NATIONAL TEAM - BELGIUM - 2014 WORLD CUP - Belgium welcome attack-minded foes

“The United States came out to win the match rather than avoid defeat. We were then able to take advantage of the extra space,” confirmed Kevin De Bruyne, who opened the scoring in the third minute of extra time and put in a fine all-round performance, linking well with Eden Hazard in particular. “It was a real pleasure to play such free-flowing football,” he added.

2 Jul 2014
NATIONAL TEAM - SWITZERLAND - 2014 WORLD CUP - Goodbye, Ottmar Hitzfeld. All the best and take care.

Hitzfeld has made a positive impression wherever he has been stationed and his name is still regularly chanted in the stands at Bayern Munich.

“He put together a really good team that will last for many years to come,” Granit Xhaka told FIFA.com, before Josip Drmic added: “He’s done a great job.” 

2 Jul 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - DAY 19 - LAST SIXTEEN - ARGENTINA VS SWITZERLAND 1:0

LAST SIXTEEN
1st July 2014

Argentina vs Switzerland 1:0

1 Jul 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - DAY 19 - LAST SIXTEEN - BELGIUM VS USA 2:1

LAST SIXTEEN
1st July 2014

Belgium vs USA 2:1

1 Jul 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - ARGENTINA - KEY PLAYER - ‪LIONEL MESSI - PROFILE

Lionel Andrés Messi; born 24 June 1987, is an Argentine footballer who plays as a forward for Spanish club FC Barcelona and the Argentina national team. He serves as the captain of his country's national football team.

By the age of 21, Messi had received Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations. The following year, in 2009, he won his first Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards. 

1 Jul 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - USA - KEY PLAYER - ‪JERMAINE JONES - PROFILE

Jermaine Junior Jones, born 3 November 1981, is a German-American footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Turkish club Beşiktaş. He has previously played for Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayer Leverkusen, Blackburn Rovers and Schalke 04. He was born in Germany and represented them at U21 and senior level.

1 Jul 2014
NATIONAL TEAM - NIGERIA - COACH - STEPHEN KESHI RESIGNS AFTER EXIT

He becomes the sixth manager to leave his job during the World Cup, following the departures of Honduras's Luis Suarez, Iran's Carlos Queiroz, Japan's Alberto Zaccheroni, Italy's Cesare Prandelli and Ivory Coast's Sabri Lamouchi.

Keshi, who captained Nigeria at the 1994 World Cup finals, was previously in charge of Mali and Togo.

1 Jul 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - DAY 18 - LAST SIXTEEN - FRANCE vs NIGERIA 2:0

LAST SIXTEEN
30th June 2014

France vs Nigeria 2:0

30 Jun 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - DAY 18 - LAST SIXTEEN - GERMANY vs ALGERIA 2:1

LAST SIXTEEN
30th June 2014

Germany vs Algeria 2:1

30 Jun 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - GERMANY - KEY PLAYER - THOMAS MUELLER‬ - PROFILE

Müller's role can be described as an attacking all-rounder, a player able to play in a variety of forward positions. He can play in any of the attacking midfield roles but usually plays in the center for Bayern Munich, and on the right for Germany.

He has been used as an out-and-out striker on occasion. Müller has been praised for his maturity, pace, technique, awareness and positioning.

30 Jun 2014

NATIONAL TEAM - RWANDA - COACH - Ratomir Dujkovic on shortlist for Rwanda coach position

Ratomir Dujkovic could be in line for a second spell in charge of Rwanda after being placed on a shortlist to become the national team's next coach. The 68-year-old Serbian led the Wasps for three years from 2001, guiding them to the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia. He is among eight coaches being considered by the Federation of Rwandan Football Associations (Ferwafa) to succeed Eric Nshimiyimana, whose contract ends on 31 July. It is understood that Ferwafa may seek to end Nshimiyimana's reign sooner than that date.

Nshimiyimana, a former Rwanda skipper, has not performed well since taking over from Milutin 'Micho' Sredojevic in March last year, having failed to take the team to the later stages of the Africa Cup of Nations, CHAN qualifiers and also the regional Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup in Kenya.Ferwafa president Vincent Degaule Nzamwita said a committee will be set up and and will work closely with the Ministry of Sports and Culture to assess the eight coaches on the shortlist.

Dujkovic, who also took Ghana to the 2006 World Cup, is believed to be in a strong position. The other coaches listed for the job include; Luc Eymael, Didier Gomes da Rosa, Branko Tucak, Rene Feller, Hans Michael Weiss and former Malawi, Ethiopia and Namibia coach Tom Saintfiet.

Next month, Rwanda begin their campaign to qualify for the 2015 Nations Cup and will learn who they will face in the second round of the preliminary stage when the draw is made on Sunday at the Confederation of African Football headquarters in Cairo, Egypt.

27 Apr 2014
(BBC Sport, Kampala by Andrew Jackson Oryada)

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