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
2014 WORLD CUP - FRANCE - KEY PLAYER - ‪KARIM BENZEMA - PROFILE

He has been named French Player of the Year twice for his performances in 2011 and 2012. Benzema is a former French youth international and has represented his nation from under-17 level onwards. 

Benzema has earned over 65 caps and represented France at three major international tournaments; the 2008 and 2012 editions of the UEFA European Football Championship and the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

30 Jun 2014

2014 World Cup - Ghana - squad - Jeffery Schlupp dropped from 23-man squad

Ghana
2014 World Cup - Squad​


Goalkeepers:

Fatau Dauda 
(Orlando Pirates)

Adam Kwarasey 
(Stromsgodset)

Stephen Adams 
(Aduana Stars)


Defenders: 

Samuel Inkoom 
(Platanias)

Daniel Opare 
(Standard Liege)

Harrison Afful 
(Esperance)

John Boye 
(Rennes)

Jonathan Mensah 
(Evian)

Rashid Sumalia 
(Mamelodi Sundowns).


Midfielders: 

Michael Essien 
(AC Milan)

Sulley Muntari 
(AC Milan)

Rabiu Mohammed 
(Kuban Krasnodar)

Kwadwo Asamoah 
(Juventus)

Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu 
(Udinese)

Afriyie Acquah 
(Parma)

Christian Atsu 
(Vitesse)

Albert Adomah 
(Middlesbrough)

Andre Ayew 
(Marseille)

Mubarak Wakaso 
(Rubin Kazan)


Strikers: 

Asamoah Gyan 
(Al Ain)

Kevin-Prince Boateng 
(Schalke 04)

Abdul Majeed Waris 
(Valenciennes)

Jordan Ayew 
(Sochaux)


Schlupp, who performed poorly in Ghana's 1:0 defeat by the Netherlands on Saturday, joins Helsingborg's David Accam and Turkey-based Jerry Akaminko in missing out. Akaminko broke his fibula in Rotterdam and will be out for three months.

The injury leaves Ghana short on defensive options but Black Stars coach Kwesi Appiah could play Michael Essien at centre back and Kwadwo Asamoah at left back if needs be.

Asamoah and Essien are two of the eight players in the Ghana squad with previous World Cup experience, while Asamoah Gyan and Sulley Muntari are heading for their third straight finals.

Meanwhile, the decision to retain Andre and Jordan Ayew - sons of local legend Abedi 'Pele' Ayew - means Ghana's most famous football family will be represented for the second World Cup in a row.

Ghana's World Cup preparations started in Accra on 20 May and the squad now heads to the United States for the final phase of preparations.

The Black Stars' final friendly will be against South Korea in Miami before the team arrives in the Brazilian city Maceio, their World Cup base on 11 June, five days before their World Cup opener against USA

They will also face Germany and Portugal in Group G.

 

1 Jun 2014
(BBC Sport, Accra by Michael Oti Adjei)

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