a 3-5-2 formation.

ST - Mohamed Salah [Liverpool & Egypt]

Without a doubt, a Ballon D’Or contender this year, Mohamed Salah of Egypt has had the season of his life. Not many players score more than 40 goals in a single season let alone in their first season for their club. Not even the current FIFA World Player of the Year, Cristiano Ronaldo scored 44 goals in his first season at Real Madrid. Such is the impact that has been made by the African player who joined Liverpool in the summer of 2017. He has repaid the efforts of the scouting team at the Merseyside club who pushed the club into purchasing him ahead of other talented players on their transfer list. Liverpool finished 4th in the English Premier League behind Tottenham Hotspur in third, Manchester United in second and the winners Manchester City. Mo Salah also guided his team to the UEFA Champions League final against Real Madrid even though they eventually lost 3-1. The player’s FIFA World Cup contribution level is in doubt, however, since he picked up a shoulder injury in an early clash with Sergio Ramos and it will be a big miss if he does not represent Egypt this summer.

FT 2017/18 Best Africa XI: ST - Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

The 2017/18 season was as entertaining as any. Our African players took the European leagues by storm once more as they were taught by the legends who left a mark in these leagues as early as the 1970s. Most definitely, Mo Salah has been the talk of the town for his remarkable contribution to his club, Liverpool both in the English Premier League and the UEFA Champions League. In this piece, we are looking at the best African players to have played this season by each position and see who deserves to rub shoulders with the Egyptian King in the Starting XI. Here are our FT 2017/18 African Players of the Year lined up in a 3-5-2 formation.

ST - Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang [Borussia Dortmund/Arsenal & Gabon]

The Gabon international is undeniably Africa’s best striker in the last few seasons. He has proved that he can score goals consistently in Europe’s toughest leagues. He started off well at Borussia Dortmund where he scored 22 goals in all competitions and provided 3 assists before attracting a bit of controversy in the dressing room of the club when he started skipping training. Many took it as a sign that the player wanted to leave the club and when Arsenal came calling in January, there was no way he was going to turn down such an opportunity to be a part of the history of the North London club. He came to England and he scored 10 goals and also assisted 4 in 12 appearances. All in all, he sits at 32 goals and 7 assists in 42 appearances. The striker is amongst the elite in European strikers and is the next best thing to Salah on the continent of Africa this season. Will he lead Arsenal to glory under new coach Unai Emery in the upcoming seasons?

Spain coach and newly appointed Real Madrid manager Julen Lopetegui sacked

Spain’s world cup hopes have been dealt a serious blow. This comes after the team’s coach Julen Lopetegui was sacked by the Spain national team two days before the team’s first world cup game against Portugal.

Lopetegui’s sacking comes barely 24 hours after another shocking announcement by Real Madrid that the Spanish coach had signed a three-year contract with the UEFA Champions league defending champions, taking over the reins from former manager Zinedine Zidane.

The shocking announcement was delivered by the President of the Spanish Football Federation Luis Rubiales. The President was quoted saying "there is a way that you must act, Julen has worked in a great way with the team, but we cannot accept how he has acted in this case."

The former FC Porto manager joined the Spanish team as manager after the 2016 Euros, replacing much-revered coach Vicente Del Bosque. The 51-year old leaves the national team with a rather impressive record. During his 20 games in charge, he won 14 and drew 6 matches with no losses in the process. Previously, he had led both Spain under 19 and under 21 teams to European titles.

Meanwhile, Director of football Fernando Hierro has been tasked with leading La Furia Roja during the world cup as a permanent replacement is being suited. The timing of Lopetegui’s sacking could not come at a more critical time for Spain, who are considered to be amongst the favorites to claim football’s most prized title and such changes might throw the team’s chances into disarray. Will Spain remain a united front after Lopetegui’s sacking, or will they fall short once again? 

FT 2017/18 Best African XI: CAM - Riyad Mahrez

The 2017/18 season was as entertaining as any. Our African players took the European leagues by storm once more as they were taught by the legends who left a mark in these leagues as early as the 1970s. Most definitely, Mo Salah has been the talk of the town for his remarkable contribution to his club, Liverpool both in the English Premier League and the UEFA Champions League. In this piece, we are looking for the best African players to have played this season by each position and see who deserves to rub shoulders with the Egyptian King in the Starting XI. Here are our FT 2017/18 African Players of the Year lined up in a 3-5-2 formation.

CAM - Riyad Mahrez [Leicester City & Algeria]

Not surprising to see the Algerian international being named as one of the best performers from the African continent in the 2017/18 season. A former winner of the PFA Player of the Year Award in 2016, that he guided Leicester to an English Premier League crown. This season did not start off as well for the player who was declined a move to AS Roma by Leicester City, when clearly he is in need of a better club that will give him the opportunity to challenge for trophies. He was not as motivated until he gradually came back to his best before the winter transfer window. Manchester City came calling for the player in January and the deal looked to be closed until Leicester rebuffed any attempts from the club to take their most-prized asset away. The player was disappointed and took a break from his club in protest. He eventually returned and contributed 12 goals and 10 assists. Imagine what his season could look like without any disturbances.

Nigerian striker joins Shakhtar from Manchester City on permanent deal

Little known Manchester City forward, Olanrewaju Kayode, has signed a five year deal with Shakhtar Donetsk for an undisclosed fee.

Kayode joined the reigning Premier League champions from Austria Vienna last August but did not make a single appearance for the Citizens despite his great season with the Austrian side where he scored 24 goals in 48 matches in the 2016/2017 season. With game-time hard to come by at an already star-studded City side, the player went on a season-long loan at Spanish side Girona. His stint at the La Liga side was however cut short in March this year after he failed to score in two starts and 12 substitute appearances, which prompted his loan move to Shakhtar.

On the club’s official website, Shakhtar general director Sergei Palkin was quoted saying, “Kayode will continue to play for Shakhtar. We redeemed him from Manchester City and he has signed a five-year contract. He proved himself well, Paulo Fonseca, (the Shakhtar manager) is pleased with him.”

The 25-year old bagged three goals in eight appearances for the Ukrainian side, winning a league and cup double in the process. His impressive performance during his short spell has resulted in the club exercising the option to take the Super Eagle on a permanent move that will see the player stay at the club until 2022.

Previously, Kayode has also played for Ivorian side ASEC Mimosas, Maccabi Netanya in Israel and FC Luzern in Switzerland. Internationally,  he has represented the “Super Eagles” at the 2009 and 2011 Under-17 as well as Under-20 World Cups respectively.

Real Madrid Appoints a New Coach

After decorating the Real Madrid stage with three UEFA Champions League trophies in a row, Zinedine Zidane bowed out on a high. This left an opening for the Spanish coach Julen Lopetegui to now have an opportunity to lead the team to perhaps another wave of success. The team’s selection period has come during a precarious time when the world’s concentration is on the World Cup, which is now only a few days away.

The most exciting thing about Lopetegui is that it is not the first time he has interacted with Real Madrid. He played for the team when he was 19 years old, and he also became a part of the coaching staff in the 2008/2009 season. From a fan’s point of view, it gives assurance knowing that the team is with someone that has been involved with them before. The coach has signed on to be with Real Madrid for the next three years, which is honestly enough time for any coach to know his players well enough to utilize them at their full potential.

His coaching experience is one that cannot go unnoticed. He has won the Under 19 and 21 European titles in 2012 and 2013 respectively. Hopefully, this is the kind of spirit that he will promote in his tenure at Real Madrid. We welcome him and look forward to the time ahead. Maybe he can emulate Mourinho and bring some African talent to the Spanish capital. It has been a while since Real Madrid had an African within their ranks.

Thomas Lemar agrees transfer move to Atletico Madrid

AS Monaco left winger Thomas Lemar has agreed on a move in “principle” to join Spanish giants Atletico Madrid. The financial details of the move have not yet been announced.

The French international has been heavily linked in the past with various big European teams such as Arsenal and Liverpool, but now appears to have decided on his next stop.

Lemar came into the limelight during the 2016/2017 season where he helped Monaco win the Ligue 1 title as well as reach the semi-finals of the UEFA champions league. Since joining from Caen in 2015, the left winger has bagged 22 goals in 123 games for the French side.

The 22-year old is currently on international duty with the French team as they prepare to play in football’s most treasured tournament, the FIFA world cup. In a statement released by Madrid, the club alluded that, “over the next days, both clubs will work to close the agreement for the definitive transfer” of the player.

Lemar’s move to Atletico comes in the wake of French teammate Antoine Griezmann's proposed move to Catalan giants Barcelona. Lemar is therefore being touted as a potential replacement for Atletico’s “main man” Griezmann who himself has refused till now to weigh in on the talks concerning his future.

Patrick Viera is the new OGC Nice Manager

France legend Patrick Viera has left the MLS league to return to his home country to manage Ligue 1 side OGC Nice.

The former Arsenal star takes over the reigns from Lucien Favre who left the club for Borussia Dortmund in May. The 1998 world cup winner leaves New York FC after two-and-a-half years with the club after he joined from partner club Manchester City.

Having been one of the many potential coaches tipped to succeed Arsene Wenger at Arsenal before Unai Emery’s appointment, the 41-year old Viera seems to have made up his mind on his next coaching destination with City’s website confirming the news. Interestingly, this will be Viera’s first role as a manager in Europe.

In his statement, the ex-Gunners’ star thanked Manchester City football group and the club’s chairman as well as New York FC for offering him the opportunity to lead the club. "Leaving New York is an incredibly difficult decision for me and my family and one that has not been taken lightly," he said.

Joining Viera at his new home is most of his New York FC technical team including Assistant coach Christian Lattanzio, performance coach Kristian Wilson as well as physical performance coach Matt Cook.

FT Best African XI: LM - Sadio Mane

The 2017/18 season was as entertaining as any. Our African players took the European leagues by storm once more as they were taught by the legends who left a mark in these leagues as early as the 1970s. Most definitely, Mo Salah has been the talk of the town for his remarkable contribution to his club, Liverpool both in the English Premier League and the UEFA Champions League. In this piece, we are looking for the best African players to have played this season by each position and see who deserves to rub shoulders with the Egyptian King in the Starting XI. Here are our FT 2017/18 African Players of the Year lined up in a 3-5-2 formation.

LM - Sadio Mane [Liverpool & Senegal]

Another Senegalese player in the FT African Players of the Season 2017/18. The left winger has enjoyed a great campaign again at Liverpool ever since his move to the club in 2016. He scored 20 goals this season as well as providing 8 assists in 44 matches for both Liverpool and the Senegal national team. Mane is part of the famous, lethal attacking trio of Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, which has scored many important goals this season. The 26-year old will be representing Senegal in Russia and will look to lead his country out of the group stage. He will be out to beat the odds and potentially make it to the final just like his club Liverpool did in the UEFA Champions League. Who is ready for the 2018 FIFA World Cup and rooting for these African nations to challenge for the title?

FT Best African XI: CM - Naby Keita

The 2017/18 season was as entertaining as any. Our African players took the European leagues by storm once more as they were taught by the legends who left a mark in these leagues as early as the 1970s. Most definitely, Mo Salah has been the talk of the town for his remarkable contribution to his club, Liverpool both in the English Premier League and the UEFA Champions League. In this piece, we are looking at the best African players to have played this season by each position and see who deserves to rub shoulders with the Egyptian King in the Starting XI. Here are our FT 2017/18 African Players of the Year lined up in a 3-5-2 formation.

CM - Naby Keita [RB Leipzig & Guinea]

RB Leipzig’s Naby Keita is another midfielder who had a great individual season. The Guinea international is known for his creative prowess. The player scored 10 goals and provided 7 assists in the German Bundesliga this season but this was not enough to secure his team a European spot for next season. His pending move to Liverpool is set to be completed on the 1st of June when the transfer window officially opens. The player has drawn comparisons from players like Iniesta and Xavi of Spain who is considered to be Legends of the game. He is just 23 years of age and is ready to test himself in the most competitive league in the world. His national team, however, is miles away from being a competitive team and he has so much responsibility if he is to one day lead them to a qualification to the FIFA World Cup. For now, he will have to watch the aforementioned players this year in Russia.

Croatia Teaches Senegal a Lesson in Final World Cup Friendly

After losing to Brazil in their previous game, Croatia redeemed herself by beating Senegal 2-1 in a friendly game that took place on the 8th of June.

I really understand the need for friendly matches. I know that they are the best way to prepare teams before a major tournament like the World Cup. My concern is what are the implications of a friendly game on the losing team? For a team like Senegal that has qualified for the World Cup, the taste of loss has not been very present in its mouth, hence, losing in a friendly match just before the main tournament can be a shock. It might make a team question its potential. Most importantly, it might discourage the fans that have enjoyed the pleasure of screaming after every game.  At the end of the day, a friendly match can be the reason why a team takes a dented team spirit and suffocating confidence to the main game.

However, soccer is not just about kicking the ball, but it is a character engineering mechanism. It teaches some good character traits such as resilience. It is such friendly matches that remind us that, as Africans, we believe that nothing beats a growth mindset and we African fans are rallying behind Senegal in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia. Senegal are grateful to Croatia for helping us identify our mistakes. Sadio Mane and his squad will work on them and we will be ready for the tournament!

Yaya Toure says Pep Guardiola 'often has problems with Africans'

Ivorian born midfielder, Yaya Toure says the Man City boss, Pep Guardiola, looks beyond a player’s ability and technique in kicking the ball but is also particular about the color of the skin. A player’s color of the skin then determines the respect that he affords a specific player. What a bold claim!

Toure said, “Guardiola often has problems with Africans." This is a statement that reflects the kind of negative attitude that African players receive under his coaching. Initially, Toure thought that the treatment he was receiving was because of ‘jealousy’ since he has been more influential than the Spanish born manager during his playing career. But later, the possibility of this being due to the color of his skin then struck him upon further reflection on how he had managed other players from the African continent in the past. These claims have unsurprisingly been met by silence from Man City because Toure’s claims are far too bold for any club to comment on unless they have more information. The club is at crossroads because they want to maintain their relationship with Guardiola who successfully guided Manchester City to the EPL crown this May as well as supporting their club legend, Toure.

Toure believes that the inequality that can easily be accredited to Pep's origin at City has gone on for far too long that he wants to be the one to break it off. It is surprising that such discussions about inequality due to one’s origin in soccer still exist after so much progress has been made. It is easy to assume that the progression of society in one sphere of life can be seen in another sphere, such as football, but such stories have proven otherwise.

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

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

Leroy Sane - Germany

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

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

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

Alexander Lacazette - France

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