Who are the underdogs who could shock the world?

UNDERDOG IN THE AFRICAN CUP OF NATIONS CONTEXT

The term underdog largely refers to the least likely team to achieve a certain feat. In as much as this is similarly true for Africa when it comes to the biennial AFCON tourney, there’s a small tweak to it. We have seen it over and over again. It’s fair to say that there may be underdogs on paper but when that whistle blows, nobody cares about the name of the nation or the names borne on the team shirts.

The holders of the AFCON gold were somehow minnows heading into the 2017 tournament, with the youngest squad and a few of their star players opting not to turn up for the Gabon finals. But against all odds, the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon went all the way to the podium, eliminating Sadio Mane’s Senegal and denying record winners Egypt an eighth title in the final. How about Zambia’s 2012 title triumph or Burkina Faso’s dominating display and final appearance in 2015, who saw all that coming? Not many did.

In the same spirit, let’s be not be caught by surprise and practice a bit of forward thinking by exploring the position of a few other sides who hardly make the favorites conversation but are very much capable of becoming Africa’s top side when that final whistle is blown on the 22nd of July 2019.

Gilles Binya of Cameroon and Oussama Darragi of Tunisia in action during the Africa Cup of Nations Group D match between Cameroon and Tunisia from the Alto da Chela Stadium on January 21, 2010 in Lubango, Angola. ((Photo by Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images) / Getty Images)(Jan. 20, 2010 - Source: Gallo Images/Getty Images Europe)

CAMEROON

Overview

Hard as it may be to believe, the champions aren’t really favorites heading into the 2019 Egypt finals. They were underdogs in 2017 and won, but are still pretty much an average side in comparison to the likes of Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, Egypt and Ivory Coast. This assessment is not based on their flamboyant history that includes the most FIFA World Cup appearances by an African nation, being the second most successful team in AFCON history with 5 titles, only two behind Egypt; a 2000 Olympic gold medal win, the controversies of sleeveless shirts or heroism of the likes of the late Marc Vivien Foe. It’s solely based on form and theirs has not been among the most impressive.

Cameroon enter their first major tournament under the guidance of the celebrated Clarence Seerdorf. They could have benefited from a massive home advantage, if their 2019 hosting rights weren’t transferred to the Egyptians because of ill-preparedness and safety concerns prevailing in the Central African nation. The Indomitable Lions still managed to secure second place behind Morocco despite a far from convincing campaign in a group that also featured lowly ranked Comoros and Malawi. Most concerning, was their overall tally of 6 goals during the qualifiers, as many as those scored by Burundi’s Fiston Abdul Razak. That and more constitute the reasons why many aren’t vouching for Cameroon and their more pragmatic fans will surely be cautious not to raise their hopes up.

However, just because they are probably retaining most of the players that won the AFCON title in 2017, bringing with them the experience of winning as well as the opportunity to enter as a mid-tier team, it’s not impossible that the Indomitable Lions could slip under the radar and retain the championship. Even more, they arguably don’t have as much pressure as the likes of Egypt, Morocco or Ghana to win, seeing they have done their fans well in recent times. Further validating their chances, it helps to look at their most inform players and explore the possibility of them channeling the same energy to the rest of the squad.

The most in-form players

Quite honestly, they haven’t had a lot of exciting players in the just ended 2018/19 campaign, which is not a rare feature of underdogs. The 6 goals scored and 3 conceded in the AFCON qualifiers tells you why this is so. The 2017 final match-winner and FC Porto forward Vincent Aboubakar was injured for the majority of the season, Zambo Anguissa and his Fulham side were relegated from the Premier League while left-back Gaetan Bong survived the scare of relegation with his naïve Brighton & Hove Albion side. Veteran forward, Chopou Moting warmed PSG’s bench as his Ligue 1 side completed an average season. Only 23-year-old goalkeeper, Andre Onana had a somewhat spectacular season with Ajax who missed out on the Champions League final by a whisker. It’s not however a guarantee that Seerdorf will start the youngster ahead of the vastly experienced Carlos Kameni or Fabrice Ondoa.

Possible surprise stars

Three names stand out, the 23-year-old forward Christian Bassogog who plies his trade in the Chinese Super League, 25-year-old Marseille striker in Clinton N’jie and the 23-year-old Mainz 05 midfielder, Pierre Kunde.

Riyad Mahrez of Algeria holds off a challenge by Daniel Van Buyten of Belgium during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group H match between Belgium and Algeria at Estadio Mineirao on June 17, 2014 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

(June 16, 2014 - Source: Jeff Gross/Getty Images South America)

 ALGERIA

Overview

The Desert Foxes may be the side that have a lot of players with more to lose, but still remain as an underdog. The North Africans have played some of the most entertaining football on the continent over the years, which makes it hard to believe that they only have 1 AFCON title to show for it, which came in 1990. Most memorable to many, they made the continent proud by proving to be a hard nut to crack in the 2014 FIFA World Cup Round of 16, losing to eventual champions Germany in extra-time after a fiercely contested goalless 90 minutes.

They have been however perhaps the most disappointing on the continental stage in recent times, with their best finish being a 4th place finish in the AFCON finals since their triumph in 1990. The Fennecs usually dominate possession, blow teams away in the early stages but falter towards the finish line. Algerian fans have waited long enough and given the opportunity of being pitted against Senegal and lowly ranked Kenya and Tanzania in Group C of the finals, they have a chance to slip under the radar with ease towards the AFCON gold.

The most in-form players

Amongst the 24-finalists, arguably no team has better depth than the Desert Foxes. Even better, their top guys finished the 2018/19 in sizzling form, something we have seen over the years but hoping it would translate to some silverware this time around. Riyad Mahrez scored a magical goal in Manchester City’s Premier League title win against Brighton on final day while Yacine Brahimi continued to be the mastermind in FC Porto’s midfield, helping the Portuguese side to reach the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals. Long-time servant and tricky winger, Sofiane Feghouli who is in the books of Galatasaray remains available, MLS based Saphir Taider has been decent and perhaps the man of the moment, Baghdad Bounedjah. The 27-year-old may not be a household name but his 3 goals during the qualifiers and 39 league goals in 22 outings for Qatar Stars League’s Al Sadd SC are a testimony that he will hurt goalkeepers and defenders alike.

Possible surprise stars

The 23-year-old highly rated defender, Youcef Atal who plays for Ligue 1’s OGC Nice is expected to increase his stock and 21-year-old Arsenal Academy Graduate and Empoli midfielder, Ismael Bennacer could find himself winning a major transfer deal if he remains consistent.

TUNISIA

Tunisia pose prior to the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia group G match between Panama and Tunisia at Mordovia Arena on June 28, 2018 in Saransk, Russia.

(June 27, 2018 - Source: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images Europe)

Overview

If you consider Egypt to be favorites, Tunisia are pretty much in that fold even though they may be skipped in the conversations. The two North African nations made a show of their opponents in the qualifiers, winning pretty much all their matches against Niger and eSwatini, with less-respectful score-lines. Their only loses were against each other. The Carthage Eagles finished top of the group ahead of the hosting Pharaohs as the latter dropped points in a drawn match. Tunisia are one of the highly ranked teams in the tournament, sitting in 28th place on the FIFA rankings as of 4 April 2019. Even though they have one AFCON title to show for their consistence, they remain one of the most respected, least spoken of but dangerous opponent on the continent. Just one year ago at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, they bowed out with their heads held high in the group stages after succumbing to 2-1 and 5-2 losses to eventual 4th place and 3rd place finishers in England and Belgium respectively. They didn’t leave Russia without a win of their own as they saw off debutants Panama, 2-1 after falling behind in the first half. After failing to progress past the quarter-final stage in the AFCON finals since their triumph on home soil in 2004, fans of the Carthage Eagles are eager to see their consistent performers break the duck and win some deserved AFCON gold.

Wahbi Khazri of Tunisia celebrates with teammate Fakhreddine Ben Youssef after scoring his team's second goal during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia group G match between Panama and Tunisia at Mordovia Arena on June 28, 2018 in Saransk, Russia.

(June 27, 2018 - Source: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images Europe)

The most in-form players

Many are, but captain and the highest scoring Tunisian of this generation, Wahbi Khazri tops the list. The complete forward was in sumptuous form for St. Etienne as the Ligue 1 side narrowly missed out on the Champions League places. The 28-year-old carried forward his 2018 FIFA World Cup scoring form by banging in 13 leagues goals and 6 assists to help his French club to finish 4th. Many lovers of football will also be delighted to hear that the highly rated Youssef Mskani will likely appear for the Carthage Eagles and so will the diminutive and extremely talented attacker, 26-year-old Naiim Sliti

Possible surprise stars

If time and chance has its way, 24-year-old Montpellier midfielder, Ellyes Skhiri could finally enjoy a major breakout campaign and attract some coveted suitors. Another exciting youngster coming up the ranks is 23-year-old Dylan Bronn who plays for Belgian side, Genk. At that tender age, Bronn already had 10 caps to his name, his stock will only rise going forward.

Boosted by Tunisian club, Esperance de Tunis’ retaining of the CAF Champions League, coach Alain Giresse will generally be spoiled for choice and the North African nation will be on song to try and grab the AFCON gold that has been out of their grasp since 2004.

“The Indomitable Lions still managed to secure second place behind Morocco despite a far from convincing campaign in a group that also featured lowly ranked Comoros and Malawi. Most concerning, was their overall tally of 6 goals during the qualifiers, as many as those scored by Burundi’s Fiston Abdul Razak. ”

— Dennis Takaendesa, FirstTouch Africa

SOUTH AFRICA

Overview

They haven’t had a lot go their way since 1996 when they clinched their first and only Africa Cup of Nations on home soil. Being one of the oldest African teams, having played their first match in 1924, South Africans could probably feel the wait for some consistent major tournament success has been longer than most. Since 2000, Bafana have either failed to qualify for AFCON finals or qualify but go as far as the quarter-finals, even when they hosted the tournament back in 2013.

In many ways, their football structure is more or less like that of England. They have the best football league on the continent, the Absa Premiership, and most of their players are home grown. Over the years, Bafana hasn’t had the best of talent come through their ranks, but their consistence and persistence in building the local league structures could pay dividends sooner rather than later. Just as England almost brought it home in the 2018 World Cup, boosted by efforts of the English Premier League.

Stuart Baxter’s men are in the so called group of death with favorites Ivory Coast, Morocco and Namibia but it’s pretty much non-fictitious that they can cause problems for any opponent. With a fascinating short pass attacking style of play, Bafana finished off the qualifiers as one of the five unbeaten teams, even shooting down the Super Eagles of Nigeria in their own backyard. They are one of the dark-horses and could once again feel the weight of AFCON glory.

South Africa's Sundowns striker Percy Tau vies with Tunisia's Esperance of Tunis defender Ali Machani (L) during the African Champions League (CAF) group stage football match on June 22, 2017 in olympic Rades Stadium near Tunis. / AFP PHOTO / SALAH HABIBI

(June 20, 2017 - Source: AFP)

The most in-form players

Arguably the best footballer on the continent right now is in their ranks. Percy Muzi Tau has been nothing short of a revelation for Bafana as he added to his accolade filled 2017/18 season with a stellar 2018/19 campaign in Belgium that saw him win the player of the season award, as he was on loan from Premier League side Brighton. The 2018/19 Absa Premiership Player of the season, Thembinkosi Lorch will be expected to partner with Tau upfront together with 23-year-old Ligue 1 based, Lebo Mothiba.

All of these bright and young stars combined with the experience of Hlompo Kekana and Thulani Hlatshwayo; Bafana presents a formidable force to challenge for the title.

Possible surprise stars

Two of the rising stars that are keeping people on their toes are 24-year-old forward Lebohang Maboe and 23-year-old midfielder in Aubrey Modiba, both of whom are currently plying their trade in the Absa Premiership. Should Stuart Baxter give them more chances, there’s no telling how further they could go.

Group D, the “Group of Death” - Namibia, South Africa, Ivory Coast, Morocco

Dubbed “the group of death,” group D of AFCON 2019 is arguably the toughest one of the eight determined by CAF in April. Three teams, Morocco, South Africa and Ivory Coast, have the potential to make it to the round of 16. Namibia also makes their appearance in the group of death after qualifying for the showpiece, for the first time since 2008. South Africa make an AFCON comeback after failing to book a spot in the 2017 edition and also making his anticipated entry in group D is Africa’s favourite Frenchman, Morocco’s current coach Herve Renard. The gaffer has coached 5 African national teams, leading two of them to AFCON titles including including Ivory Coast who will go head to head against Morocco.

Herve Renard, Head coach of Morocco consoles Faycal Fajr of Morocco who looks dejected following his sides defeat, meaning his team are knocked out of the World Cup after the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia group B match between Portugal and Morocco at Luzhniki Stadium on June 20, 2018 in Moscow, Russia.

(June 19, 2018 - Source: Michael Steele/Getty Images Europe)

The Elephants of Ivory Coast

Anchored by the talent pool of local based players, two-time AFCON champions Ivory Coast have more than fair odds of progressing to the knock out stage. Ivory Coast is synonymous for grooming world class players; this year is no different with a roster of experienced and highly skilled players.  The forward trio of Cornet, Zaha and Nicolas Pepe make up a must see combination that will likely give defenders a run for their money. The Elephants’ young talent represented by Pepe, Ibrahim Sangaré and ASEC defender Wonlo Coulibaly is exciting to watch and will usher in the new generation of household names to continue the legacy of the Ivorian greats. Ivory Coast generally has an advantage ​when it comes to the attacking part of play​.

Eric Bailly's injury is a bit of a knock for the Elephants on the backline but despite this setback; the Elephants still have Wonlo Coulibaly and Tottenham defender, Serge Aurier.  

South Africa’s Bafana Bafana

Bafana is hoping to make a strong come back to Africa’s biggest tournament after missing out in 2017. After qualifying alongside Nigeria in Group E, unbeaten if I may add, the Southern African giants are in form. Stuart Baxter has named a provisional 30-man squad where he chose to take the mostly young talent from the local ABSA Premier League to Egypt. ​Percy Tau​ is one of the biggest names on the team and Bafana’s star player. Missing from the squad is veteran goalkeeper Itumeleng Kune due to an injury, making the first choice for the goalkeeper a toss-up between Wits United goalie Darren Keet, Ronwen Williams of SuperSport and Kaizer Chiefs’ Bruce Bvuma.  

The Atlas Lions from Morocco

After making their world cup campaign where they ​exited in the group stages​, Morocco will attempt glory at the continental stage which they last tested in 1976. The Atlas Lions are a firm favourite to progress to the knock out round of the showpiece after qualifying with ease. As would be expected, Herve Renard stuck to his world cup squad in the provisional 27-man roster with the same players that held Spain to a 2-2 draw in Russia 2018​. The North African team is not short of powerhouse names — some of those featured are Saudi League top scorer Abderazzak Hamdallah, former Juventus defender Mehdi Benatia and the subject of major transfer speculation in Europe’s top leagues, Ajax midfielder Hakim Ziyech. 

Nicolas Pepe of the Ivory Coast in action during the International Friendly match between the Netherlands and Ivory Coast held at De Kuip or Stadion Feijenoord on June 4, 2017 in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

(June 3, 2017 - Source: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images Europe)

Namibia and their Brave Warriors

Namibia is the lowest ranked team in the group D line-up. The ​Brave Warriors qualified in​ the most dramatic fashion as a fortuitous fateful turn of events saw them added to the 24 team roster despite losing to Zambia 1- 4 on final match-day. Unfortunately for Namibia, they will come into AFCON after being knocked out in the first stage of COSAFA Cup, not the preferred momentum. They will begin their AFCON campaign against Morocco.

Fixtures not to miss

Morocco vs Ivory Coast 

Morocco and Ivory Coast are both former winners. The last time that the Elephants won, they were under the coaching of Herve Renard, Morocco's current coach. Ibrahim Kamara's men have the biggest challenge of the group against the Atlas Lions. Nicolas Pepe’s 22 league goals and 11 assists which helped Ligue 1 side, Lille OSC finish second and secure a Champions League qualification making him a star to watch. He has solidified himself as a critical player in the Ivorian squad.  Morocco will likely win their match-ups against Namibia and South Africa, while the Ivory Coast - South Africa game is still a coin toss. This match is the toughest one to predict because Morocco and Ivory Coast are on equal footing in most regards. It is a must watch of the group stage to see how Herve Renard will fare against his former employers.

 South Africa vs Namibia

Bafana Bafana will have better odds against Namibia. However, the Namibians will have to win this match to stand a chance of reaching the knockout stages. Overall, South Africa are the stronger side, Namibia will have to break through Stuart Baxter's defensive formation, which will not be an easy task for the Brave Warriors. A win for Bafana will rattle the qualifying race against Ivory Coast. 

FT’s 2019 AFCON Stadium Guide

Introduction

Imagine if the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations were like high school lectures where you would have to go to the same place every day to attain value. It would be quite boring. The fun comes with watching players from a different stadium now and again, to see the players in a different lens. The challenge that comes with that though might be the difference in cultures in the host communities which fans and players alike would need to adjust to quickly. This is where we come in with a pre-tournament detailed stadium guide that will give you all that you need to sit back and enjoy the games. It has been declared that the AFCON will be played in t​he ​Cairo International, Air Defense (30 June), Al Salam, Alexandria, Suez and Ismailia stadiums. The opening and final match will be hosted by the Cairo Stadium.

Cairo International Stadium

The Cairo International Stadium ​is located in Nasr City of Giza and was built in 1960. Over the years, it has gone over certain renovations to ensure that it is still relevant to today’s soccer needs. It was renovated in 2005 and of course in 2019 to ensure that it will be ready to host Africa’s finest. It will not be the first time it has been home to a major tournament, having hosted the 1986 Africa Cup of Nations finals. Twenty years later in 2006, Cairo also hosted an AFCON final. In 2009, it was home to the FIFA U-20 World Cup. In this year’s AFCON, it will host the Group A games, semi-final and the final match. At its full capacity, this stadium can carry up to 75 000 soccer fans.

Locally, it is home to Zamalek and ​Ah-Ahly FC​ (which we once provided a detailed account of its journey to continental dominance at club level). For all the great memories that it has amassed over time, Cairo International is nicknamed the Stadium of Horror. While enjoying the game, it might be great to give this stadium respect for the years it has lived. It is much, much older than the people who will be on its turf.

Cairo City is the heart of Egypt that keeps the rest of the country alive even at night. While enjoying yourself in the games, it would be great to immerse yourself in the street food and how Egyptians live.

Air Defence (30 June) Stadium

While all the other stadiums were going through the noises of hammering innovation, this one was untouched because it was already looking sleek and ready for the 2019 AFCON. Only the roads around it were recently refurbished for the purposes of the Nations Cup tournament. The 30 June stadium was built in 2012 as home to the ​Air Defence Sports Village. In case you were also wondering why a place would be named after a date, here is why: It was simply founded on the 30th of June together with other buildings which were being built by the Air Defence Force as part of the Olympic Village. It can carry up to 30 000 people. It is home to Pyramid FC who play in the​ ​Egyptian Premier League. Other than hosting football matches, it also hosts athletics, so you will also have a look at the grounds that train Egypt’s athletes while you are still there.

Al Salam Stadium

It is located in the Northern part of Cairo, and like the Air Defence Stadium, it can carry up to 30 000 people. The 10-year-old stadium was built in 2009 to host the FIFA U-20 World Cup. It has hosted numerous local games between ​Al-Ahly and Zamalek. Like the aforementioned stadiums, it has more to offer than just the main pitch. It has hotels and training fields circling it. During the AFCON, it will host the Group D matches. 

Alexandria Stadium

Unlike most of the stadiums, this one is located outside of Cairo and in the Meditteranean City of Alexandria. The city has had its own fair share of hosting of sports matches. It hosted the AFCON tournament in 2006 and it will host the Group B games in the 2019 AFCON. The Alexandria Stadium is home to ​Egyptian Premier League sides Al Ittihad, Smouha and Olympic Club. Even though it can carry only 20 000 people, it is still called “Home of Beautiful” because it is the oldest stadium, built in 1929. As an ancient city, Alexandria holds some of Egypt’s iconic buildings and monuments which include the ​Bibliotheca Alexandrina​ and ​Greco-Roman Museum​. Maybe one evening when the games are going well or not, you can take a peep at the city.

Suez Stadium

Even though it was opened in 1990, it will host its first international games this year. It was recently renovated this year to host the Nations Cup to increase its capacity to 20 500. It is located in the beautiful city of Suez which is characterized by touristic places such as Red Sea Resorts which are 55km from the city. The Group E teams who will have their matches hosted there will have more than the game to play. The city of Suez stems from a rich mining history, but has grown to position itself as the ​best commercial and industrial centre at the Red Sea that people are quite keen to visit.

Ismaila Stadium

Ismaila is arguably one of the most beautiful cities in the North Eastern side of Egypt and the players will be caught in the midst of all that beauty. The home to Ismaily SC will be more than able to carry about 18 500 guests. It will welcome all the Group F games and one Group E game. It has also hosted the ​2006 African Cup of Nations and the U-20 World Cup in 2009. There were some rumours that this city will not be included among the 2019 AFCON hosts because of the fans’ clash​ that happened between Ismaily SC and Tunisian’s Club Africain during a CAF Champions’ League a while ago. This says that while fans are enjoying the games there, they should be conscious of their behaviour lest they enforce the stereotypes that may form against the beautiful Ismalia. This is a vibrant city with art so make sure you grab souvenir while still there.

Conclusion

If there is something we cannot doubt, it is the success and joy (or not for some) that will come with the 2019 AFCON Cup. Egypt has also opened the arms of its beautiful cities to host the rest of Africa. This guide has given us a feel of what to expect when we get to the different stadiums. While enjoying the games, let us remember to explore the cities and most importantly respect the culture of the Egyptian people.

Who are Burundi, Madagascar and Mauritania?

MANDELA’S CALL

“Sometimes it falls upon a generation to be great, you can be that generation.” Those are words in Madiba’s own handwriting. Independent South Africa’s first President, Nelson Mandela clearly had an insight and vision that transcended his time, domain or the politics of nations. No wonder he is regarded as one of the greatest persons to have ever lived, whose birthday is celebrated even long after he is gone. Of course, this note is not a Mandela refresher course, though that would also be pretty cool. The Barea of Madagascar, Intamba of Burundi and Al-Murabitun of Mauritania clearly took a leaf out of the late Pan-African’s book by choosing to be that great generation in the footballing history of their dear nations. Let’s explore how far they have come, how they made it, and assess their affinity to write even newer history as they make their debut appearance at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

“Some of the stars of the Burundi national team who have made rounds on the international scene and appearing in the English Premier League include 25-year-old midfielder, Gael Bigirimana who featured for a Newcastle side that made the top six in EPL. The controversial but highly talented Saido Berahino is another. The 25-year-old forward who last appeared for Stoke City is keen to represent Intamba in what he has labelled, “the biggest tournament” he will play in come June 2019.”

— Dennis Takaendesa, FirstTouch Africa

Gael Bigirimana of Motherwell is seen prior to the Scottish Cup Final between Celtic and Motherwell at Hampden Park on May 19, 2018 in Glasgow, Scotland.

(May 18, 2018 - Source: Ian MacNicol/Getty Images Europe)

BURUNDI

Brief history

Nicknamed Intamba m’Urugamba in the local Kirundi language, which means the Swallows in the War, the Burundi men’s national football team fought the good fight by winning the East African nation their first ever AFCON finals appearance. With all due respect, the close to 11 million people nation is hardly recognisable as one of Africa’s 54 nations, let alone the world. They are a rich people with plenty to share with the rest of the world but assumes a status as one of the most introverted nations of the world.

The not so informed weren’t previously convinced that Burundi even had a national football team until they knocked out some hotshots to grab that elusive AFCON spot. Intamba actually first graced the football scene as early as 1964 in an international match against neighbors Uganda, a miserable affair in which they lost 7-0.  Just like any other developing team, they took even more knocks as the years went by, more pronounced being their heaviest defeat to date, an 8-0 thrashing at the hands of Congo in 1977. They had to wait for March of 2017 to get a 7-0 victory of their own against lowly ranked Djibouti. Over the years, they rarely did a lot that warranted recognition, failing to qualify for the FIFA World Cup and only came close to qualifying for the 1994 AFCON tournament. Guinea crashed their hopes in the final playoff, winning on penalty shootouts. The Swallows have mostly been known in CECAFA, East & Central Africa’s organized football tourney, but remained adrift of a major tournament appearance let alone triumph, until now.

Egypt 2019 will be their first hunting ground and best believe that the Burundi people will flock in numbers and stop every other business to back their heroes to continue swallowing new victories and soar in unchartered territories.

How they made it?

Quite honestly, there had never been a better opportunity for Intamba to secure a historic AFCON finals appearance than now when the competition will pit 24 finalists for the first time, extended from the usual 16. However, doing the business on the pitch would always pose a far from easy challenge given the level of competition and growth of football across the African continent.

Seeded in pot 3 of 6, Burundi straight away earned a group stage qualifiers spot alongside the highly rated Mali, Gabon and the preliminary round winners, South Sudan. The odds were obviously in favor of Mali and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s Gabon to proceed to the Egypt 2019 finals. Intamba did not only steal Gabon’s assumed spot but finished the qualifiers unbeaten. They did what was expected of them by beating South Sudan home and away but caused a few upsets by holding Mali and the 2017 hosts, Gabon in the other 4 matches played over two legs. Even the 2018/19 English Premier League Golden Boot winner with his 22 goals for Arsenal, Aubameyang, could not rescue the Panthers past a stubborn Burundi side determined to write new history.

What makes their story even more compelling and this generation, undeniably Burundi’s best football generation, is that both the most capped and the highest goal scorer of all time are in the current squad. The 29-year-old Karim Nizigiyimana with record 52 caps and 26-year-old forward Fiston Abdul Razak on 17 international goals. The latter was even the second top goal scorer in the 2019 AFCON qualifiers after Nigeria’s Odion Ighalo with 6 goals in 6 matches.

Some of the stars of the Burundi national team who have made rounds on the international scene and appearing in the English Premier League include 25-year-old midfielder, Gael Bigirimana who featured for a Newcastle side that made the top six in EPL. The controversial but highly talented Saido Berahino is another. The 25-year-old forward who last appeared for Stoke City is keen to represent Intamba in what he has labelled, “the biggest tournament” he will play in come June 2019.

At a time when most African nations are hiring football coaches from abroad, Burundi made it to their first finals under the guidance of Oliver Niyungeko, only their second local coach in their history, which definitely adds a nice ring to the overall story.

Examining the prospects of new history

Well, Intamba has so far written a fairy-tale story which will unlikely continue in the next few weeks. Honestly, it’s enough reward for them and their fans that they will play in the biggest football tournament on the continent. The challenge doesn’t become any easier going forward.

Drawn in group B against tournament favorites Nigeria, dark horses Guinea who dominated 2015 AFCON winners Ivory Coast in the qualifiers as well fellow debutants, Madagascar – it’s a bloody affair.

Here is a list of their fixtures:

Nigeria vs Burundi, 22nd of June

Madagascar vs Burundi, 27th of June

Burundi vs Guinea, 30th of June

Verdict: If they can beat Madagascar and get a result against either Nigeria or Guinea, Intamba will most definitely set themselves up for a round of 16 spot, either as group runners up or one of the four best, third placed teams. They may be debutants with nothing to lose but their track record shows nothing is impossible for them Swallows.

MADAGASCAR

Brief history

In terms of area size or the population, the Island of Madagascar is not as small as Burundi but their football history has been just as unattractive. The vast Indian Ocean island nation first made rounds in the footballing world back in 1947, participating in the Triangulaire tournament organised for fellow islanders Mauritius and Reunion. Back then, Barea were still very much under the shadow of the now lowly ranked Mauritius, suffering the heaviest loss at their neighbor’s hands, a 7-0 humbling in July of 1952. They first played opposition outside the aforementioned nations in 1960, and in subsequent tournaments organised for French Speaking nations. It is through mingling with the likes of Burkina Faso, Chad and Benin, that they recorded their biggest win in history, a 8-0 thrashing of Congo Brazzaville. They began making strides up but never really became a threatening side. Unfamiliar with neither a FIFA World Cup nor an AFCON finals appearance, Barea’s height of glory ended in the COSAFA, Southern African nations football tournament, which they have never won since their debut appearance in 2002. Their highest achievement was a third-place finish in South Africa 2015 and their only silverware has come in the form of 2 triumphs at the Indian Ocean Island Games in 1990 and 1993, which don’t really count for a lot. It was during that period when they achieved their highest ever FIFA ranking of 74.

Madagascar may be ranked 104th in the world as of 4 April 2019 but what they have achieved by securing an AFCON finals ticket to Egypt 2019, surpasses all, its perhaps the realization of their wildest dreams. Adding to that, what better time to do it, than when the serving CAF President, Ahmad Ahmad is Malagasy. The close to 26 million people nation is definitely flying without wings!

How they made it?

Barea had to do the most amongst all the 24 AFCON finalists. Seeded in pot 5 of 6, the last pot of all nations entering the qualifiers, they had to play a preliminary round match against Sao Tome and Principe to earn a group stage spot. After handsomely dismissing them 4-2 on aggregate; Senegal, Equatorial Guinea and Sudan awaited them in group A of the qualifiers, a group in which most gave them no chance. A 2-2 home draw against favorites Senegal on match-day two raised eyebrows and the dream train was on its way.

Barea followed the miracle of Senegal with upsetting Equatorial Guinea, twice in three days with consecutive 1-0 victories. With two games to spare, the unheralded Madagascar together with Senegal became first nations to qualify for Egypt 2019 apart from the hosting nation.

Respectfully, Malagasy nationals’ names may seem like WiFi passwords to many, with little or unrecognizable involvement in some of the biggest tournaments or leagues in the world, but they have been more than impressive. All-time leading goal scorer, captain and veteran forward, Faneva Andriatsima is expected to continue leading the Barea further into dreamland. He may just well be the greatest footballer indeed the nation has ever seen.

“ Adding to that, what better time to do it, than when the serving CAF President, Ahmad Ahmad is Malagasy. The close to 26 million people nation is definitely flying without wings!”

— Dennis Takaendesa, FirstTouch Africa

Examining the prospects of new history

Just like all the debutants, with no experience at this level, Madagascar are more than content to have reached the finals. Anything above that is welcome luxury. Their greatest hope of getting a result will be against fellow debutants Burundi whereas matches against Guinea and Nigeria are but much needed experiences to play against the top sides on the continent.

The list of their fixtures is as follows:

Guinea vs Madagascar, 22nd of June

Madagascar vs Burundi, 27th of June

Madagascar vs Nigeria, 30th of June

Verdict: In my opinion, they will finish fourth in group A. Just like Panama who made a historic FIFA World Cup appearance in 2018 with the oldest average aged team and got outrun by younger opponents, Barea could have the same fate. They may not be the oldest team but could face numerous problems against the relatively younger Burundi, not mentioning favorites Nigeria and highly dangerous Guinea, captained by Liverpool midfielder in Naby Keita.

Saido Berahino of Stoke City during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Stoke City at Stamford Bridge on December 30, 2017 in London, England.

(Dec. 29, 2017 - Source: Catherine Ivill/Getty Images Europe)

MAURITANIA

Brief history

You probably are familiar with the trend amongst all the three debutants. They will not only be making their first AFCON finals appearances in Egypt 2019, but also their first ever major tournament participation given the absence of any pleasant history with neither the FIFA World Cup nor Summer Olympics. The West African nation probably had the least interesting history among fellow debutants, Burundi and Madagascar.

The Lions of Chinguetti first played football in April 1963 after their independence from France, a 6-0 loss to Congo in Senegal as part of L’Amite tournament. What followed were a series of humiliating results without scoring amongst which included an 11-0 defeat to Mali and 14-0 annihilation by Guinea. Al-Murabitun first achieved competitive avoidance of defeat in 1976, 13 years after formation, when they drew 1-1 against Burkina Faso who were then called Upper Volta in the 1978 FIFA World Cup qualification matches. Their first ever win came 4 years later, a 2-1 home win against Mali in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

A 2019 Egypt AFCON finals appearance is by far their highest ever accolade and boy, did they achieve it in style? It was definitely worth the wait.

How they made it?

The Lions of Chinguetti never looked like a minnow from day one of the 2019 AFCON qualifiers. Two wins in their first two matches against Botswana and Burkina Faso earned them a reputation as the tournament’s most dangerous surprise package. The 2-0 win against Burkina Faso was most impressive. They made light-work of the 2013 AFCON runners-up, scoring two goals in 4 minutes of the first half.

They however capitulated in the ensuing match, losing 4-1 to Angola, perhaps the pressure and hype was catching up with them. Al-Murabitun did not take long and were at it again, getting one over Angola on home soil four days later, and secured a historic AFCON berth in the next match against the Zebras of Botswana. Burkina Faso restored pride with 1-0 win over their fellow West Africans on final match-day but it was all too little too late, the job was already done. They could have finished top of their group but an inferior goal difference to Angola stood in the way of that. That’s just how good they were.

Under French gaffer, Corentin Martins, Mauritania have earned a likeable reputation as one of the youngest, most thorough and hardworking teams. Amongst those to look out for is the 21-year-old midfielder, Hacen El Ide who plies his trade for Spanish side, Real Valladolid B. At that tender-age, El Ide is already the 5th most capped player and the 3rd highest scorer in Mauritania’s history. The most capped and highest scorer is obviously captain Moulaye Ahmed Khalil who will lead the line as the Lions of Chinguetti target further scalps of the big boys in Egypt.

Examining the prospects of new history

As a result of being drawn in Group E, alongside Tunisia, Mali and Angola; they once again kick off things in Egypt with the odds against them. Even though the 5 million people nation of Mauritania is over the moon because of their nation’s historic qualification, there could be a set of their fans who are intentionally targeting more. The potential of their young side is there for all too see and might be around the top circles for quite some time.

Here is the list of their group E fixtures:

Mali vs Mauritania, 24th of June

Mauritania vs Angola, 29th of June

Mauritania vs Tunisia, 2nd of July

Verdict: Al-Murabitun obviously know Angola very well from the qualifiers and could have some unfinished business with them. Being one of the most youthful and exciting sides to watch, I suspect they will reach the round of 16. It’s not very far from them to get a result against either Mali or Tunisia given they already dispatched the highly rated Burkina Faso out of the competition.

Who are the favorites: Senegal, Nigeria, and Egypt?

The 32nd edition of the biggest football tournament in Africa, the Africa Cup of Nations, is at our doorstep. Soon, 24 national teams will set foot in the land of Egypt to battle it out for the coveted cup. Amongst these teams, a number of powerhouses will be present, many of which are earmarked as favorites to win the tournament. These include amongst others, West African giants Senegal and Nigeria, as well as the host nation itself, Egypt. Below, we delve deeper into each of these three countries’ prospects and chances of winning the cup.

Sadio Mane of Senegal runs with the ball during the International Friendly match between Nigeria and Senegal at The Hive on March 23, 2017 in Barnet, England.

(March 22, 2017 - Source: Dan Mullan/Getty Images Europe)

Senegal

Despite being one of the most consistent sides in Africa, one finds it hard to believe that Senegal have never lifted the AFCON trophy in 14 previous appearances at the tournament. Rather, the team’s best showing at the tournament was when they became runners-up to Cameroon during the 2002 finals. In the last edition of the tournament, the Teranga Lions went out at the quarter-final stage, having arrived at the tournament as favorites. However, this is expected to change as the Senegalese side has been able to rediscover their form over the qualifying stages of the AFCON tournament.  As such, they head to Egypt with their heads high and believing that they stand a good chance of winning the cup considering the quality of players at their disposal.

During the AFCON qualifying stages, the Teranga Lions maintained an unbeaten streak of six games in the qualifiers, winning 5 games and drawing one, and ultimately amassing the highest points gathered by a team in the qualifiers (16). While this may be a confidence booster on its own, it counts for nothing when the stage is set for the AFCON tournament. Nevertheless, Senegal will be counting on their big players to show up at the tourney.

The talent at Senegal’s disposal epitomizes little or no doubt that Senegal can go all the way and win the cup. Central to the Senegalese squad and ultimately the carrier of the team is Liverpool forward Sadio Mane. The 27-year old’s sizzling form in the recently ended 2018/2019 English Premier League season sent tongues wagging and ultimately put him in the conversation of being the best African player alongside his teammate Mo Salah and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Mane scored a record 22 league goals in the English Premier League in what has been a season to remember for the Senegalese man who also happened to have just clinched the coveted UEFA Champions league with his Livepool side, which will likely put him in contention for the Ballon d'Or award. Senegal will be hoping Mane turns up for the national side and uses his silkiness on the left flank to terrorize opposition defenses and carry the team to glory.

 The showdown in Egypt provides a chance for Senegal to avenge the injustices of the past and finally bring home the AFCON title that has very much been elusive for the Senegalese. The Teranga Lions will begin their campaign against the Taifa Stars of Tanzania on June 23rd, later wrapping up their group fixtures against Algeria and Kenya on June 27 and July 1 respectively.

Mohamed Salah of Egypt has a drink during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia group A match between Saudia Arabia and Egypt at Volgograd Arena on June 25, 2018 in Volgograd, Russia.

(June 24, 2018 - Source: Catherine Ivill/Getty Images Europe)

Egypt

It will be the fifth time record Africa Cup of Nations tournament that Egypt have hosted and being on home soil will be enough to propel the Egyptians to go all out to try and win the tournament. Egypt edged South Africa and replaced Cameroon as the hosts of the tournament. Having won a record seven AFCON tournaments, it comes as no surprise that Egypt are one of the favorites to grab the tournament prize. The Pharaohs were beaten finalists in 2017 as Cameroon won 2-1.

Egypt will be looking to rise above the disappointing display at last year’s FIFA world cup where the team failed to win a single match in the campaign. Their short participation at the world cup also saw the team waving goodbye to their long-serving goalkeeper Essam El Hadary who has been a pivotal player for the team over the years. Egypt’s AFCON qualifying journey proved to be rather shaky by their standards as they finished second below Tunisia. The team won four games including both home and away games against eSwatini, drawing one against Niger and losing the other against North African rivals Tunisia to finish second in the group with 13 points.

Many expect that the presence of Mohammed Salah is likely to lead the Egyptians to glory. Many would argue that Salah and his teammate Sadio Mane were easily the continent’s two best during the 2018/2019 season across the whole of Europe. Salah has been in hot form all season long, becoming the first African ever to clinch back-to-back Golden Boot accolades in the English Premier League alongside fellow Africans, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and teammate Mane. Egypt have produced several players of the highest quality over the years but Salah has reached uncharted territory by proving his worth at the highest level when it mattered the most. His impact however, has been somewhat criticized for failing to replicate his club form at national level. Be that as it may, his electrifying pace on the right flank, his skillful dribbling as well as his sharp eye for goal make him the go-to attacker in a team favored to tear apart the whole of Africa at home. Apart from Salah, forgotten Arsenal midfielder Mohammed Elneny could also be the difference maker at the belly of the park for the Egyptians as he will be hoping to make a name for himself in order to revive his footballing career.

Worth noting is that Egypt has won the AFCON tournament three out of the four times the country has hosted the tournament, a phenomenal feat if you ask me, one that should surely send a message about the threat posed by the Pharaohs particularly in their own backyard. It will be interesting to see whether home court advantage will be a significant factor even this time around considering the increase in the number of teams gunning for glory.

“Many would argue that Salah and his teammate Sadio Mane were easily the continent’s two best during the 2018/2019 season across the whole of Europe. Salah has been in hot form all season long, becoming the first African ever to clinch back-to-back Golden Boot accolades in the English Premier League alongside fellow Africans, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and teammate Mane.”

— Siphosethu Thwala, FirstTouch Africa

Ahmed Musa of Nigeria celebrates victory following the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia group D match between Nigeria and Iceland at Volgograd Arena on June 22, 2018 in Volgograd, Russia.

(June 21, 2018 - Source: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images Europe)

Nigeria

After missing the last two editions, Nigeria make a return to the Africa Cup of Nations in 2019. Coach Gernot Rohr recently led the Super Eagles to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, though the team could not proceed beyond the group stages.

Boasting the most youthful squad of the world cup teams, Nigeria’s world cup performance was a matter of “so near yet so far” as they bowed out of the tournament at the hands of Argentina. Nonetheless, the team was able to secure a win against Iceland in one of their group matches. This dismal performance however, did not deter the Super Eagles from securing a ticket to take part in the biennial African Cup of Nations in Egypt.

The Super Eagles had a somewhat smooth run to the biennial football showpiece despite making a false start in the qualifying series. The team kicked off their qualifying campaign on the wrong foot by losing 2-0 at home to South Africa. That defeat woke the three-time Africans champions’ slumber as they won their next three matches against Seychelles and Libya before once again drawing against a resilient South African side. The Nigerians capped off their qualifying campaign with a win against the Seychelles, finishing as Group winners with 13 points.

The old adage “age is nothing but a number” might well be relevant during this year’s AFCON showpiece, in as far as Villarreal winger Samuel Chukwueze is concerned. The 2015 U/17 World Cup Winner has enjoyed an impressive debut season with Villarreal since breaking into the club’s first team, scoring ten goals in 46 appearances as well as chipping in with four assists. The 20-year-old is one of the most exciting young talents in Spanish football and he’s enjoyed an excellent campaign with Villarreal where he’s now considered to be an important first team player having progressed through the club’s youth ranks. Still, some may point to Chukwueze’s lack of international experience as his likely downside and something that may find him wanting when it matters the most. However, the presence of experienced players like Obi Mikel and Ahmed Musa should be able to guide Chukuweze and make him comfortable enough to do what he does best on the field: run at defenders.

Sadio Mane of Senegal makes his way onto the pitch prior to the International Friendly match between the Ivory Coast and Senegal at the Stade Charlety on March 27, 2017 in Paris, France.

(March 26, 2017 - Source: Dan Mullan/Getty Images Europe)

However, despite qualifying for the AFCON, one could not say, emphatically that the Super Eagles are indeed a team to beat at the forthcoming finals in Egypt. The team is faced with different challenges such as injuries to some of its key players that include seasoned striker Odion Ighalo, who was the leading scorer during the qualifiers with six goals. Not only that, the team has had some of its experienced players opting to resign, such as Victor Moses who decided to focus on club football. These predicaments may haunt the Super Eagles especially if the team goes deeper into the knockout stages. Nonetheless, the return of trusted servant John Obi Mikel will be a key factor for Nigeria’s youthful side. Count the Nigerians out at your own peril, they might be the surprise package of all the usual powerhouses.

Nigeria start their campaign with a tie against Burundi on June 22 before taking on Guinea and Madagascar on June 26 and 30 respectively.

The AFCON tournament looks to be a firecracker and is expected to keep football lovers glued at the edge of their seats between June and July. While the above teams are some of the teams expected to compete for the top honors, be rest assured that drama will unfold during the course of the tournament and football being football, the unexpected can and will happen. Who are you vouching for in this AFCON tournament?

How did Salah take the "next step"?

“ In one infamous incident that occurred in Egypt, Salah reportedly helped a thief who had robbed his family’s home. ”

— Dennis Takaendesa, FirstTouch Africa

Ruthless, ferocious, vicious, prolific amongst many other vetted and approved superlatives, go a long way in describing the “Egyptian king’s” attitude in front of goal. As novel as it may sound, you just have to come to grips with the reality of it therefore. Mohamed Salah Hamed Mahrous Ghaly is the most prolific player ever in a single season, as far as the history of the English Premier League is concerned. The diminutive Egyptian’s record breaking 2017/18 season that saw him run down the wing, winging it and bagging 32 goals in 38 EPL fixtures ensured he surpassed the previous record of most goals scored in a single English top flight campaign by a single player. The record in question was once held by Alan Shearer, arguably the most famous Portuguese and Uruguayan on the planet, Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Suarez. Not a bad company to keep, or even more accurately, to leapfrog. But the soon to be 27-year-old wasn’t always a subject of discussion when it came to goal scoring, let alone be one of the most incredible human beings alive as recognised by the infamous Time Magazine. He is an Egyptian “miracle” whose story will echo in the corridors of history for an eternity, even as we relish it now.

Mohamed Salah of Chelsea reacts after a missed chance on goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Swansea City and Chelsea at Liberty Stadium on April 13, 2014 in Swansea, Wales.

(April 12, 2014 - Source: Chris Brunskill/Getty Images Europe)

Amongst the greatest comebacks in sports entertainment

In early April, 2019, Tiger Woods’ remarkable career sent chills down most people’s spine as he went on to win the 15th Masters title in the sport affectionately known as golf. This was after he had last won his major title in 2005. In that time period, Woods had gone through several highs and lows, on and off the pitch which included a divorce with his wife, admitted infidelity and even getting locked up for suspicion of driving under the influence in 2017. In light of all this and witnessing the 43 year-old rise like a phoenix from the ashes, the world could not help but come to a standstill; politicians, entertainers and sportspeople alike.

One notable reflection was by 23-time Grand Slam tennis champion, Serena Williams, who can relate in more ways than one. She tweeted:

“I am literally in tears watching Tiger Woods, this is Greatness like no other. Knowing all you have been through physically to come back and do what you just did? Wow. Congrats a million times! I am so inspired.”

Even the 45th President of the US, Barack Obama had words for Tiger. But of course, as enticing as it may be to explore Tiger Woods’ career, this piece is not about him. Looking at Mo Salah’s career under a more microscopic lense, we would learn that the North-African defied odds to reach the levels he now soars in. With a senior career that began in the Egyptian Premier League in the books of El Mokwaloon, transiting to EPL’s Chelsea via Swiss club Basel, a few loan spells in the Italian Serie A before returning to the Premier League in the colors of Liverpool, he has had to do it the hard way.

Chasing and beating the clock

When a footballer is bound to become one of the world’s best, it is usually easy to tell by the time they reach the age of 18. Most of them would have already made inroads into the dressing rooms of some of the biggest clubs in the world. The references are not too far off, the great Brazilian Pele won a FIFA World Cup title as a teenager and so did the highly rated Frenchman, Kylian Mbappe who just turned 20 but has been on everyone’s lips for as long as we can remember. The same applies for the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo who started terrorising defences at the tender age of 18 in Manchester United colors and so did his foe, Lionel Messi. The Argentine magician was scouted by Barcelona when he was just 13 and made his debut for Barcelona at age 16. Salah does not fall into that category; he was definitely a late bloomer who had to chase the clock in the primitive years of his career. The potential was palpable, but the Liverpool forward was still playing in the Egyptian Premier League as late as the age of 20, quite a bit obscured from the rest of the world. At that time, his partners and age-mates in the infamous Liverpool trident forward, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino were already at French Ligue 1’s Metz and Bundesliga’s Hoffenheim respectively. He first made contact with European football in 2012 after Swiss club, Basel FC, organised a friendly match with the Egyptian U-23 team for the purposes of getting a closer look at the young Mohamed. This was of course during the time when the Egyptian Premier League was suspended following the Port Said Stadium riot. In his two years with Basel, Mo Salah scored 9 goals in 47 appearances being deployed mainly as a winger and henceforth attracted interest from the London club, Chelsea, who won his signature for £11 million in January 2014. He was now 22, becoming the first Egyptian to represent the London Blues. It looked like he had finally made it, playing for a side that was strong enough to compete for the coveted English Premier League title.

However, the Chelsea episode became one that Mohamed Salah had to learn to forget quickly. He only managed a total of 13 appearances between 2014-16, being way down the Chelsea pecking order that was then headed by the likes of Eden Hazard and Oscar. In fact, the diminutive Egyptian looked like a kid when compared to age-mates like Hazard. The then Chelsea boss who snubbed him, even remarked that he wasn’t ready to play at the highest level:

“It was with me in charge that Salah came to Chelsea. But he came as a young kid, physically he was not ready, mentally he was not ready, socially and culturally he was lost and everything was tough for him.”

— Jose Mourinho, former Chelsea & Man United Manager

After it looked like stardom belonged to one of Egypt’s Pharaohs, at the prime football age of 24, the forward was let out of the Chelsea door and left licking his wounds. For the second time in his career, he had to chase the clock. Italy became his home and what happened next couldn’t have been in any script.

Mohamed Salah of AS Roma kicks the ball during the Serie A match between AS Roma and Atalanta BC at Stadio Olimpico on April 15, 2017 in Rome, Italy.

(April 14, 2017 - Source: Paolo Bruno/Getty Images Europe)

“Need for Speed Most Wanted”

If he was ever going to escape the less successful route of fellow Africans such as compatriot, Essam El Hadary, who had a brief stint in Europe before returning home to Africa, Salah needed speed, on and off the pitch. And speed is he what he got. He quickly became the most popular African in the whole of Italy as the European nation bowed down to the Egyptian King. He initially left Chelsea on loan to Fiorentina in the winter transfer window of 2015 where he went on to score 6 goals in 16 matches. The Italian Serie A club became keen on making the 18-month loan move permanent but the King had other plans, he was looking at a certain crown only he could see, and consequently marched on to Rome. It was at AS Roma where Salah established himself as a hot footballing prospect in the whole of Europe and eventually becoming a subject of transfer speculation. In his two seasons with the Italian giant, the winger bagged 14 goals in 34 matches before reaching a 15 goal feat in other 31 matches, in the 2016/17 season when he had made his Roma loan permanent. An AS Roma Player of the Season award in the 2015/16 campaign had warranted a permanent grab by the Italian club. It quickly became apparent that the Egyptian’s time in Europe was far from over. He won the 2016 Globe Soccer Best Arab Player of the Year to add to his boyhood accolades that included the 2012 CAF Most Promising Talent of the Year, 2012 UAFA Golden Boy and the 2013 SAFP Golden Player. It was at Roma where Salah kind of figured and started flourishing in what has become his best position. Under Luciano Spalleti, he established himself more as left-footed right winger, with a crispy first touch, slick dribbles and able to cut inside either to score or play-in his teammates. That period will forever go down in a history as a proper audition for the King’s global dominance and acquired ruthlessness in front of goal. Acquired because it was more than apparent that Salah didn’t have such a huge talent as Neymar Jnr or Messi. His first class work ethic and relentlessness were the ingredients that eventually took him to the very top.

 Records come tumbling down in record times

Fatefully, Jürgen Klopp and Liverpool acquired the African in a then record fee for the club, £36.9 million and needed only one year to turn Chelsea’s prodigal son into football’s most priceless treasure. The simple instruction by the German gaffer, Jürgen Klopp, for Mo to occupy a more advanced central opposition from the right wing, ahead of Roberto Firmino and Senegalese Sadio Mane, opened a whole new world. In 365 days, Mo Salah silenced critics, gained new ones and won the favor of the entire world by running down a wing. Records set in summer, winter and all other seasons and times that have names, had no choice but to bow in the presence of the Egyptian King. His 32 goals ensured he eclipsed the record for most goals scored in single Premier League season, winning the 2017/18 Golden Boot in the process. He also became the fourth fastest player to reach 50 goals milestone in Premier League history, in only 72 games behind Andy Cole, Alan Shearer and Ruud Van Nistelrooy.

In fact, let’s just list down all his most important records lest they become obscured in these paragraphs:

Mohamed Salah of Liverpool celebrates after scoring his team's first goal during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Cardiff City at Anfield on October 27, 2018 in Liverpool, United Kingdom.

(Oct. 26, 2018 - Source: Jan Kruger/Getty Images Europe)

England

• Most goals in a 38-game Premier League season: 32 goals in 2017–18

• Most goals by an African player in a Premier League season: 32 goals in 2017–18

• Most Premier League Player of the Month awards in a single season: 3 (November 2017, February 2018 and March 2018)

• First player to outscore three Premier League teams in a single Premier League season: West Brom (31), Swansea City (28) and Huddersfield Town (28) in 2017–18

• Highest-scoring Egyptian in Premier League history: 50 goals in 72 games

Europe

• Most goals by an African player in a UEFA Champions League season: 11 goals in 2017–18

Mohamed Salah of Liverpool wins the trophy for the FIFA Puskas Award 2018 during the The Best FIFA Football Awards Show at Royal Festival Hall on September 24, 2018 in London, England.

(Sept. 23, 2018 - Source: Dan Istitene/Getty Images Europe)

Liverpool

• Most goals in a debut season: 44 goals in 2017–18

• Most goals in a season by a Liverpool player in the Premier League era: 44 goals in 2017–18

• Most top-flight goals in a season by a Liverpool player: 32 goals in Premier League 2017–18 (shared with Ian Rush)

• Most Liverpool Player of the Month awards in a season: 7 months in 2017–18

• Fastest player to Score 50 Goals for Liverpool: 65 games in 2018–19

• Fastest Liverpool player to Score 50 Premier League Goals: 69 games in 2018–19

Egypt

• Egypt's all-time highest scorer in FIFA World Cup history: 2 Goals in FIFA World Cup 2018 (shared with Abdulrahman Fawzi, 2 Goals in FIFA World Cup 1934)

• Egypt's all-time highest scorer in CAF Africa Cup of Nations qualification: 14 goals

• Egypt's third all-time top scorers: 39 goals (behind Hossam Hassan 69 goals, and Hassan El-Shazly 42 goals)

Italy

• Highest-scoring Egyptian in Serie A history: 35 goals in 81 games

Mohamed Salah of Liverpool celebrates scoring his sides first goal during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Chelsea at Anfield on November 25, 2017 in Liverpool, England.

(Nov. 24, 2017 - Source: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images Europe)

 Made in Egypt, flourished in Merseyside

 A befitting summary to coin Mo Salah’s career is one of an individual made in Egypt where he first tasted professional football but eventually flourished in the Liverpool part of Merseyside. One year, one club, one manager and one Red Liverpool inarguably handed him the biggest boost of his career so far. He entered the elite class of footballers on the backdrop of being sold by Chelsea. By the end of the 2017/18 season, he had earned a spot amongst the world’s best three best footballers as selected by FIFA, at the expense of five time Balon d’Or winner, Lionel Messi. The first time an African had been included in such a list since the days of Liberian President, George Weah. Mo Salah eventually finished 3rd behind Luka Modric and Cristiano Ronaldo. He became a world favorite. The online community was outraged at Salah missing out on the FIFA Best Player of the Year Award as well as the FIFPro World XI to the extent that he was compensated with a FIFA Puskas Award for the best goal, which looked like he hardly deserved given the goals he contented with. The King earned new territories as England, especially Merseyside pledged allegiance. Songs such as “Mo Salah running down the winger” were composed in his adoration and he has never walked alone, since he wore the Liverpool Red.

“A better human being than he is a footballer”

Not least to his outstanding on-the-pitch achievements, Salah has been just as greater if not better off the field of play. The recent recognition by the Times Magazine as one of the 100 most influential human beings alive, even earning a place amongst the six cover stars of the magazine, crowns his exploits. He has been applauded for calling out the importance of raising the bar on women equality in his culture.

Mohamed Salah of Egypt during the International Friendly match between Jamacia and Egypt at The Matchroom Stadium on June 04, 2014 in London, England.

(June 3, 2014 - Source: Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images Europe)

British Comedian and Liverpool fan, John Oliver who “absolutely” loves the footballer labelled him “a better human being than he is a footballer.” Even adding that “he’s one of the best football players in the world.”

The Times Magazine recognition comes after Mo Salah has grabbed many other headlines for humanitarian or advocacy work. In one infamous incident that occurred in Egypt, Salah reportedly helped a thief who had robbed his family’s home. He convinced his father to drop the charges, financially assisted the said thief and tried getting him a job. He has donated money to build a school and hospital as part of the regeneration projects in Nagrig, his hometown where 65% of the people live in poverty. It is reported that he has assisted more than 450 families to date by giving them monthly allowances and also chipped in to help the Egyptian government foot some bills in desperate times.

Still fresh to most memories, Salah went to “war” with the Egyptian FA for using his image as political capital and advocating for the dissolution of irregularities, some of which are believed to have indirectly contributed to their early 2018 FIFA World cup exit.

One of the most amusing incidents of all was when the close to 100 million North African nation went to the polls in 2018. A sizeable spoilt ballot papers which read “Mo Salah for President” were quite a joy to behold for all humorous souls. Even Vodafone Egypt once ran a promotion to add more caller minutes to their subscribers whenever the king scored.

Time won’t permit us to rediscover and celebrate graffiti of the Liverpool forward in the Egyptian capital of Cairo. All his remarkable achievements and influence becomes even more amplified in the knowledge that he is devout Muslim, almost to a level unprecedented in sports entertainment. He has slowly become a figure of inclusivity.

The King to welcome the rest of Africa

After being the main man in Egypt’s historic 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification, the first ever since 1990, by being the Pharaohs’ top scorer in the qualifiers, Salah returns for international duty in June 2019. He is expected to inspire the host nation to a record eighth Africa Cup of Nations title. After missing out on the 2015 and 2017 AFCON glory, the continent’s best player for the years 2017 & 2018 will be all out to capture a title that has deluded his illustrious career. There is no better motivation than to do it in his own backyard. With Liverpool in touching distance of the 2018/19 English Premier League and UEFA Champions League title, it could be yet another magnificent for the king. But rest assured, the African oppositions has never been intimidated by greatness, with them exuding such as well. The likes of teammate Sadio Mane, Wilfried Zaha, Ahmed Musa and Percy Tau will be worthy opponents on the road to glory.

In the opening 2019 AFCON finals match, Egypt will face the challenge of a tricky Zimbabwean Warriors before squaring off with DR Congo and Uganda.

“We need to change the way we treat women in our culture. I support the woman more than I did before, because I feel like she deserves more than what they give her now, at the moment. That has to be, it’s not optional. ”

— Mohamed Salah, Liverpool & Egyptian forward

Are Sarri and Chelsea a good fit going forward?

“It is this tinkering of the squad which earned him much respect in Italy, with Mertens managing a total of 28 goals at the end of the 2016/17 season. ”

— Tinotenda Magiya, FirstTouch Africa

Often times clubs find themselves in positions where making a change in management is necessary for the progression of the club. That was the case at Chelsea Football Club at the end of the 2017/18 season after a hostile atmosphere had taken over the dressing room with players allegedly fed up of the reign of Antonio Conte. Also, the prospect of a certain Maurizio Sarri possibly switching to the West London club and introducing a new brand of football was too good an opportunity to let pass. In the end, the former Napoli boss flew over to join the English Premier League and with him, he brought Jorginho, his anchor-man and the rest of his Sarriball. With one game to go in the 2018/19 season, Chelsea have secured a place in next season’s UEFA Champions League but it papers over the cracks as they have struggled for almost all season. Here’s a review of whether Maurizio Sarri and Chelsea are a good fit.

Napoli's coach Maurizio Sarri greets coach player Gonzalo Higuain during the TIM Cup match between SSC Napoli and Hellas Verona FC at Stadio San Paolo on December 16, 2015 in Naples, Italy.

(Dec. 15, 2015 - Source: Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images Europe)

The Philosophy

Having watched last season’s UEFA Champions League tie between Manchester City and Napoli, you could tell that Sarri’s football philosophy was up there with best. Its focus on an intense pressing much-like the famous Jurgen press, the unique transitional one-touch football spearheaded by Jorginho in a deep-lying midfield role and an unorthodox frontline typified by a false 9 tactic justified all the noises about the manager. It is no surprise that Maurizio Sarri grew popular and rose to prominence in a relatively short period. Despite being a banker, his passion for a unique brand of football saw him join Pescara in the Italian Serie B back in 2005. It is here that he implemented his ideas which have evolved into the tactics he later on deployed at Napoli and most recently, Chelsea. Sarri left Pescara, joined Empoli for a short stint before making a move to Italian giants Napoli. It is here that he really made a name for himself. The next part of the article reviews his time at Napoli.

Naples

June 11, 2015 marked the day that Maurizio Sarri signed for Napoli and replaced Rafa Benitez as the manager of the club. This was his first move to a top European club and he aimed to stay at the top. In his first season, he brought with him, Elseig Hysaj, Pepe Reina and Allan, who became the stalwarts for the subsequent campaign in which Napoli finished second in the Italian Serie A, behind Juventus. They played an integral role in a successful campaign together with the Argentine forward Gonzalo Higuain who scored a record 36 goals in the league before being signed by Juventus in July 2016. With this loss, came a transition in the manager’s game plan as he vetoed against signing a like-for-like replacement for the forward, instead trusting in Belgian wing wizard Dries Mertens and moving him into a central role. It is this tinkering of the squad which earned him much respect in Italy, with Mertens managing a total of 28 goals at the end of the 2016/17 season.

In terms of form, Sarri’s Napoli enjoyed purple patches in which the club made it to first position in the Italian Serie A, ahead of Juventus but they somehow capitulated towards the end of the season. In the end, the Italian left for Chelsea in 2018, having failed to lift a single trophy with Napoli despite the club having played some of the best football the fans had seen in the San Paolo Stadium.

London

The best managers always want to test themselves in the best competitions and leagues in the world. Maurizio Sarri is no different. He resigned at Napoli and switched to a West London club, Chelsea. To some, this was a shocking move considering the manager’s CV which lacked the critical factor - trophies. The Italian replaced Antonio Conte at Chelsea, who won the English Premier League and an FA Cup. Before him, Rafa Benitez had won the UEFA Europa League and Roberto Di Matteo won the UEFA Champions League. Despite all the success with the club, all of them were sacked by the owner of the club. Roman Abramovich has always been ruthless whenever he felt the club was not moving in the direction that he wanted hence the axe being called on these managers. The constant demand for success at the club and Sarri’s lack of contribution to the trophy cabinet at his previous clubs looked a mismatch. Nonetheless, the manager made his way to the club for the 2018/19 season.

Maurizio Sarri, Manager of Chelsea arrives prior to the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on October 20, 2018 in London, United Kingdom.

(Oct. 19, 2018 - Source: Clive Rose/Getty Images Europe

Sarriball in England

Chelsea fans were over the moon when they beat Arsenal 3-2 at the Stamford Bridge on the 18th of August, 2018. They were not just happy about getting an edge over their rivals but also the style of football they witnessed in just their second English Premier League game under Maurizio Sarri. Having been used to defensive and counter-attacking football under Conte and Mourinho, it was probably their first time seeing their club dominate their opponents in terms of possession, shots on target, chances created, etc. This performance was followed by an electrifying run of form that saw Chelsea blowing teams away in the English Premier League. For a minute, I was convinced they would have a say in the title race. Sarriball proved to be working until Mauricio Pochettino delegated man-marking duties to Dele Alli in the match between Chelsea and Tottenham. Jorginho was followed by the England international all-game and stiffled Chelsea’s usual route of a quick transition. As a result, Chelsea succumbed to a 3-1 defeat to Tottenham and everything went downhill from there.

The lack of consistency saw the club fall behind Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United at the turn of 2019. Contention among the Chelsea faithful grew at season-end due to Sarri’s stubborn decisions throughout the campaign. Many a times came where a switch in positioning between N’golo Kante and Jorginho were required but the manager stuck to his preferred tactics which saw them drop unnecessary points in the season run-in. The lack of flexibility in his game plan and the unpopular decision of moving Kante from his preferred defensive midfield position to a more attacking role left many heads shaking. Sitting in 6th position with 8 games left in the EPL, Sarri’s future looked bleak. However, they still managed to sneak into a 3rd place position ahead of Tottenham, Arsenal and Manchester United thanks to a run of disappointing results from the aforementioned clubs. This league position masks the dreadful season that Chelsea have had. Also, it clouds the major issue of player management by Maurizio Sarri.

“Sitting in 6th position with 8 games left in the EPL, Sarri’s future looked bleak. However, they still managed to sneak into a 3rd place position ahead of Tottenham, Arsenal and Manchester United thanks to a run of disappointing results from the aforementioned clubs. This league position masks the dreadful season that Chelsea have had.”

— Tinotenda Magiya, FirstTouch Africa

Player Management

The appointment of a new manager only means two things for football players; either business as usual or considering pastures anew. The latter has been the case for club captain Gary Cahill who captained the club in the title winning campaign just 2 seasons ago under Antonio Conte. Last season, he still played a significant role in their FA Cup run which yielded a trophy at the end of the 2017/18 season. This season, Cahill was frozen out of the team by Maurizio Sarri preferring David Luiz and Rudiger as the long-standing shields protecting the goal-line. The England international did not get any explanation from the manager and said, “I find it difficult to respect Sarri who has not respected what some of us have won with the club.” The defender was bitter about his treatment by the manager who has given him only 2 appearances in the English Premier League since his arrival and has not explained why he does not play as much as the other defenders.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek of Chelsea celebrates after scoring his sides first goal during the UEFA Europa League Group L match between Chelsea and FC BATE Borisov at Stamford Bridge on October 25, 2018 in London, United Kingdom.

(Oct. 24, 2018 - Source: Clive Rose/Getty Images Europe)

Danny Drinkwater also faced the wrath of Sarri this season. The English Premier League winner with the Leicester team a couple of years back has been deemed surplus to requirements and has since been excluded from first team duties. There is no way back for Drinkwater and he must be ready to make a move come the end of the season if he is to revive his career at top flight football.

Apart from these two who received brutal treatment from the Chelsea coach, Ruben Loftus Cheek and Callum Hudson-Odoi have also been robbed off some crucial minutes in the first team this season. The Italian boss ignored the calls from the fans to play their academy products with the two being forced to watch from the stands despite their counterparts putting in poor performances. Kovacic and Barkley have not been reliable since the beginning of the season but Loftus Cheek was never seen in the mix until of late. The fans found it hard to understand why the manager could not make decisions that seemed obvious to them and left it late before they could see the midfielder being given a chance in his preferred advanced midfield role.

For Callum Hudson-Odoi, he had to submit a transfer request and push for a move to Bayern Munich before Sarri could realise that he had a talented teenager with potential to be a star in European football. All season, his defence when asked about the 18-year old was that he had to work on his defensive contribution yet he was barely given a chance to prove whether or not he had made progress. It seems as if the club forced Sarri to include @Calteck10 in the starting mix because the player was handed consecutive starting berths post the winter transfer window. He was unfortunate to pick up an Achilles injury which ruled him out for the rest of the season. It remains to be seen if the manager has changed his mind on these young players or whether the decisions were out of his hands. Nonetheless, the transfer ban imposed on Chelsea does not help his cause.

Kepa Arrizabalaga of Chelsea (C) celebrates victory in the penalty shoot out with team mates during the UEFA Europa League Semi Final Second Leg match between Chelsea and Eintracht Frankfurt at Stamford Bridge on May 09, 2019 in London, England.

(May 8, 2019 - Source: Getty Images Europe)

Chelsea’s Transfer Ban

Chelsea FC have been handed a ban that prevents them from buying players in the next two transfer windows. They were given an opportunity to appeal the decision but to no avail. FIFA have stood firm to the FFP rules which have allegedly been broken by the club’s approach to signing foreign U-18 players. That said, Chelsea are left helpless and will have to pull a rabbit out of the hat if they are to challenge for any trophies in the upcoming season. Maurizio Sarri came in late and had little preparations before the start of the 2017/18 season. He managed to get a few players in before the transfer window shut. Losing Cesc Fabregas to Monaco in January 2019 did not help as he was left with no adequate back-up to Jorginho. This provides a challenge for the Italian coach who was looking forward to the transfer window to get the players that suited his style of play. This means that Sarri has to put his trust in the current squad and the players from the youth academy. And that could potentially be the break that Chelsea needed after the owner Roman Abramovich changed his transfer policy in the past few years. He has since reduced his influence on the transfer market and somewhat follow the self-sustaining method that is growing popular in England.

Chelsea have an academy that sends out at least 20 players on loan every season. Possibly, it might be time for them to get a chance now that the club cannot go over Europe and identify the finished products. What’s certain is that Sarri will face a tough time to include young players in his plans because of his rigid philosophy.

Now what?

Chelsea are set to play Arsenal in the final of the UEFA Europa League on the 29th of May 2018. A win for them would mean another trophy added to their cabinet and something to mask their substandard performances all season. However, a defeat against Arsenal would not change much as they have already secured a UEFA Champions League spot for next season. Although Sarri might not be the ideal manager to integrate youth team players into his squad, it would still be a surprise if the club decides to sack him. He has not had enough time and resources to implement his philosophy. I think he has at least one more season at the helm of Chelsea FC.

What do you think?

UCL Review: Why Liverpool got blanked in Spain and Barcelona battered in England

WHY LIVERPOOL GOT BLANKED IN SPAIN

Lionel Messi of Barcelona scores his sides third goal from a free kick during the UEFA Champions League Semi Final first leg match between Barcelona and Liverpool at the Nou Camp on May 01, 2019 in Barcelona, Spain.

(April 30, 2019 - Source: Michael Regan/Getty Images Europe)

Dejavu

Thirty-yards out, Alisson stood sure between the sticks as if daring the Blaugrana talisman to do the unthinkable. The Red wall in grey clothing, shoulders high, hearts unsure – with some palms, cup shaped and firmly fixed to protect the valuables; presentable a seemingly impenetrable force to the king. As per usual, Leo Messi was unmoved, fixing his eyes to a target that covered a twentieth of the entire goal mouth and with a stern face as that of Game of Thrones’ Night King, preparing to dissolve the wall and its commander. Two steps backwards and then forward, he whipped the ball, traversing in a direction that was inconceivable according to the understood laws of physics, it deserted everything and everyone else until it found its way into that top 5% of Liverpool’s goal mouth. A goal for the king and a third for Barcelona on the night, wrapping up a 3-0 score line in the first leg of the 2018/19 UEFA Champions League semi-finals. We weren’t fooled, that rare moment wasn’t new at all. Quite characteristic of perhaps the greatest footballer that has walked the surface of the earth. Dejavu is the word, that is all it was!

At end of the ninety, Barcelona were already one foot into the final and the reality of Liverpool turning that score line in the second leg was nothing but a fleeting fantasy. Jurgen Klopp’s Red Army had played considerably well on the night but were left licking their wounds, mostly because of one reason, one word, one man and five letters. Messi! Things really got Messi!

Lionel Messi of Barcelona celebrates after he scores his sides third goal during the UEFA Champions League Semi Final first leg match between Barcelona and Liverpool at the Nou Camp on May 01, 2019 in Barcelona, Spain.

(April 30, 2019 - Source: Getty Images Europe)

Before things got Messi

Liverpool had been sailing in unfamiliar waters prior to this match in Spain. With a Premier League record that had them losing only once in over 30 matches, and unbeaten in 20, in all competitions to be precise, they had become the closest thing to perfection since sliced bread. En route to Catalonia, they had made light work of the Bavarians, dismissing them by 3-1 in Munich and dispatched Malian Mousa Marega’s impressive Porto by an aggregate score-line of 6-1, a side that had lost only once from the UCL group stages to the quarter-finals. Mount Virgil Van Dijk still seemed unsurmountable and prior to the Barca clash, the Dutch captain had been awarded the PFA Player of the Season, succeeding Mohamed Salah, in a thorough EPL campaign that propelled them to go toe to toe with Man City for the title. Senegalese Sadio Mane and the Egyptian king in Salah, were still firing across all cylinders and the African duo, simply flexing African talent on show by going head to head for the Premier League Golden Boot, scoring over 20 goals each. Only the Gabonese forward, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Sergio Aguero were in the same scoring bracket. A total of 20 Premier League clean sheets, 87 goals scored, a point within table topping City and only a single game lost, the Merseysiders were soaring, it only would have taken something of a magician to put a stop in their tracks. And it did.

When things got Messi

Of course it was the Big Luis Suarez 9 who showed enduring class to put the La Liga champions ahead in the first forty-five, after intercepting Jordi Alba’s perfectly timed cross with a first time finish, under the noses of Virgil Van Dijk and Cameroonian Joel Matip. Yes, you heard right, Mount Van Djik was left for dead. That was actually the Uruguayan’s first champions league goal of the season, biting the hand that once fed him but not typically. At least this time it was all legal and metaphorical. Since then, it was all Liverpool, with Sadio Mane and Mo Salah causing all sorts of problems for the Barca defence, doing it all, except scoring. The close to 100 000 stadium capacity filled the faithful, they were forced to watch their heroes humbled off the ball in their own temple, but it was that humble approach that paid dividends.

“As per usual, Leo Messi was unpertubed, fixing his eyes to a target that covered a twentieth of the entire goal mouth and with a stern face as that of Game of Thrones’ Night King, preparing to dissolve the wall and its commander.”

— Dennis Takaendesa, FirstTouch Africa

Lionel Messi of Barcelona celebrates with his team mates after he scores his sides third goal during the UEFA Champions League Semi Final first leg match between Barcelona and Liverpool at the Nou Camp on May 01, 2019 in Barcelona, Spain.

(April 30, 2019 - Source: Getty Images Europe)

Warrior Arturo Vidal was back to his best, thwarting almost every sensible threat and flying up and down in the middle of the park. Except for a few moments of lapse in concentration, Pique and Lenglet marshalled the Barcelona backline with class and experience, whereas Marc Andre Ter Stegen was available to superman anything that had deluded the rest of the team. It was almost as though, the Blaugrana was happy to soak in the pressure and hit Liverpool on the counter. Which is exactly what they did on the second goal. Possession was won in the middle of the park and Messi was available to oversee proceedings, sending Suarez through on the left wing, before the ball reakeshared off Sergi Roberto to the Uruguayan. Suarez instinctively hit the ball with his knee, only finding the upright before the ball returned into the box, where Leo Messi reacted quickest to chest and slot it home, again under the nose of the mountainous and tipped Balon d’Or candidate, Virgil Van Dijk. We all know what happened on the third goal. Liverpool were blanked by Barca’s humble approach camouflaged in Leo Messi’s superhero suit. The latter took his goal tally to 26 against English opposition, over 20% of his 112 champions league goals. His favorite customer is actually Chelsea, with 10 to his name. Even the second most expensive goalkeeper in the world, Alisson Becker, infuriated, hit the goal post as if to suggest it was the one dancing to the tune of the Argentine magician, made in Spain.

Liverpool had given their all, above and beyond. In addition to Barca’s humble approach, firing blanks in front of goal after 15 shots with 4 of them on target compared to Barca’s 12 whereas 5 were on target, was another important reason as to why they got blanked.

However, the story doesn’t end there. What happened in the second leg, couldn’t have been in any script whatsoever.

WHY BARCELONA GOT BATTERED IN ENGLAND

Fans of Liverpool enjoy the pre match atmosphere with flares prior to the UEFA Champions League Semi Final second leg match between Liverpool and Barcelona at Anfield on May 07, 2019 in Liverpool, England.

(May 6, 2019 - Source: Getty Images Europe)

The setting

The 3-0 first leg win by Barcelona ensured Liverpool needed to score at least four goals to advance to the 2019 UEFA Champions League final in Madrid. That is four goals without conceding to a Barcelona side which is hardly shy of goals given the presence of those who need no introduction. To make matters worse, after missing Mane and Salah’s hinge, Roberto Firmino in the first leg, the Egyptian king was also going to join the Brazilian to the sidelines after suffering a concussion in a Premier League encounter against Newcastle. So was the Guinean dynamic midfielder, Naby Keita, who limped off in the early stages of the two legged tie in Camp Nou. In fact, he is reported to be at risk of even missing out on the June 2019 AFCON finals in Egypt. To say the least, they who never walk alone were facing an uphill task, only convicted to give their best shot in front of the faithful Anfield choir. Only memories of the 2005 Champions League final in Istanbul, which they won after coming back from a 3-0 down at the end of the first half against AC Milan, offered glimpses of hope.

But even their gaffer, Jurgen Klopp remained pragmatic of the task at hand:

“Two of the world’s best strikers are not available tomorrow night and we have to score four goals against Barcelona to go through after 90 minutes. It doesn’t make life easier but as long as we have 11 players on the pitch then we will try and everybody knows that.”

Jordan Henderson of Liverpool celebrates as Divock Origi (R) scores his team's first goal during the UEFA Champions League Semi Final second leg match between Liverpool and Barcelona at Anfield on May 07, 2019 in Liverpool, England.

(May 6, 2019 - Source: Getty Images Europe)

Rapid red fire

It was all about the start by Liverpool. They were on the clear of the task at hand and wasted no time in going at Barcelona to push for the impossible. The Swiss attacker, Xherdan Shaqiri and Divock Origi who were in for the absent Salah and Firmino were no strangers to the cause. Their usual press was more amplified, deliberate, energetic and did not look like them who would get tired. The soldiers in the Red Army quickly forced Barcelona into committing mistakes, most of all their former frontman, Philippe Coutinho. They got their first goal of the night as early as the seventh minute through Origi after some quick interplay between Senegalese Mane and Henderson off a Jordi Alba mistake. It was a much need breakthrough, that even lifted the roof and atmosphere to even more electrifying levels, making Anfield a total nightmare for the visitors.

It was not only the Liverpool front line doing the job by forcing mistakes and testing Ter Stegen. Prospective Balon d’Or candidate in Virgil Van Dijk was in charge at the back. Him and Matip were uninterested in any Barcelona threats, shoving aside all that came to Alisson’s goal. They however had to wait for the second forty-five to complete the comeback.

Schoolboy defending

A blessing in disguise came through Liverpool’s way as Gini Wijnaldum made way for injured Andy Robertson. A midfielder for a defender, definitely the right attitude by the manager and his team who now had nothing to lose. Within a few minutes of coming on, the Dutch attacker bagged two goals in succession to put the tie level. Initially, he pulled off a Suarez to latch onto Trent Alexander Arnold cross, goalwards under the supervision of the ever fighting Vidal, Pique and Clement Lenglet. The second really shouldn’t have gone in, Gini was the only who rose to head an incoming cross from the left wing into the net as all of the Barca defence watched on. As if that was not enough, the fourth goal capped Barca’s horror showing.

Liverpool’s young full-back, Alexander Arnold once again had his fingerprints on the crime scene. TAA pulled off some quick thinking as he took a Liverpool corner, capitalising on the napping Pique who was playing Divock Origi onside as he tied his shoes close to the goalkeeper. The full back quickly sliced the ball onto the unmarked Origi’s path who had the simple task of powerfully putting the ball past Ter Stegen as everyone else watched on. The Red part of Anfield was elevated to ecstasy as the traveling Barca fans were forced into despair. The unthinkable happened, twice in the same tie. Firstly, the Messi free-kick and now Liverpool’s comeback. Mohamed Salah’s hoodie shared the message that had perhaps inspired the rest of the squad, “Never Give Up,” it read, as the Egyptian marched onto the pitch to join his teammates in celebrating the miracle.

Liverpool were rampant, rapid and clinical on the night but Barca were also just simply horrible. Suarez coined it perfectly, “we defended like children.” After an impressive and more disciplined approach in the first leg, they surprisingly looked off and uninterested from the start. Perhaps they got to comfortable and paid for it.

“Even Lionel Messi’s magic never really popped, Gini’s “gini” reigned supreme instead. Fabinho, Henderson and company took every chance to swarm and annihilate the Argentine’s efforts in the middle of the park.”

— Dennis Takaendesa, FirstTouch Africa

Haunted by the 2018 AS Roma Ghost

What is also true is that once the goals started coming in, the ghosts of the 2018 quarter-final in Rome perhaps started resurrecting in the La Liga champions’ minds. They had led 4-1 in the first leg at Camp Nou only to lose 3-0 and got knocked out the 2017/18 UCL competition on away goals rule under some miraculous circumstances. In the Liverpool tie, Blaugrana employed the same tactics and substitutions as in the first leg but looked a different opposition entirely. Even Lionel Messi’s magic never really popped, Gini’s “gini” reigned supreme instead. Fabinho, Henderson and company took every chance to swarm and annihilate the Argentine’s efforts in the middle of the park.

At the end of the day, it was Liverpool marching on to the 2019 Madrid final, their second successive UEFA Champions League final after as many years. It leaves many questions unresolved for Barca’s boss, Ernesto Valvedre, and his approach towards the UCL competition, after being knocked out twice under unfamiliar circumstances.

Jurgen Klopp, Manager of Liverpool and Mohamed Salah of Liverpool and team mates celebrate after the UEFA Champions League Semi Final second leg match between Liverpool and Barcelona at Anfield on May 07, 2019 in Liverpool, England.

(May 6, 2019 - Source: Getty Images Europe)

 After all is said and done

Defending champions Real Madrid’s four UCL titles in the past five years ensured the fading of the reign of two El Clasico rivals (with Barcelona) who dominated Europe in the last decade. Outside the two, only Chelsea, Inter Milan and Bayern Munich had managed to win the Champions League in the same period. After being on the side lines for a long time, with their last major trophy coming in 2006, Liverpool have gradually returned to the big stage and staking a claim amongst Europe’s best. Two consecutive UCL finals is no children’s bread. After losing the 2018 final to Real Madrid, Liverpool however need to win the forthcoming June final against English rivals, Tottenham if they are to formally reign as one of Europe’s highly revered teams. If not, they risk writing another Juventus story. Completely dominant in the Italian Serie, coming close on two occasions by reaching the final in 2015 and 2017 but with no success on the biggest stage.

With regards to Liverpool’s remarkable turnaround that also inspired Spurs to follow suit against Ajax, one reason stands out to explain the event, they believed they could and they did.

With two all English finals in the UEFA Champions and Europa League, the first time four teams from the same country have achieved such a feat, 2019 is an English year as far as football is concerned.

Champions League Final (1st June 2019) Europa League Final (29 May 2019)

Tottenham Hotspur vs Liverpool Chelsea vs Arsenal

Are Lyon Women the best women’s football team ever assembled, and is it good for the game?

Introduction

Olympique Lyonnais is a French club that has been existence since 1970. They play in the highest division in France, Ligue 1. Lyon are known for being able to attract and groom the best talent in the world. Even more prominently, they are remembered for accolades that includes winning the league ten times, the Coupe de France seven times, and the Champions League four times. In this article, we want to not just analyse their greatness, but critically ask ourselves if the team’s greatness is beneficial to the game as a whole. Does it help to always have an almost unbeatable opponent?

Sarah Bouhaddi of Olympique Lyonnais lifts the trophy in victory after the UEFA Women's Champions League Final between Lyon and Paris Saint Germain at Cardiff City Stadium on June 1, 2017 in Cardiff, Wales. Olympique Lyonnais win 7-6 on penalties after the match finished 0-0.

(May 31, 2017 - Source: Stu Forster/Getty Images Europe)

Champions League

With a record crowd of ​ 22,911 people behind Chelsea, Lyon showed that sometimes all that matters is what happens on the pitch​. ​The French Ligue 1 side humbled Chelse​a ​to a 2-1 defeat, making it to the final of the 2019 UEFA Women’s Champions League which will be held on the 18th of May in Budapest. The team will not just be tasting a European final for the first time but will be lining up for the title for the 4th time in a row. This shall be Lyon’s eighth final appearance since 2010 and have won the title on 5 of such occasions. Surely greatness maybe accompanied by some form of luck. Lyon got one of their desperately needed goals as an​ ​own goal​ from ​Chelsea. Unlike most games where the French champions just almost breeze through the 90 minutes, they were really pushed in against the North London club, with some of the players kneeling on the ground after the game. This goes on to show that the team could be getting the right competition to either topple down their reign or push them to the fullest potential. The road to this stage has however been fairly easy compared to what most teams go through seeing that they have never lost a single game. They had 2 draws and an impressive 9-0 score agains​t ​Ajax Women in October last year​. ​When a team hits such a clean record, is it then not fair to ask if they are not the best team ever assembled? We will also take a deep look into the components that make up this explosion.

 Current Roster

Recently, The Guardian released a list of top 100 players in the world and 5 of the players in the Top 10 were from Lyon. In other words, 50% of the ladies that are most celebrated in the world, play for the French Champions. Below are brief bios of Ada Hegerberg, Lucy Bronze and Eugénie Le Sommer that came 3rd, 4th and 5th respectively. The first two players also made it to ​FIFA’s Top 10 women​.

Olympique Lyonnais' French forward Eugenie Le Sommer (L) and Norwegian forward Ada Hegerberg (R) celebrate during the Women Champions League semi-final first leg football match Olympique Lyonnais (OL) against Paris-Saint-Germain (PSG) at the Parc de l'Olympique Lyonnais in Decines-Charpieu, central eastern France, on April 24, 2016. / AFP / ROMAIN LAFABREGUE

(April 24, 2016 - Source: AFP)

Ada Hegerberg

She is known as the first woman to have won the prestigious B​allon d'Or in 2018. This was not the first as she has been showered with awards all her career. At 16 years of age, she played for Kolbotn in Norway and became the youngest player to score a hat trick. In that league, she emerged as the Youngest Player of the Year. Ada was also the first woman to be awarded the Norwegian Gold Ball Award and voted ​UEFA’s Best Woman Playe​r in Europe. The 23-year-old Norwegian was instrumental in Lyon’s win against Wolfsburg to snatch their most recent Champions League crown and in their 2017/18 French title triumph. The Ballon d’Or award was in recognition for outstanding scoring record, 53 goals in 33 appearances for her club. Good news is that Lyon does not have to worry about losing her to any other club as she has signed a contract to stay with the club until 2021. 

 Lucy Bronze

After qualifying for the Champions League finals, Lucy Bronze expressed disappointment that her team ​simply won the game​. According to her, they are a team that should not just win, but excel at what they do. To anyone else, this should have been something to celebrate. That perhaps speaks to the players’ insatiable ambition for doing the very best on the field of play. This even explains why the England Women’s team head coach, Phil Neville,​ hails Lucy as the best player in the world​. The former Manchester United player commends Lucy for her ability to get the ball and pass with great athletic skill. To him, she has reached world class status. The English international has also won the ​ PFA Women's Players' Player of the Year twice in 2014 and 2017.

 Eugénie Le Sommer

The 29-year-old who is also part of the French national team scored 10 goals in 13 games in the ongoing UEFA ​Women’s Champions League. The player who is known for her fantastic forward passes is currently the highest goal scorer at Lyon, approaching the 250 goal mark. She has also been complemented greatly for her incredible teamwork both off and on the field. ​ One thing that she is passionate about is never ceasing to dream. In an ​interview with Foot Mercato​, Le Sommer expressed that for her “the B​allon d'Or is not an ultimate goal”. She does acknowledge its significance to anyone who knows what soccer is about, but what she strives for, is to be efficient and at be her best. She was quoted saying, “​After all, it's not an ultimate goal for me. The most important thing is to be efficient. If I am good and I am at my level, I can hope to be in the list and why not win one day. But I'm not focused on it.”

 How Good Are They Really?

There is a tendency to exaggerate success when it is not put into context. We might think that Lyon is great until we see what other teams are doing. Starting off with Chelsea whom they kicked out of the UCL semi-finals. Chelsea has never won the Champions League but still boasts of the 2015 famous doubl​e, where they won both the FA Women’s Super League and the FA Women’s Cup. That was a while ago and really, the comparison between Lyon and Chelsea at this point, tips the scale towards to French Champions’ prowess and recent accomplishments. They will be facing Barcelona in the final, who will be stepping on the UCL finals turf for the first time. They have, however, done well in domestic cups like the Primera Division where they have won the top flight league title, four times and also won the Copa de Lareina, six times. One club that has also made strides in the game has been Vfl Wolfsburg from Germany.  At the time of the writing of this article, VfL Ladies were one win away from a third successive Bundesliga title after cruising to a 7-0 win against SC Sand on Sunday. They have won the Champions League twice and even beat Lyon in 2012/2013 season. It’s fair to conclude that Lyon have also had their few humbling experiences but none of the other prominent clubs has been able to achieve what they currently have under their belt. Lyon’s dominance can also be credited to their diamond formation​ (4-3-1-2) which enables them to engage all the players. They usually employ a more defensive technique that enable them to hit opponents on the counter, when they least expect it. Really, is such dominance worth celebrating?

“In a world where women football is still on the rise, but not yet where it should be, it is quite beneficial to have such legendary teams. They serve as inspiration for other teams not just in Europe, but in other parts of the world where women football might not even be taken seriously.”

— Simiso Shabangu, FirstTouch Africa

Lucy Bronze of Olympique Lyonnais scores the opening goal during the UEFA Women's Champions League, Semi Final Second Leg match between Olympique Lyonnais and Manchester City at Groupama Stadium on April 29, 2018 in Lyon, France.

(April 28, 2018 - Source: Emilio Andreoli/Getty Images Europe

 Is it Beneficial for the game?

Some may say it helps to have a team that is the best at what they do. Their actions and tactics become a benchmark for other teams and give them something that they can work towards. Other teams in the league can say, “We want to play like Lyon in future: because they have seen what greatness looks and feels like.” In a world where women football is still on the rise, but not yet where it should be, it is quite beneficial to have such legendary teams. They serve as inspiration for other teams not just in Europe, but in other parts of the world where women football might not even be taken seriously. Even though Lyon has a men’s section, the women section seems to be the more successful one, which is not usually the case with many teams that have both wings. Secondly, Lyon has become home to players who want to grow their career because they know that they can meet like-minded people who are willing to grow with them. A great team that becomes a magnet for great players and provides a grooming space for national teams and the international community is definitely a must keep. Teams like Lyon have done well for Europe and has even attracted great players from other parts of the world.

 On the other hand, though, does it really help to compete in a place where your opponent is almost unbeatable? Sports become enjoyable when the field is level and anybody can come up as a victor on any day. Lyon might be an inspiration at times but it can also be the reason why some teams are demotivated especially when they do not have the financial capacity to attract great talent the way that they do. Teams should never feel like they have lost a game even before they get to the field. Fortunately, Lyon is not unbeatable as there are other teams like Frankfurt, ​Vfl Wolfsburg​ and Arsenal that know how to feed the humble pies, once in a while.

 Conclusion

The term G.O.A.T. is not one that you just toss around like a coin, as it usually reflects unquestionable hard work and commitment. Based on the accolades and calibre of players that Lyon has been able to attract, it seems fair to give them this title. A G.O.A.T team. They are not unbeatable but have been able to do more than many other clubs. Such excellence is what everybody should be aiming for but when it is only saturated in one team, it might then work in others’ advantage in the grand scheme of things.

The ABSA Prem currently has one of the world's best title races this season. Who has the best chance of winning?

Hlompho Kekana celebrates with his players during the Absa Premiership match between Mamelodi Sundowns and Ajax Cape Town at Loftus Stadium on April 02, 2013 in Pretoria, South Africa.

(April 1, 2013 - Source: Gallo Images/Getty Images Europe)

Where are we now?

One would argue that a league whereby it takes the final day of the season to decide the league champions speaks of the high level of competitiveness in that league. Such is the case with the South African Absa Premier League. The 2018/2019 Absa Premiership season has been nothing short of excitement and thrills. With 29 games played and one game remaining, it is still unclear who will walk away as the champions of the 2018/2019 season. Similar to the English Premier League where Liverpool and Manchester City are battling it out for the title, it is still unclear on who will win the Absa premiership title between Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns respectively.

 League leaders Orlando Pirates' Absa Premiership title run was dealt a major blow when they drew 2-2 with Cape Town City on match-day 29 of the season, failing to take full advantage of Mamelodi Sundowns' commitments in the CAF Champions League. The result moved the Buccaneers only a point ahead of second placed Sundowns who have a game in hand over their title rivals, heading into the final week of the 2018-19 season. As things stand, Pirates are on 54 points from 29 league matches, and while they will have to win their final game of the season to stand any realistic chance of winning the title, Sundowns could possibly spoil the party knowing that winning both their remaining two games will see them retain the title.

 For Bafana BaStyle, the league title is now a priority particularly after bowing out of the CAF Champions League at the hands of a 2-1 aggregate loss to Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca in the semi-finals. Taking this into consideration, Sundowns know that they will have to salvage their season by doing all they can to defend their PSL crown.

irates assitant coach Graig Rosslee celebrates with Lucky Lekgwathi after winning the Absa Premiership Final match between Orlando Pirates and the Golden Arrows at Orlando Stadium on May 21, 2011 in Soweto, South Africa.

(May 20, 2011 - Source: Gallo Images/Getty Images Europe)

 Just like the two English Premier League giants

Similar to Liverpool, Pirates boast of a rich winning history, however, the club has not won the league since the 2011/2012 season. As such, winning the league title would bring back the glory days at Amabhakabhaka and should be a confidence booster for the club. On the other hand, Sundowns’ recent exit from the CAF champions league means the Absa premiership title is the team’s last shot at any hopes of salvaging some silverware this season. Thus, Masandawana would want to defend the title that they have won three times in the last five seasons. Sundowns arguably have the best squad and the best coach in South Africa if not across all the continent just like Man City, and their financial muscles have contributed immensely in ensuring that they challenge for trophies on all fronts.

 Much like Manchester City, Sundowns’ season has been playing catch up to Pirates for the better part of the season due to commitments in the CAF Champions League. Playing in Africa, comprising of long distance travels for the club has evidently slowed down Sundowns’ momentum in the league. However, being a team filled with depth and comprising of quality players, the Brazilians have been able to grind out results in the toughest of situations, enough to keep them in the title race. Now, with the loss to Moroccan giants Wydad Casablanca in the CAF Champions League semi-final signalling the end of their hopes for a second star, Masandawana have shifted focus back to the domestic league title where they stand a good chance of grabbing some elusive silverware.

Hlompho Kekana of Sundowns and Thandani Ntshumayelo of Pirates during the Absa Premiership match between Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns at Orlando Stadium on May 11, 2013 in Soweto, South Africa.

(May 10, 2013 - Source: Gallo Images/Getty Images Europe)

The top in-form players

With Pirates coach Milutin Sredojevic’s troops chasing their first PSL title in seven years, a number of players have been instrumental in the Bucs’ impressive season. One of the players at the heart of the Buccaneers’ title surge has arguably been Thembinkhosi Lorch. The 25-year old has dished out a series of stellar performances in the 2018/2019 season. To his reward, Lorch has managed to bag six goals and five assists in the league. Worth noting, Lorch’s 11 goal contributions account for over a quarter of Pirates' 39 goals this season showing how instrumental he has been for the ‘Sea Robbers’. Apart from Lorch, the likes of Xola Mlambo and Vincent Pule have also chipped in with big performances for the Sea Robbers during the course of the season.

 On the other hand, players like Hlompho Kekana and Lebohang Maboe have been equally crucial for Mamelodi Sundowns, considering the large amount of games the team has had to play due to their participation in the CAF Champions league. Hlompho Kekana has been a model of consistency this campaign for Sundowns. He has remarkably missed just one league game‚ and the only time he came off the bench to play was in the Nedbank Cup Last 32 defeat to Chippa United. Kekana has started 27 league games‚ three in the domestic cups and 17 in the Champions League‚ a measure of his incredible stamina and ability to stay injury-free. As the team’s captain, Kekana’s leadership at the centre of the field have helped Sundowns grind out results even when playing a “less exciting” brand of football, something that Jose Mourinho would attribute as a champions’ mentality. Similarly, Lebohang Maboe has been lethal in front of goal for Bafana Ba Style and it is without a surprise that he is the club’s top goal scorer with eight league goals and six assists in 25 matches.

“Johannesburg based side Bidvest Wits have an outside chance as they sit in third place with 51 points, but it’s all really down to Downs and Pirates who battle with Polokwane City in what promises to be a photo finish of this season’s Absa premiership.”

— Siphosethu Thwala, FirstTouch Africa

Final thoughts

With the Absa Premiership title race going down to the wire Orlando Pirates, Mamelodi Sundowns and Bidvest Wits all have a chance to finish as champions. It is safe to say that the league is now Sundowns’ to lose particularly after Pirates’ draw with Cape Town City in their penultimate game of the season. The Soweto giants are on 54 points, just one ahead of Sundowns who take on the challenge of Khompela’s Lamontville Golden Arrows before facing Free State Stars in the final game of the season. Johannesburg based side Bidvest Wits have an outside chance as they sit in third place with 51 points, but it’s all really down to Downs and Pirates who battle with Polokwane City in what promises to be a photo finish of this season’s Absa premiership.

 Looking at the remaining games for both sides, it would appear that on paper, Sundowns have an easier run-in to the end of the season, as they are left with fixtures against sides from the bottom half of the table in Golden Arrows and Free State Stars. On the other hand, the remaining games are less friendly for Pirates as they face teams fighting for top 8, closing the season with a tricky encounter against Polokwane City. Bidvest Wits, who became champions for the first time only two seasons ago, have a mathematical chance of topping the final table on goal difference. Wits currently sit third in the league table with 51 points, three behind Pirates. This season will surely go down as one of the memorable seasons due to its competitiveness.

 Who do you have winning the league? Can Pirates bring back the glory days, or will Sundowns defend their title?

Four things to look out for in the Champions League semis

Sadio Mane of Liverpool scores his team's first goal under pressure from Iker Casillas of FC Porto during the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final second leg match between Porto and Liverpool at Estadio do Dragao on April 17, 2019 in Porto, Portugal.

(April 16, 2019 - Source: Getty Images Europe)

UEFA Champions League fanfare has officially reached its penultimate stage — the semi-finals and the last stage before Europe’s best team is coronated. The first leg matches are guaranteed to be electrifying with Barcelona and Ajax on the hunt for the treble while Liverpool and Tottenham on the cusp of bringing the European title back to England after five years of Spanish dominance. Here’s what we can expect from the four teams when they go head to head.

 Messi’s the Magician

Lionel Messi is the Houdini of football, the gift that has not yet stopped giving. We can count on the Messi magic to delight the crowd come Wednesday evening. The combination of Messi, Coutinho, Suarez is perhaps one the deadliest attacks in Europe at the moment. Despite a hard-fought first leg, Barcelona made light work of dismissing Manchester United in the quarter-finals, unsurprisingly due to the Messi magic. To add to that, Barca have already been crowned Spanish champions with a few games to spare, meaning they have the luxury to focus on the UCL silverware unlike their opponent. Liverpool are still playing cat and mouse with Pep’s Manchester City for the English Premier League’s top prize. For these reasons and more, Barcelona maybe the current favourites to win this year’s title.

Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur looks dejected after Barcelona's second goal during the Group B match of the UEFA Champions League between Tottenham Hotspur and FC Barcelona at Wembley Stadium on October 3, 2018 in London, United Kingdom.

(Oct. 2, 2018 - Source: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images Europe)

Dynamic African Duo

Mo Salah and Sadio Mane are top contenders for the EPL golden boot with 20 and 21 goals respectively. Their efforts this season have put Liverpool in a tightly contested race against Manchester City to take win the Premier League title. Jurgen Klopp has done a stunning job with the team and the players, a Champions League title will cement his legacy in the Premier League as one of the greatest Liverpool managers in history. The attacking force that is Mo Salah and Sadio Mane which has been the catalyst to Liverpool phenomenal 2018/19 title campaign will once again play a vital role against Barcelona.

 The “fighting Dutchmen”

Ajax may have the lowest odds of the four teams, but don’t cancel them out just yet. The Dutch side has fought with impressive resilience and tactical sophistication, going head to head against some of the strongest teams, and managing to make it to the top four. After knocking out Real Madrid (3-5 on aggregate) in the round of 16 and edging past Juventus to win the quarterfinals, 3-2 on aggregate, the underdog story is quickly being rewritten. Maybe just maybe, that underdog has become the competition’s bigdog.

 Tottenham’s missing front line

Tottenham’s injury woes will be a major hurdle for Mauricio Pochettino come the semi-finals. Harry Kane has been out with an ankle injury since the first leg of the quarterfinals, Moussa Sissoko and Harry Winks’ fitness has been in doubt. Heung Min Son is suspended from the first leg of the semi-final after he picked up a third yellow card in the tournament. Pochettino will need to inspire his team once more to forge ahead in the midst of the injuries and the absences of Son and Kane in Spurs’ attack against.

Why Zinedine Zidane’s return to Real Madrid is a flex

Real Madrid CF president Florentino Perez (L) and Zinedine Zidane (R) attend a press conference to announce his resignation as Real Madrid coach at Valdebebas Sport City on May 31, 2018 in Madrid, Spain. Zidane steps down from the position of Manager of Real Madrid, after leading the club to it's third consecutive UEFA Champions League title.

(May 30, 2018 - Source: Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images Europe)

As action around European football comes to a close, for some it has been wonderful, then again for others, it has been one to forget. Such is the case for Real Madrid. This season might easily go down as one of the club’s worst seasons after a disastrous campaign. From being crowned European champions for a third successive time, who could have thought that Real Madrid would have a shockingly disappointing season?

About his departure

When Zinedine Zidane announced his shocking departure from Real Madrid at the backdrop of winning his third consecutive UEFA Champions league trophy with the club, one would assume that it was the beginning of the “end” for the club. Zidane left Madrid having delivered success that was unprecedented in the modern era. The days of clubs’ ability to retain the European Cup were long gone. Nobody had done it in the Champions League era. He did. And then he did it again, defying history and maths by winning more Champions League trophies than he had spent years in charge. But things began to unravel almost as soon as he was gone. However, the selling story regarding why Zidane left the club was due to the club's decision to sell Cristiano Ronaldo instead of Gareth Bale. Apart from Bale, it is also said that Zidane wanted to sign new players and sell others, including Isco, but the club’s President did not agree with those terms. Hence he left.

“Like the parent who returns from the shops to find that the kids have run amok, set fire to the kitchen and soiled the carpet, he’s not angry, he’s just disappointed. Perhaps such has been the worry around Zidane’s return to the club, the fact that it is merely a shadow of the side he left nine months ago. ”

— Siphosethu Thwala, FirstTouch Africa

Head coach Santiago Solari of Real Madrid CF sits on the bench prior to start the La Liga match between Real Madrid CF and FC Barcelona at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on March 02, 2019 in Madrid, Spain.

(March 1, 2019 - Source: Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images Europe)

Take two

After Zidane’s departure, the club announced the appointment of then Spain coach Julen Lopetegui just before the start of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in what was a shell-shocking move. Lopetegui himself was criticized for not consulting the Spanish Federation about the deal. The European Super Cup was surrendered to neighbours Atletico Madrid in the first game of Julen Lopetegui's brief reign and it only got worse from there. Lopetegui was eventually sacked in October 2018. After Lopetegui’s sacking, in came caretaker coach Santi Solari who tried stabilizing the ship and subsequently offered a long-term contract. Despite signing a contract until 2021 after an interim period, Solari lasted only 133 days as Real Madrid boss. He was finally dismissed after a horrific run of results, which included losing back-to-back EL Clasicos in the Copa del Rey and La Liga. The last nail on Santi Solari’s “coffin” came when Madrid were humiliated in their own beloved Bernabeu by Ajax. The Dutch club turned back the clock let alone reversed the natural order of things with their 4-1 win to end Madrid's long reign as champions of Europe.

Twist of fate in the Zizou-Real romance

Upon his return, the 46-year old Frenchman has made it clear that while he is happy to be back,there will be plenty of changes as he sets about leading Los Blancos back to the summit of European football. Furthermore, it is more likely that Zizou will be given more decision-making power in as far as the signing of players is concerned. His love for the club he had graced both as a player and coach, he said, was too great for him to resist. “I could not say no,” he said. “I am here because the president called me.” Like the parent who returns from the shops to find that the kids have run amok, set fire to the kitchen and soiled the carpet, he's not angry, he's just disappointed. Perhaps such has been the worry around Zidane’s return to the club, the fact that it is merely a shadow of the side he left nine months ago. Nonetheless, one would argue that the return of Zidane couldn’t have happened at a better time than it did. Having returned with

just under 15 matches to play, this might well be the right time for him to analyse the team in terms of its depth and areas where the team needs strengthening. It is an open secret that Real Madrid will be very busy in the upcoming transfer window with the aim of doing away with an ageing team and bringing fresh blood that will help the team compete once again.

Zinedine Zidane, Manager of Real Madrid gives his team instructions during a Real Madrid training session ahead of the UEFA Champions League Final against Liverpool at NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium on May 25, 2018 in Kiev, Ukraine.

(May 24, 2018 - Source: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images Europe)

 The beginning of a new beginning

Since Zinedine Zidane arrived at Real Madrid for a second era, he has made it clear in every press conference that he foresees an era of change. In the mind of the coach, he is drawing up a new-look Real Madrid, with new players, with some major departures and with a team that will be very different to the one that won four Champions League titles in five years. With sixregular starters being 30 or older, including the likes of Marcelo, Ramos and Modric, the writing is on the wall that the team needs to revamp in order to become competitive once more. The famous BBC trident of Ronaldo, Bale and Benzema is a thing of the past, as Ronaldo left for Juventus, and Bale himself on the brink of an exit. Bale himself has failed to live up to expectations when it mattered the most. Many believed he would grab his chance when Ronaldo left, but injuries and below-par performances have added fuel to the fire of the Welshman’s almost certain exit during the summer. Add to that, the team’s midfield is also in an evolution process and at this point, it is unclear whether Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Casemiro and even Isco for that matter, will be the preferred starters come next season, especially after the disappointing year all the players have had. Another area that appears to be overlooked yet critical is the centre back position which I believe also needs beefing up. Sergio Ramos has been a loyal servant but he may no longer be the player the club wants to build its defence around in two years’ time, hence the need for a new defender that can partner up with Varane. In that regard, the club has been able to land a defender in Eder Militao who has joined on a deal until 2025,for a fee of around £43m.

Paul Pogba of Manchester United and Eden Hazard of Chelsea embrace prior to the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on October 20, 2018 in London, United Kingdom.

(Oct. 19, 2018 - Source: Catherine Ivill/Getty Images Europe)

A speculative summer is on the cards

Nonetheless, there is still more work to be done by the club as far as signings are concerned, going into the summer transfer market. Perhaps one silver lining in this Madrid team is the emergence of Vinicius Junior, who has already shown what he can offer this side in his debut season. Not only him, but also the resurgence of Karim Benzema has had everyone paying attention to his capabilities which often times than not have been overlooked. So far, Benzema has raked in more than 30 goals in all competitions for Madrid, showing how lethal he can be. Still, the reality of the need to sign new players remain pivotal to Real Madrid. Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has planned out a mapping of how he plans on replacing Cristiano Ronaldo’s goals next season. Many star player names have been thrown around linking them to the club. These include Eden Hazard, Sadio Mane and Paul Pogba. Hazard’s creativity would be something that can greatly benefit Los Blancos coupled with his eye for goal. Secondly, with Gareth Bale’s exit being a subject of speculation, Sadio Mane’s name has also been thrown in as a viable replacement and unsurprisingly so, given the amazing season he’s had with Liverpool. The Senegalese forward has a great burst of pace that would most certainly be beneficial to Real Madrid’s trademark style of counter-attacking gameplay. To round off the list, Zidane has also been rumoured to be keen on signing fellow Frenchman Paul Pogba, in a move that may be far-fetched but still possible given Pogba’s struggles at United. All these potential arrivals would not necessarily mean that Karim Benzema has a reduced role though. It is likely that the Frenchman will continue to be in the coach’s plans and he has shown that he can grab the

spotlight if he is made the leading figure in the team, moreover, given Zidane’s continued trust in Benzema paid dividends in recent times.

Is it only a matter of time?

The 2019/20 season is a big one for Los Blancos and the return of Zidane might be the recipe needed by the club to reclaim their glory days. The team’s resurgence nonetheless depends on a number of factors, mainly how things play out in the upcoming summer transfer window. If the club gets the players it wants, then they may be well on their way back to the top. It may, however, take some time for Zidane to get the best out the new crop of players, something that may not see the team being strong competitors for honours in the next season. Deciding on the formation, whether to stick to Zidane’s 4-3-3 style of play, or switching to an alternative formation to allow as many key players in the team as possible may contribute to the slow progress. However, once they get their combinations right, Real Madrid will easily regain their position as the one of the three best teams in the world. The road to recovery has already begun with Zidane’s comeback, it is only a matter of time before we see the “Real” Real Madrid. What’s your take on Madrid’s prospects, can they bounce back next season? Is the return of Zidane the right tonic for them?

“ The last nail on Santi Solari’s “coffin” came when Madrid were humiliated in their own beloved Bernabeu by Ajax. The Dutch club turned back the clock let alone reversed the natural order of things with their 4-1 win to end Madrid’s long reign as champions of Europe.”

— Siphosethu Thwala, FirstTouch Africa

Even without a Top 4 finish, Emery deserves some accolades

Au revoir Arsene

Fans hold up signs celebrating Arsene Wenger after the Premier League match between Huddersfield Town and Arsenal at John Smith's Stadium on May 13, 2018 in Huddersfield, England.

(May 12, 2018 - Source: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images Europe)

That was the beginning, the conclusion of Arsenal’s match-made in heaven relationship with Arsene Wenger ushered in the new. The French manager had been on the touchline of the North London club for 22 years and even made the not so informed feel that the club was named after the gaffer’s first name. He had made and unleashed legends such as Thierry Henry, arguably the best play ever in the history of the Premier League who is still the leading scorer in the club’s history at 228 in all competitions; assembled the infamous 2003/04 Gunners squad that became immortal after earning the cloak of invincibility by finishing the entire 38 matches season unbeaten. Even more, the record extended to a remarkable 49 Premier League matches without a loss. What else? His efforts in the training ground and astuteness, compounded with the class of grooming young players ensured the club fetched high on the transfer market. Eventually raising enough funds to aid the construction of that London structure they now call, Emirates Stadium. His closing CV with club reads 3 Premier League titles, 7 FA Cups (the highest ever) and 7 Community Shields. A remarkable record but yet he was more famously known across the world for adorably and controversially staying at the club for a long time as well as being the personification of gentleman character. Remarks and send-off gifts received from some of football’s greatest players and managers as he left the Arsenal role said it all. We actually don’t have enough time and space on this piece to lay it all down but perhaps his own reaction to the praises summarises everything:

“I had a feeling a little bit to assist (life) at my own funeral. People speaking about you, how you were. That’s interesting, so I don’t need to die anymore. I know what is coming. Apart from the sense of humor I would like to thank everybody for being so nice to me. It has been difficult but as well as fantastic”

— Arsene Wenger, Former Arsenal Manager

The bottom line is that the 69 year-old left some pretty big shoes to fill for any kind of manager on the face of earth. It was obviously a rocket science project to find his successor who would build on his successes but more importantly address the challenges of the club that had become less competitive. Two Europa League appearances in Arsene’s final two years was one agreed upon standard that the club was on a downward spiral, especially after qualifying in nineteen successive UEFA Champions League seasons between 1998 and 2016/17, a record only surpassed by Real Madrid in Europe. Names of possible replacements were thrown in the hat and let us remind ourselves who they all were.

Many were called but one was chosen

Arsenal manager Unai Emery greets Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri during the Pre-season friendly International Champions Cup game between Arsenal and Chelsea at Aviva stadium on August 1, 2018 in Dublin, Ireland.

(July 31, 2018 - Source: Charles McQuillan/Getty Images Europe)

We won’t go through them all, but here is a refresher course of Arsenal’s process of appointing their new manager who would now be the head coach and take the club to the next chapter. The earliest reports suggested names like Ralf Rangnick, the current manager Bundesliga’s RB Leipzig who supposedly influenced Liverpool’s Jürgen Klopp and PSG’s Thomas Tuchel’s high pressing football philosophy. Then there was the real shortlist of Juventus’ Massimiliano Allegri, Luis Enrique who won the treble with Barcelona in the 2014/15 season and former Bayern Munich and Real Madrid manager, Carlo Ancelotti. Many commentators asserted that to be an ambitious list by former Chief Executive, Ivan Gazidis and his budget conscious Arsenal. True to form, they couldn’t get these for one reason or another. For instance, Luis Enrique reportedly required a yearly salary of £15m, which would have made him the second highest paid Premier League manager behind, Pep Guardiola. A more realistic list comprised of former Arsenal captains, Mikel Arteta, Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira who are all pretty much at the infancy stage of their managerial careers. Even names like Jurgen Klopp’s assistant in Zeljko Buvac came into the conversation which left the more ambitious Arsenal fans disgruntled and cheated. Did I also mention Maurizio Sarri, the current Chelsea boss who had gone toe to toe with Juve in the race for the 2017/18 Italian Serie A title, doing more than just threaten to break their Scudetto winning streak since the 2011/12 season. In summary, it was a long list and process that lasted close to two months of phone calls, interviews and board meetings. They were looking for a value driven gaffer who would accept a dialled down salary from Arsenal Wenger’s, with keen interest of developing the current players, comfortable with a £50m starting transfer budget and most importantly maintain or improve Arsenal’s attacking style of play that became synonymous with the former manager. Quite a big ask for a club desperately seeking and going through change. Even more, the task of replacing a manager that had been at the helm of a club for over two decades has never been easier. The example of bitter rivals Manchester United who parted ways with the legendary Sir Alex Fergusson is available for all to see. All the attempted successors in David Moyes, Louis Van Gaal and the special one, Jose Mourinho – spending over £500m in transfers were fiascos. Arsenal needed to get it right even with a tighter budget.

“Quite a bold statement of intent and purpose by the gaffer who barely knew the language as amazed onlookers by completing the entire press conference in the new language, though stammering his way through. The message was clear on plain tables, he was ready and not really short of the gentleman that Arsene Wenger is. ”

— Dennis Takaendesa, FirstTouch Africa

Now, when it all looked set that there were about to announce Mikel Arteta as their new Head Coach, the 37 year-old who was Pep Guardiola’s understudy and yet to lead any form of club in his short managerial career – the unexpected happened, much to the delight of Arsenal fans. The former PSG, Sevilla and Valencia coach popularly known for winning three consecutive Europa League titles with Sevilla, Unai Emery, was announced as the new Arsenal Head Coach. Looking at his pedigree of successfully doing a lot with few resources such as was the case in helping Valencia stay afloat in the La Liga during a period when the club couldn’t even foot their wage bill and obviously his silverware record with both Sevilla and PSG – Emery looked a great appointment. In fact, he had won 4 titles with PSG in just two years. The 47-year-old coach’s resume and display of character by picking the Arsenal job which many acclaimed gaffers had sidelined, spoke volumes. However, the task at hand was not at all sunshine and rainbows. To start with, the Spaniard had to start on his English before anything else.

“Good afternoon” world

Unai Emery manager of Arsenal looks on pre match press conference ahead of the International Champions Cup 2018 match between Arsenal v Paris Saint Germain on July 27, 2018 in Singapore.

(July 26, 2018 - Source: Thananuwat Srirasant/Getty Images AsiaPac)

Arsene Wenger had become popular with reporters for usually saying, “look here,” when responding to their journalistic requests. On the day of Emery’s first press conference as the Gunners boss, after being formally introduced by the then Chief Executive, Ivan Gazidis, he uttered the precious words, “Good afternoon,” in a strong Spanish accent. Quite a bold statement of intent and purpose by the gaffer who barely knew the language as amazed onlookers by completing the entire press conference in the new language, though stammering his way through. The message was clear on plain tables, he was ready and not really short of the gentleman that Arsene Wenger is. Even until now, Emery is known for firstly passing on the greeting before responding to questions, “Good morning”, “Good afternoon” or “Good evening” depending on the time of the day. He vowed to speak to each and every single Arsenal player individually as part of his settling plan, even waiting on those who had been on international duty at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

Memories from his first training sessions with the Arsenal squad had the words intensity and demanding written all over them. He was reported to have banned fruit juice and even relaxed some of Arsene Wenger’s norms by allowing players to use mobile phones. He held double training sessions, made some big calls by allowing loyal servants of the club such as Jack Wilshere to leave for West Ham even as he worked on his English. It really was all good vibes as far as the training pitch was concerned but their rivals were never going to make it easy for Emery and his new look Gunners to attain their targets. Emery and Arsenal’s goals for the 2018/19 season were widely communicated, “make the club competitive once again” clearly by avoiding some of Arsene’s humiliating losses and more importantly bring back champions league football to the club by finishing in the top four of the English top flight league.

Minnows amongst the top six

Raheem Sterling of Manchester City celebrates after scoring his side's first goal with team mates during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Manchester City at Emirates Stadium on August 12, 2018 in London, United Kingdom.

(Aug. 11, 2018 - Source: Michael Regan/Getty Images Europe)

Manchester City, Tottenham, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal are the ugly sisters of English football as of now. They are the so-called big six amongst the 20 Premier League teams that compete in the top flight who go at each for the title and only 4 UEFA Champions League qualification spots every season. At the onset of Emery’s Arsenal career, they were highly considered to be underdogs amongst the six, given they had finished 6th in the 2017/18 season and also the state of affairs at the club. Champions, Manchester City were in no doubt favourites to return the Premier League title with their obsessive manager Pep Guardiola and expensively assembled squad. Liverpool were tipped to be Rocky Balboa to City’s cause, who would be Ivan Drago considering their impressive recording breaking 2017/18 campaign where they bagged a 100 points. That was Liverpool coach, Jurgen Klopp’s analogy with regard to his club’s title chances. The Merseyside club was of course boosted by the acquisitions of £66.8 million goalkeeper in Alisson Becker from Roma, Virgil Van Dijk for £75 million (record fee for a defender) and the highly rated Naby Keita for £52.75 million from RB Leipzig. In fact, Naby Keita’s transfer fee was almost the equivalent of Arsenal’s entire transfer budget. Ultimately, with these two, it was a no contest for Arsenal.

Bitter North London rivals, Tottenham, did not make any summer signings as they budgeted on completing their £1 billion stadium but still looked a stronger side than the Gunners. Pochettino’s squad was fairly balanced from the defensive point safeguarded by the likes of Toby Alderweireld (a Manchester United target) and Jan Vertonghen as well as in the middle going up top with the likes of Christian Eriksen, Delle Alli and Harry Kane. Furthermore, the successes of Poch in bringing back champions league football back to Spurs was all the confidence Tottenham Hotspur needed whereas Arsenal has to adjust to a new manager for the first time in 22 years, with a defenceless squad that had become famous for shipping in goals such as was the case in their 10-2 aggregate loss to Bayern Munich in the champions league. Obviously Chelsea were dealing with a new managerial appointment of their own in Sarri but were tipped to adjust quicker given the nature of the club’s serial appointments. They were also boosted with acquisitions of a £57 million midfielder in Jorginho and the most expensive goalkeeper in world football, £71.6 million Kepa Arrizabalaga – virtually making them favorites to secure a top four spot ahead of Arsenal. Finally, it was clear that all was unwell in the Manchester United squad with Jose Mourinho’s mourning for a centre-back even after getting Fred for £52 million and wing back Diogo Dalot for £19.3 million. In truth, no one expected United to finish outside the top four especially after rivalling City for the title in the previous season with a similar squad and the same special Mourinho.

In summary, Emery and the Gunners were simply minnows in that top four race, few gave them a chance but the continuation of the story outlines a different proposition.

“This was not the end of it. The celebrated scouting genius, Sven Mislintat, who had masterminded the recruitment of Lucas Torreira, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Matteo Guendouzi, left his role, just less than two years into the Arsenal job.”

— Dennis Takaendesa, FirstTouch Africa

Changes and even more changes

Arsene Wenger manager of Arsenal (R) and Ivan Gazidis, CEO of Arsenal (L) look on prior to the UEFA Champions League Group F match between Arsenal and Olympiacos at the Emirates Stadium on September 28, 2011 in London, England.

(Sept. 27, 2011 - Source: Clive Rose/Getty Images Europe)

As if their managerial change and ill-preparedness to compete with the rest of the top six as far as transfers are concerned, Unai Emery and Arsenal still had to deal with a few more roadblocks in their pursuit of champions league football.

Over 50% of the backroom staff including medical doctors followed Wenger out of the Arsenal door and more surprisingly, the Chief Executive who led the hiring of Emery. Ivan Gazidis who had been in charge of Arsenal for most of Wenger’s reign, left his own party for AC Milan and so did the adored billionaire Russian, Alisher Usmanov. Many Arsenal faithfuls had hoped that Mr. Usmanov would eventually assume majority ownership of the club from American Sports Entrepreneur, Stan Kroenke, whom they believe is less eager to spend on the club. Instead, the Russian surrendered his stake into the hands of the less adored Kroenke completing yet another set of roadblock in Arsenal and Unai Emery’s highway to the desired change.

This was not the end of it. The celebrated scouting genius, Sven Mislintat, who had masterminded the recruitment of Lucas Torreira, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Matteo Guendouzi, left his role, just less than two years into the Arsenal job. All this just gives even more context as to the seemingly impossible task on Emery’s plate to smooth sail the ship of change. How did he do though? Let’s find out.

The unbeaten run & players’ modern day Zorro

Unai Emery manager of Arsenal actions during training ahead of the International Champions Cup 2018 match between Arsenal v Paris Saint Germain on July 27, 2018 in Singapore.

(July 26, 2018 - Source: Thananuwat Srirasant/Getty Images AsiaPac)

An impressive pre-season, decorated by the outstanding performance of midfield prodigy, Matteo Guendouzi and the tantalizing prospect of the combination of Lacazette, Mkhitaryan, Aubameyang and Ozil (LMAO), preached hope. Two matches into the Premier League season, two losses to both Manchester City and Chelsea became a reality check. But what happened next couldn’t have been in the script. Unai led his charges to a 22-match unbeaten run in all competitions. The 22-year-old Nigerian, Alex Iwobi, international who had a mixed start to his career under Wenger suddenly earned the nickname, The Nigerian Messi. The new midfield acquisitions in Torreira and Guendouzi proved to be huge bargains as they strengthened the Arsenal spine which had been questioned since the departure of Alex Song. The two even started to bring the best out of the Swiss international, Granit Xhaka, whose fingerprints featured on most crime scenes that involved Arsenal conceding goals of their own accord. The 26-year-old has is slowly becoming a force to reckon with in the Arsenal setup though he still does have a few off days, here and there. Emery continued with his demanding attitude and even became a point of discussion in the January transfer window as he resorted to dropping the German artist and world cup winner, Mesut Ozil. The Arsenal head coach was undone, he appeared to have had a midas touch on all of the Gunners’ current crop of players even the long-forgotten Carl Jenkinson who has been on the fringes got some minutes under his belt. Time won’t permit me to mention the likes of Hector Bellerin and Rob Holding who had lost their heads during Wenger’s last few years, perhaps as a result of self-esteem issues but bounced back to become regulars in Emery’s team. Lacazette and the Gabonese international, Aubameyang are still soaring as perhaps the deadliest striking duo in the Premier League, even when they do not play together. The latter already has 18 goals to his name in his first full EPL season and very much on the toes of top scorers, Egypt’s Salah and Sergio Aguero who are both on 19 goals.

He’s like the Latin comic hero, Zorro, saving the day and redeeming North London again to yield to Arsenal’s causes.

The possible fairy-tale ending on the horizon

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Arsenal celbrates with Matteo Guendouzi of Arsenal after he scores his sides third goal during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Leicester City at Emirates Stadium on October 22, 2018 in London, United Kingdom.

(Oct. 21, 2018 - Source: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images Europe)

Adding some few numbers to Emery’s case for a great job so far, we learn that Arsenal is the third most prolific team in the Premier League with a total of 66 goals in 33 outings, just behind title chasers, Manchester and Liverpool who are head and shoulders above the rest. He is clearly succeeding in retaining the attractive style of play he was hired to. Arsenal already have 66 points with 5 more matches to play, that is 3 more points than their total tally for the whole of last season. There are on course to reach the Europa League semi-finals, if they preserve their 2-0 advantage heading into the second leg against Napoli – a route that also presents an opportunity to get champions league football if they go ahead to win it. They are currently 4th on the Premier League table and considering their run—in of games, still to play Leicester, Wolves, Burnley, Crystal Palace, and Brighton, they have a better chance at landing the 3rd spot as opposed to 3 other top six rivals who still have to face teams above them on the log. The only statistic that will matter is Arsenal’s final position after match-day 38. Should that position be 3rd, taking into account all the circumstances that confounded Arsenal’ season, the Spaniard definitely deserves some accolades. The Gunners could slowly creep back into title conversations in the next few years with the right backing of its board in the transfer market.

What are your thoughts?

Is Karim Benzema the best striker in Real Madrid’s club history?

Raul Gonzalez of Real Madrid celebrates after scoring Real's first goal during the La Liga match between Real Madrid and Valladolid at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium on April 12, 2009 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images) * Local Caption * Raul Gonzalez

(April 12, 2009 - Source: Denis Doyle/Getty Images Europe)

Is Karim Benzema the best striker in Real Madrid’s club history?

Real Madrid Club de Fútbol, commonly referred to as Real Madrid is undeniably one of the most decorated clubs on the face of the earth. The Spanish giants have won everything there is to win, on countless occasions. With 33 La Liga titles, 13 UEFA Champions League trophies and 4 FIFA Club World Cup accolades to show for it, what else can a fan ask for. Their rich history is painted by some of the greatest names in the game of football that braced the white colors and terrorized teams in Europe, and beyond. Think of Alfredo Di Stéfano, Ferenc Puskás, Santillana, Hugo Sánchez, Raúl and the recently departed Cristiano Ronaldo who have all scored more than 200 goals for the club. In the midst of all this, there has been a growing debate about the case of French forward, Karim Benzema. Some make a claim for him being the greatest striker that the club has seen. Before disregarding this view. Let’s explore his journey.

 Joining Madrid as a youngster

As expected of the biggest clubs in the world, only the best players across the continent make it to the first team of the Los Blancos. Some have to wait until they hit their prime age which can be way into their late 20s. For instance, a world-cup winner in Zinedine Zidane, only captured the attention of Real Madrid at the age of 29 and moved to the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in 2001. Such is the demand for quality at the club. Their blockbuster transfer policy targeting the best players in the world has since been referred to as Galactico signings. In the case of Karim, the forward joined Real Madrid from Lyon at the age of 21 in a deal believed to be in the region of $50 million. He had only managed to score 43 goals in 112 appearances which amounted to 4 French Ligue 1 titles. Unlike Zidane, he had no FIFA World Cup winners’ medal. This attests to Benzema’s talent as a kid which caught the eye of Madrid and allowed him to become the third most expensive signing on their books in 2009 only after Ricardo Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo. No doubt, Benzema was privileged to join Real Madrid at such a young age.

Slow Start

Just like any player that joins the Real Madrid dressing room, Karim Benzema had huge shoes to fill. At the time, he faced competition from the club captain Raul Gonzalez, a striker regarded to be one of the best the Spanish National team has ever had. Also, there was a certain Gonzalo Higuain, the prodigy from the Real Madrid B team that was making waves and staking a claim for a seat at the big table. Really, Benzema had no right to ask for anything. In a total of 33 appearances, he scored just 9 goals compared to Gonzalo Higuain’s 24 goals in 44 appearances. Despite the marginal goal return, the then Real Madrid coach, Jose Mourinho had seen enough from the youngster to force club legend, Raul to the exit door. Consequently, Raul left the club the following season and the striking responsibilities were left to the pair.

“How Benzema’s movement drew Chiellini out of position before releasing the ball to Ronaldo who slid it through to Dani Carvajal on the right flank. From that moment, you could tell this was a goal scoring move...”

— Tinotenda Magiya, FirstTouch Africa

Evolution of Striking Role

Having followed football in the past two decades, one can witness the evolution of the game which has resulted in an increase in the demand of ball-playing abilities from all 11 players inclusive of the goalkeeper. In the present day, strikers are seen leading the press when out of possession and are pivotal in counter attacking football where their hold-up play is questioned and they are tasked with feeding the ball to the wide channels. Jose Mourinho was way ahead of his time and quickly noticed that Benzema was not just capable of fitting this role, but also maintain a fair number of goal returns. As such, Benzema had an edge over Gonzalo Higuain even though the Argentinian was more ferocious in front goal. For about 3 more seasons, the pair were used interchangeably with Higuain undoubtedly more efficient in scoring goals but he could never get it around his head as to why he was not a clear starter in the Real Madrid team. As a result, he gave up and left for Napoli in 2013, leaving the reigns in Karim Benzema’s hands. It is fair to say that Real Madrid have not lived to regret that decision considering the hefty $44 million sum paid by the Italian club for a player struggling to keep Benzema off the team.

Cristiano Ronaldo (R) of Real Madrid CF celebrates scoring their opening goal with teammate Karim Benzema (L) during the La Liga match between Real Madrid CF and FC Barcelona at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on October 25, 2014 in Madrid, Spain.

(Oct. 24, 2014 - Source: Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images Europe)

Complementing Cristiano Ronaldo

As established, Karim Benzema had outstanding playmaking abilities. His unselfishness on the pitch, often saw him drifting out wide creating space for Ronaldo to occupy the central positions where he created the most havoc from and scored unthinkable number of goals. In Ronaldo’s best years of his career, he was playing with Karim Benzema, the striker that sacrificed a lot for the Portuguese international to achieve greatness and earn a mention among the talk of the best players of all time. Take a moment to reflect on Ronaldo’s opener in the UEFA Champions League final against Juventus in 2017. How Benzema’s movement drew Chiellini out of position before releasing the ball to Ronaldo who slid it through to Dani Carvajal on the right flank. From that moment, you could tell this was a goal scoring move as the Juventus defence was left confused as to whom will receive the final pass in the box. Benzema drew another defender in Barzagli. In the end, Ronaldo tapped home the goal from the edge of the edge of the eighteen area and sped off to the corner flag for his trademark goal celebration. We saw this on several occasions. The pair stroke up a devastating partnership which saw Ronaldo finishing off most of the moves and Benzema being hailed the master or genius behind the goals. Apart from that, one also ought to consider his defensive contribution in the new shape Madrid team especially in the absence of Gareth Bale. Cristiano Ronaldo was the only player free of defensive duties in the Real Madrid team which meant that his partner had to do most of the dirty work. Benzema covered the ground in tight matches like the El Classicos where Barcelona had most of the possession and the Los Blancos had to do a lot of chasing. All this he did knowing that if he could manage to thread through just one ball in between the lines to Ronaldo, he was the only player who could turn half a chance into a goal. Therefore, Benzema adapted his game to bring out the best in Ronaldo. This adaptation should never be underestimated considering Benzema was an out-and-out striker capable of scoring goals on his own. In addition, the best players must have the ability to adapt to a situation and perform at any club. The likes of Kaka failed to live up to expectations partly due to the fact that he could not adapt his game as he was used to being the main man in his previous club. That said, Benzema should be respected for being able to adapt his game to suit the team and survive in the club for as long a time as he has done. A decade to be specific.

Karim Benzema of Real Madrid celebrates after scoring his sides first goal during the UEFA Champions League Final between Real Madrid and Liverpool at NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium on May 26, 2018 in Kiev, Ukraine.

(May 25, 2018 - Source: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images Europe)

 Form after Ronaldo

Post the Cristiano Ronaldo era, Benzema is leading the line for Real Madrid with little competition for a starting berth. This season, he has managed to score a total of 31 goals across all competitions and is the second highest goal scorer in La Liga with 21 goals, only behind Lionel Messi. Karim’s finishing abilities had been doubted over the past 9 seasons when Ronaldo was there as he was doing more of the creating but he is beginning to show his natural skill which is to sag nets. With 5 matches to go, the Real Madrid forward is on course to outscore all the traditional forwards in the league, i.e. the number 9s, precisely what is expected of strikers at Real Madrid.

The Accolades

The talk of the best in modern day football involves the individual contribution and the collective achievements won by the players. The debate about Messi and Ronaldo boils down to Ballon d’Ors and UEFA Champions League crowns. Although Benzema is yet to win the Ballon d’Or, he has done the most in winning everything winnable at club level. The table below shows Benzema’s achievements in comparison with other Real Madrid players in his position.

Name UEFA Champs La Liga FIFA Club WC Total Accolades

Benzema 4 2 4 10

Di Stefano 5 8 1 14

Raul 3 6 2 11

To date, Benzema has a total of 10 major trophies just 4 shy of Di Stefano’s achievements. This is promising for the striker who has just turned 31. He looks indispensable at the heart of the front line and with Zidane returning to the club, his fortunes look promising. Furthermore, the eras in which these players played for Madrid is different. Di Stefano and Raul were privileged to play in an era when Real Madrid was dominating domestically. The level of competition from the rivals was not as stiff as of the present day. That said, Benzema is at a disadvantage and has to inspire his team to change the narrative.

 Individual Stats

The most interesting part for some. The numbers that reflect the individual’s contribution to the game.

Name Goals Scored No. of Appearances

Benzema 222 462

Di Stefano 323 741

Raul 308 396

From this, it is evident that Benzema has the least compared to the rest. However, this does not take anything away from his individual contribution as he was playing with Ronaldo, and made sure that the player became the greatest goal scorer Real Madrid have ever had. Cristiano Ronaldo scored a record total of 450 goals in 438 appearances. Without Ronaldo, Benzema could have easily doubled his tally as long as he was given the respect his predecessors had when leading the team from the last third of the pitch.

Verdict

In conclusion, I think it is justifiable to consider that Karim Benzema is among the finest strikers that Real Madrid has seen. As established, his individual talent combined with his unselfishness on the pitch has had a ripple effect on the performances of other players like Ronaldo, and consequently, the team. Despite not playing in an era of dominance by the Spanish giants like his foes, he still managed to stake a claim among the greatest Los Blancos strikers. I think Karim has a good shout for being the best. What are your thoughts?

Who will win the MLS Golden Boot this season?

Forward Josef Martinez #7 of Atlanta United stands with a young fan for the national anthem before the game against the New York Red Bulls at Bobby Dodd Stadium on March 5, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia.

(March 4, 2017 - Source: Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images North America)

There are few things that can be seen that are more magical than a beautifully volleyed goal. A quality goal stirs up as much emotion as one of Michelangelo’s renaissance paintings.  While quality goals represent all that is beautiful about the game of soccer, — the quantity of goals is as important as the quality. The MLS’ golden boot award celebrates the somewhat obsession we have with scoring as many goals as possible. Here’s a list of the top five favourites to finish the regular season with the most goals this season.  

Number #1 - Josef Martinez

Atlanta United’s,  Josef Martinez is at the top of the world at the moment. Last year he managed to collect the League title with his team and was named MVP, capping it all off by taking home the golden boot. The 25-year-old closed off the season with 31 goals in 32 games, that was the best season ever recorded in the MLS for any striker. Josef Martinez’s 2018 season was reminiscent of another South American giant’s — Luis Suarez’s outstanding 2013-2014 EPL season at Liverpool. Suarez scored 31 goals in 33 matches, won player of the year and the golden boot award ahead of teammate Daniel Sturridge.

Martinez is to Atlanta United what Suarez was to Liverpool. He’s still going to be at the forefront of United’s attack, scoring goals and setting the pace of the game. He has the best accuracy in the league, recording 56 on target shots out of 97. He is replicating the 85-90% average of last year’s performance and could retain the golden boot.

Number #2 - Zlatan Ibrahimovic

After joining Messi and Ronaldo on the list of living players who have netted 500 goals for country and club last year, we know that Zlatan is a goal-scoring maestro. He is, after all, Zlatan. In his debut MLS season, he proved to the world and his club that he can still be the engine of the team, with 23 goals in 27 games for the MLS giants, the LA Galaxy. However, he lost the golden boot to Atlanta United’s, Josef Martinez. The 37-year-old has declared that his goal for this season is to beat Martinez’s record-breaking 31 goals from last season, definitely something no one can put past him.

Maybe this will be the season that the Swede’s age finally catches up with him or he’ll maintain his solid performance throughout, and remain Galaxy’s top scorer. His start to this season seems to be pointing more towards the latter of the two scenarios. After missing, a couple of matches back in March due to an Achilles heel injury, he came back to score three goals in three games. Zlatan’s main task this season is to take LA Galaxy to the playoffs and claim that title.

Number #3 - Wayne Rooney

Wayne Rooney is absolutely and unequivocally a legend of the game. At 33, the veteran footballer’s presence in MLS alone is an incredible development for the league. He has had one of the best careers in football, winning multiple titles at Manchester United. Many fans will be looking at what he can bring to D.C United, hoping that he would replicate some of his best performances in the league across the pond. As a mid-season signing, he made a huge impact in D.C’s successful campaign last season, making it to the playoffs. Rooney’s 16 goals in 23 appearances was a good start to his career in the US.

Before Rooney left Manchester, it seemed as though the former captain had slowed down and was becoming more irrelevant with Jose Mourinho’s preferring to leave him out of his starting XI. The subsequent move to Everton did not produce sparks either. Nonetheless, the move to the States seems like a more comfortable place for the striker. He’s scoring goals and is playing with hunger, working for titles that he hasn’t been able to win in the last years of his career in England.

“A quality goal stirs up as much emotion as one of Michelangelo’s renaissance paintings.  While quality goals represent all that is beautiful about the game of soccer, — the quantity of goals is as important as the quality. The MLS’ golden boot award celebrates the somewhat obsession we have with scoring as many goals as possible. ”

— Margaret Mandeya, FirstTouch Africa

Number #4 - Bradley Wright Phillips  

Zlatan Ibrahimovic #9 and Sebastian Lletget #17 of the Los Angeles Galaxy celebrate Ibrahimovics' first half goal against the Chicago Fire at Toyota Park on April 14, 2018 in Bridgeview, Illinois. The Galaxy defeated the Fire 1-0.

(April 13, 2018 - Source: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images North America)

Another top runner for the golden boot this year is a two-time winner and New York Red Bulls forward — Bradley Wright Phillips. The 34-year old English forward closed last season with 20 goals and 8 assists. The playoffs period during the 2018 season was a slower part of the year for Phillips. Nonetheless, the rest of the year he was on point and on target, becoming the fastest player to score a century of goals back in July.

Phillips is the linchpin of the Red Bulls attack. The number 99 is good on the solo attack but he scores most of his goals from assists distinguishing him as the number 1 shot taker in the squad. The hype around the former Norwich player has lasted over 5 years since his MLS debut back in 2013, mainly due to his consistency as a centre forward which makes him a stand out choice to claim the golden boot this year.

Number #5 - Jordan Morris

Last season we barely saw much of Jordan Morris due to an ACL injury that took him out for most of the season. The time has arrived for the 24-year old striker to prove himself. Jordan is a graceful player with an acute accuracy in the penalty box, and particularly brilliant with converting from really tight angles. Jordan’s best season so far was the 2016 season where he netted 12 times in 33 games played.

Most likely to break the 20 goal threshold

The winner of the golden boot will most likely finish the season with an upward of 25 goals, given the competition with Josef Martinez who averaged 1.4 goals last season and Zlatan who wants to crush that record. However, there some players that are likely to surprise us and score between 15 - 20 goals this season and might even come close to finishing in the top five. Here are they are in no logical order:

1. Kei Kamara - the legend

2. Jeremy Ebobisse

3. Krisztian Nemeth

Liverpool’s African “imports” are out there making dreams come true

“The 2017/18 PFA Player of the season sprang up from nowhere, wriggled and danced past Emerson before driving his effort into the top corner to score an EPL goal of the season contender. Nostalgic was the word.”

— Dennis Takaendesa, FirstTouch Africa

The Merseyside club’s silverware drought may soon come to an end as the Premier League and even the continental race to capture the UEFA Champions League trophy goes down the wire.

They have had to wait for 29 solid years to dream again, of the reality to be declared English champions. The last time they won it, their current captain, Jordan Henderson had just been born. As of now, only a finger nail distance separates them and Pep’s Manchester City, every second, stride and sweat drop counts. This past weekend, Jurgen Klopp’s men swept past a stern Chelsea side who are in hunt for a champions league qualifying spot by netting two with no response.

Like most times if not always, familiar names grabbed the headlines. The Senegalese marksman, Sadio Mane who is enjoying his best Liverpool season statistically, opened the scoring early in the second half. Mane was a privileged recipient of Jordan Henderson’s carefully worked cross and was available to head the ball past Arizzabalaga from close range, for his 18th EPL goal of the season. Just one behind leading scorer, Sergio Aguero and teammate Salah in the race for the Golden Boot. Mane has now scored 21 goals in 41 matches for Liverpool this season, including a super important UCL brace in Munich that ensured the Merseyside’s progression into the quarter-finals.

Xherdan Shaqiri of Liverpool celebrates with teammte Sadio Mane after he provides the assist for Liverpool's first goal, an own goal by Wesley Hoedt of Southampton during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Southampton FC at Anfield on September 22, 2018 in Liverpool, United Kingdom.

(Sept. 21, 2018 - Source: Alex Livesey/Getty Images Europe)

The points were wrapped up, only a moment after Mane’s goal. The Egyptian king, Mohamed Salah, who had earned a less desired nickname as a “one-season wonder” after going through eight Premier League matches without scoring, delivered a beauty. The 2017/18 PFA Player of the season sprang up from nowhere, wriggled and danced past Emerson before driving his effort into the top corner to score an EPL goal of the season contender. Nostalgic was the word. We were all taken back to the former season where he bagged 32 goals to break Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Suarez record of most goals scored in a single Premier League season. It’s now two in the last two for the Egyptian. He is not doing bad either in the current, as he is joint top scorer with Aguero.

For the most part, it has only been these two Africans delivering the goods for Liverpool. However, the summer signing, Guinean Naby Keita is slowly coming to the party. After failing to net in his first 27 fixtures for the club, the dynamic midfielder now has two goals in his last three matches for Liverpool. So is the Cameroonian centre back, Joel Matip, who is looking an able long term partner for the heralded Virgil Van Dijk in the heart of the Reds’ defence.

All the hard work and money spent comes down to this moment. Liverpool are two points clear off City who have played one game less and with a total of four top flight league matches to play. Their 2-0 advantage over Porto heading into the second leg clash of the champions league quarter-finals means they are very much in the running to possibly capture both the league and UCL titles. They have toiled and came close on numerous occasions but perhaps 2019 is their year.

One thing is for sure, their African talent remains a critical component of that charge and ambition.

As anticipated, the Liverpool and Chelsea EPL fixture grabbed the weekend headlines. So did Senegal, Egypt, Guinea and Cameroon who were well represented as the Reds marched on towards a possible Premier League title.

Why the 2019 AFCON Draw seems not to be making a lot of sense?

“ For instance, group A which comprises of hosts Egypt, DR Congo, Uganda and Zimbabwe had three of the four nations that topped their respective groups. Ideally and more sensibly, the groups should have an equal balance of those who finished first and second – at least as a reward for the exploits of those who topped their groups. ”

— Dennis Takaendesa, FirstTouch Africa

The wait is over, the 24 finalists of this year’s Total Africa Cup of Nations were grouped last night in Egypt at a special event, held in the beautiful open space with a scenic view of the Sphinx and the historic pyramid of Giza. Battle lines were drawn long ago at the dawning of the qualifiers and now the chasing pack have learnt of their next opponents. However, there is something less interesting about the outcome of the draw, at least in my eyes.

Referencing the UEFA Champions League competition for example, there are rules that are factored in deciding fixtures and opponents, which include the club’s country of origin, final position in the group stages and popularly the seeding or in other words the ranking of the club. For example, in a typical UCL round of 16 draw, no two teams that faced each other in the preceding group stages can be drawn together, neither can two clubs from the same country and teams that finished first can only play those that were second as reward for getting pole position. Now, it all seems different for the first AFCON finals tournament to host 24 nations.

In seeding the finalists, the most recent FIFA World rankings were employed. A case can be made to use such a ranking but it may be less specific to the African continent thus have seemingly failed to incorporate the performance of the teams in the qualifiers or any other factors that make the competition more diverse. For instance, group A which comprises of hosts Egypt, DR Congo, Uganda and Zimbabwe had three of the four nations that topped their respective groups. Ideally and more sensibly, the groups should have an equal balance of those who finished first and second – at least as a reward for the exploits of those who topped their groups. Even worse, DR Congo and Zimbabwe faced each other in the qualifiers group stage and have do battle all over again whereas the competition and experience would have been more diverse and rich if the opponents were shuffled well with 22 other finalists. DR Congo who finished second behind Zimbabwe in their group even got a higher seeding than table topping Zimbabwe. One would be justified, should their question the importance of the qualifiers themselves. The same applies with the resultant group D that features one team that finished first in the qualifier groups, that is Morocco and then Namibia, Ivory Coast and South Africa who were all second. I obviously have more reservations about the resulting groups and the procedure of the draw of which time may not permit me to explore. Furthermore, the UEFA draw procedures are by no means a perfect standard but have indeed travelled some distance in promoting fairness and overall competition of the game.

Egyptian players celebrate winning after the Africa Cup of Nations final match between Ghana and Egypt from Universitaria Stadium on January 31, 2010 in Luanda, Angola.

(Jan. 30, 2010 - Source: Gallo Images/Getty Images Europe)

After all is said and done, all this will not make the competition less interesting but might take a little bit of fun out it. Rest assured, all the 24 nations will arrive in Egypt with a simple goal of conquering the continent and as we have seen in times past, they are no really underdogs in Africa.

The first and the second place finishers in the group stages are guaranteed round of 16 knock-out spots as well as four other best third-placed teams.

Here are the complete groups of the 2019 AFCON to run from the 21st of June – 19th of July in Egypt.

Group A: Egypt, DR Congo, Uganda, Zimbabwe

Group B: Nigeria, Guinea, Madagascar, Burundi

Group C: Senegal, Algeria, Kenya, Tanzania

Group D: Morocco, Ivory Coast, South Africa, Namibia

Group E: Tunisia, Mali, Mauritania, Angola

Group F: Cameroon, Ghana, Benin, Guinea-Bissau

Ajax, the most complete team in the Champions League Quarter Finals?

Their theme song, “don’t worry, about a thing, everything you need; is gonna be alright,” has been just that for the most part, a song of encouragement and consolation adopted from the legendary Bob Marley’s timeless records. As of now, in the 2018/19 UEFA Champions League competition, the Ajax faithful don’t need consolation, the song has become an affirmation of the reality and assurance of joy brought about by Erik Ten Hagen side’s on-the-pitch displays.

“They are simply scintillating and a marvel to watch, from defence to attack. Their goalkeeping talent in the 23-year-old Cameroonian in Andre Onana, 19-year-old captain in Mathijs De Light, Frenkie De Jong, the Moroccan left-hooker in Hakim Ziyech and the revitalised Dusan Tadic partnering with the coming of age striker, 22-year-old Brazilian, David Neres ”

— Dennis Takaendesa, FirstTouch Africa

The once so called minnows heading into the round of 16 of this year’s UCL competition have shown that they are more, no matter how they fare from now going forward, I am personally convinced they have made their case known before all of the old and young, great and mighty, pessimistic and optimistic. The young Ajax side with an average age of no more than 24 of their starting XI players, of which at least six of them are 22 years and under, are looking a complete side. Perhaps the most complete unit amongst all of Manchester United, Barcelona, Juventus, Porto, Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham, who made it to this year’s last eight of Europe’s elite club competition. Here is why.

David Neres of Ajax celebrates with teammates after scoring his team's first goal during the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final first leg match between Ajax and Juventus at Johan Cruyff Arena on April 10, 2019 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

(April 9, 2019 - Source: Getty Images Europe)

Barcelona and Juventus are undoubtedly huge favourites to go all the way, mainly because of their leading men, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo – the two best players of the century. Both sides would be less threatening and more vulnerable if it were not for the effort of those two magicians. Juve’s progression to the quarters was in doubt after losing 2-0 to Atletico Madrid and it required three Ronaldo goals to bail them out. Barca have been less convincing in first leg clashes against Lyon in the last 16 and now Manchester United, but as was the case with Lyon – you can surely bet that it all could still get Messi for Ole’s United because of the Argentine. Manchester City have been rampant in the group stages and even dismantled Schalke 04 with an aggregate scoreline of 10 – 2 in the knock out stages but simply didn’t turn up in their 1-0 loss at Tottenham, who were quite solid to be honest. Pochettino’s men however played the greater part of that fixture on the back-foot and things are looking quite nervy heading into the second leg, more so now that they have lost Harry Kane to an ankle injury. Manchester United are arguably the weakest teams amongst the eight, in open play, having gone past PSG courtesy of a miracle night in Paris and in desperate need of another miracle, if they are to defeat, La Liga’s champions in waiting, Barcelona at the Camp Nou. That leaves us with the Malian Mousa Marega’s Porto side which have been quite impressive though once found wanting in the first leg clashes against Roma and their recent 2-0 loss to Liverpool. As harsh as it may be to say, Liverpool seem to be lacking a footballing identity though they have been deservedly grinding out results. Their 0-0 draw against Bayern Munich in the first leg of the UCL quarters was more than a boring affair, they barely scrapped through the group stages and most recently benefited from Porto’s mistakes in the 2-0 quarters advantage.

Matthijs de Ligt of Ajax applauds fans after the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final first leg match between Ajax and Juventus at Johan Cruyff Arena on April 10, 2019 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

(April 9, 2019 - Source: Getty Images Europe)

As for de Godenzonen (Sons of God), finishing unbeaten in the group stages after battling the likes of Bayern Munich and Benfica has been proven to be far from just a fluke. As if that was not enough, they were unlucky to lose 2-1 to defending champions, Real Madrid in the first leg of the round of 16 even having a goal controversially ruled out for an infringement on goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois. They dominated proceedings with some total football and received their dues in the second leg, seeing off the winners of the UCL trophy for the past 3 years with an impressive 4-1 triumph that earned a special place in the pages of history. It was the same song all over again in their 1-1 home draw with Juve in the quarter-finals, as they dominated possession with 61% of the ball, and fearlessly knocked the ball around with purpose and intent against seasoned competitors like Juve who have since made it to two finals in the past four years. They are simply scintillating and a marvel to watch, from defence to attack. Their goalkeeping talent in the 23-year-old Cameroonian in Andre Onana, 19-year-old captain in Mathijs De Light, Frenkie De Jong, the Moroccan left-hooker in Hakim Ziyech and the revitalised Dusan Tadic partnering with the coming of age striker, 22-year-old Brazilian, David Neres – only to mention but a few.

It’s all to play for as they visit Turin on Tuesday for the second leg clash with Juve. Should they get past Ronaldo and company, you surely cannot rule them out to go all the way and end their UCL drought, having last won in the 1994-95 season. They are obviously at risk of losing most of their young talent in the summer and may not get the fairytale end to this year’s UCL campaign but one thing is for sure, their fans don’t have anything to worry about. Everything has been alright as the song suggests. They are a unit exhibiting total football and perhaps the most complete team among this year’s eight Champions League finalists, regardless of the results.