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 - DAY 17 - LAST SIXTEEN - NETHERLANDS VS MEXICO 2:1

LAST SIXTEEN
29th June 2014

Netherlands vs Mexico 2:1

Lucky dutchmen!

29 Jun 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - DAY 17 - LAST SIXTEEN - COSTA RICA VS GREECE 5:4 - win on penalties

LAST SIXTEEN
29th June 2014

Costa Rica vs Greece 5:4

Costa Rica through on penalties.

29 Jun 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - MEXICO - KEY PLAYER - ‪Giovani dos Santos‬ - PROFILE

Giovani dos Santos‬ was born in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Giovani joined FC Barcelona's academy of La Masia at the age of eleven and played for Barcelona's Juvenil A category where he helped his team to make a comeback in the league and win the regional title. 

This title allowed them to participate in the Youth Copa del Rey, where they faced other regional champions, among them their historic arch-rivals, Real Madrid. 

29 Jun 2014

2014 World Cup - squad - Idrissou dropped from Cameroon squad

Mohamadou Idrissou is one of the five players to be dropped from Cameroon's final squad for the World Cup. The 34-year-old Kaiserslautern striker has struggled in recent times and missed a penalty in a 2:1 friendly loss to Paraguay last week. Otherwise coach Volker Finke has opted for a tried and trusted line-up for his World Cup squad.

The other players to miss out are goalkeeper Guy Roland Ndy Assembe, midfielder Cedro Loe and defenders Jean-Armel Kana-Biyik and Gaetang Bong.


Players to miss out

• Guy Roland Ndy Assembe 
(Guingamp, France)

• Jean-Armel Kana-Biyick 
(Rennes, France)

• Gaetang Bong 
(Olympiakos, Greece)

• Cedric Loe 
(Osasuna., Spain)

• Mohamadou Idrissou 
(Kaiserslautern, Germany)


Coton Sport duo Loic Feidjou and Cedric Djeugoue are the only two locally based players on the 23-man list. Djeugoue sealed his place on the plane to Brazil with an impressive display in the Indomitable Lions' 2:2 draw with Germany on Sunday.

Kana-Biyik has been struggling with a thigh injury throughout the last two weeks of preparations in Austria and now will not be able to emulate his father Andre, who played at the 1990 and 1994 finals.

His uncle Francois Omam-Biyik scored the opening goal of the 1990 World Cup in Italy in Cameroon's upset triumph over defending champions Argentina, a match in which Andre was sent off.

Much will be expected of forward Vincent Aboubakar after his 16 goals for Lorient last season. That made him joint-second highest scorer in the French Ligue 1 behind only Zlatan Ibrahimovic. He is set to partner elder statesman Samuel Eto'o, who remains Cameroon's all-time leading scorer with 55 goals.

Cameroon are the most successful African team at the World Cup, qualifying for the tournament seven times and in Italy in 1990 they became the first team from the continent to reach the quarter-finals. In Brazil they will face the hosts, Croatia and Mexico in Group A.


Goalkeepers: 

Charles Itandje 
(Konyaspor, Turkey)

Sammy Ndjock 
(Fethiyespor, Turkey)

Lioc Feudjou 
(Coton Sport)


Defenders: 

Allan Nyom 
(Granada, Spain)

Nounkeu Dany 
(Besiktas, Turkey)

Cedric Djeugoue 
(Coton Sport)

Aurelien Chedjou 
(Galatasaray, Turkey)

Nicolas Nkoulou 
(Marseille, France)

Henri Bedimo 
(Lyon, France)

Benoit Assou-Ekotto 
(QPR, on loan from Tottenham, England)


Midfielders: 

Enoh Eyong 
(Antalyaspor, Turkey)

Jean Makoun 
(Rennes, France)

Joel Matip 
(Schalke 04, Germany)

Stephane Mbia 
(Sevilla, Spain on loan from QPR, England)

Landry Nguemo 
(Bordeaux, France)

Alexandre Song 
(Barcelona, Spain)

Edgar Salli 
(Lens, France)


Forwards: 

Samuel Eto'o 
(Chelsea, England)

Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting 
(Mainz 05, Germany)

Benjamin Moukandjo 
(Nancy, France)

Vincent Aboubakar 
(Lorient, France)

Pierre Achille Webo 
(Fenerbahce, Turkey)

Fabrice Olinga 
(Zulte Waregem, Belgium)

 

3 Jun 2014
(BBC Sport UK)

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