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 - GHANA - NO BOATENG OR MUNTARI IN SQUAD

Africa Cup 2015 GROUP C

GROUP C - FIXTURES
19 Jan: vs Senegal in Mongomo
23 Jan: vs Algeria in Mongomo
27 Jan: vs South Africa in Mongomo


However there is no place for Sulley Muntari or Kevin-Prince Boateng, despite talk they maybe recalled after being sent home from the World Cup.

Both are suspended indefinitely for gross misconduct while in Brazil.

Muntari misses out despite having what Grant described as fruitful talks with the player.

Shortly after being appointed as Ghana coach Grant had said: "The door is open for everybody, but there are criteria."

However AC Milan midfielder Muntari is yet to apologise for the physical altercation with a management committee member that triggered his indefinite suspension.

Muntari's AC Milan teammate Michael Essien is another player to miss out as does goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey.

Kwarasey, who was part of the World Cup squad, is looking to build a new career in Major League Soccer in the USA with Portland Timbers following his recent move from Norway.

The former Chelsea boss has stuck with many of those who helped Ghana qualify for the finals in Equatorial Guinea but has also recalled some familiar names .

Samuel Inkoom, who recently signed for MLS side Houston Dynamos, and Middlesbrough's Albert Adomah are both back after missing out since the World Cup.

Grant has also called up several new names including Frank Acheampong, whose performances for Anderlecht in the Champions League against Arsenal caught the eye.

Arguably the biggest surprise on the list is striker Kwesi Appiah, who is on loan at Cambridge United in the fourth tier of English football from Crystal Palace.

Ghana are yet to decide where they will train but are due to being their camp in the first week of January before Grant names his final 23 for the tournament.


Provisional Black Stars squad:


Goalkeepers: 

Razak Braimah 
(Mirandes, Spain)

Adams Stephen 
(Aduana Stars)

Fatau Dauda 
(AshGold)

Ernest Sowah 
(Don Bosco, DR Congo)


Defenders: 

Harrison Afful 
(Esperance, Tunisia)

John Boye 
(Erciyesspor, Turkey)

Jonathan Mensah 
(Evian, France)

Jeffery Schlupp 
(Leicester City, England)

Awal Mohammed 
(Maritzburg, South Africa)

Kwabena Adusei 
(Mpumalanga Black Aces, South Africa)

Baba Rahman 
(Augsburg, Germany)

Gyimah Edwin 
(Mpumalanga Black Aces, South Africa)

Samuel Inkoom 
(Houston Dynamo, USA)

Daniel Amartey
(FC Copenhagen, Denmark)


Midfielders: 

Rabiu Mohammed 
(Krasnodar, Russia)

Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu 
(Udinese, Italy)

Afriyie Acquah 
(Parma, Italy)

Solomon Asante 
(T.P. Mazembe, DR Congo)

Christian Atsu 
(Everton, England)

Mubarak Wakaso 
(Celtic, Scotland)

Andre Ayew 
(Olympique Marseille, France)

Alfred Duncan 
(Sampdoria, Italy)

Albert Adomah 
(Middlesbrough, England)

Frank Acheampong 
(Anderlecht, Belgium)

Adu Kofi 
(Malmo, Sweden)

Ibrahim Moro 
(AIK Stockholm, Sweden)


Strikers: 

Jordan Ayew 
(Lorient, France)

Abdul-Majeed Waris 
(Trabzonspor, Turkey)

Asamoah Gyan 
(Al Ain, UAE)

Kwesi Appiah 
(Cambridge United, England) 

David Accam 
(Chicago Fire, USA)

 

 

8 Jan 2015
(BBC Sport, Accra by Michael Oti Adjei)

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