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

2015 AFRICA CUP - IVORY COAST - KOLO TOURE IN SQUAD FOR LAST TIME

AFRICA CUP 2015 QUALIFIERS AFRICA CUP 2015

GROUP D - FIXTURES
20 Jan: vs Guinea
24 Jan: vs Mali
28 Jan: vs Cameroon

 

Kolo Toure

Kolo Toure will get the chance to play in one last international tournament after being named in the Ivory Coast squad for the Africa Cup of Nations.

The Liverpool defender, 33, has decided to retire from duty with the Elephants after the 17 January to 8 February finals in Equatorial Guinea.

His brother, Manchester City midfielder Yaya, is also in the 23-man squad.

Swansea's Wilfried Bony and Newcastle's Cheick Tiote are the other Premier League-based players selected.

It will be the first tournament for Ivory Coast since talismanic striker Didier Drogba retired from internationals and also the first time they have been led at a finals by Herve Renard, who guided Zambia to Nations Cup glory in 2012.

Defender Brice Dja Djedje has not been included after reportedly saying he wanted to concentrate on playing for his French side Marseille.

The 24-year-old has started 18 of 19 Ligue 1 matches for the French club this season and helped them to the top of the table, two points clear of Lyon, at the winter break.

Ivory Coast will face Cameroon, Mali and Guinea in Group D at the 17 January to 8 February tournament in Equatorial Guinea.


Ivory Coast squad:


Goalkeepers: 

Gbohouo Sylvain 
(Sewe)

Mande Sayouba 
(Staebek)

Coppa Barry 
(Lokeren)


Defenders: 

Aurier Serge 
(PSG)

Tiene Sakia 
(Montpelier)

Viera Ousmane 
(Rizesport)

Kolo Toure 
(Liverpool)

Wilfried Kanon 
(ADO)

Eric Bertrand Bailly 
(Espanyol)

Akpa Akpro Jean-Daniel 
(Toulouse)


Midfielders: 

Diomande Ismael 
(St Etienne)

Yaya Toure 
(Manchester City)

Serey Die Geoffrey 
(Bâle)

Doukouré Cheick 
(Metz)

Cheick Tiote 
(Newcastle) 

Gradel Max 
(St Etienne)

Assale Roger 
(Sewe San Pedro)


Forwards: 

Gervinho 
(AS Roma)

Kalou Salomon 
(Hertha Berlin)

Traore Lacina 
(AS Monaco)

Tallo Junior 
(Bastia)

Wilfried Bony 
(Swansea)

Seydou Doumbia 
(CSKA Moscow)

 

29 Dec 2014
(BBC Sport UK)

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