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 - QUARTER-FINALS - DAY 14 - Ghana vs Guinea - PREVIEW

AFRICA CUP 2015 GROUP C GROUP D Quarter-Finals

 

MATCH PREVIEW


Injuries aside, Guinea will be hoping that fortune is with them as they take on Ghana in a game that was moved to the Estadio de Malabo because of concerns about the surface in Mongomo.

Guinea survived in the competition only after winning a drawing of lots on Thursday to emerge from Group D at the expense of Mali.

They drew 1:1 in all three group games and are now setting their sights on going beyond the quarter-finals for the first time since the tournament was expanded to 16 teams in 1996.

"When we found out it was us, there was a great explosion of joy.

But, of course, I had a thought for the Malians," said Guinea coach Michel Dussuyer of the surreal manner in which his side went through.

"It is tough, because they also deserved to go through. 

They missed a penalty against us and then they go out on a drawing of lots. Luck was on our side. 

But if we have got to the quarter-finals it is because we deserved to somewhere."

The sides met in qualifying, with the Black Stars having the edge thanks to a 1:1 draw and then a 3:1 victory.

And Avram Grant's Ghana then finished top of a tough group ahead of Algeria, Senegal and South Africa.

"I can say there is a lot of talent here, very, very good players, quality in the highest level," said Grant.

"The quality of the players is good, the quality of the games is good also.

There have been many, many good games, which in a tournament you cannot take for granted.

Ghana are aiming to continue their record of having reached at least the semi-finals at each of the last four tournaments, and Grant says his team must be ready for every eventuality.

That means being prepared to overcome their penalty hoodoo after being knocked out in the 2010 World Cup quarter-finals by Uruguay and the 2013 Nations Cup semi-finals by Burkina Faso in shoot-outs.

"We need to prepare ourselves for everything. 

I don't want to look in the past.

I have some experience of penalties," Grant said with a nod to Chelsea's defeat to Manchester United on penalties in the 2008 Champions League final when he was in charge of the London club.

"We need to think about all possibilities, but I suggest not to take the past as a fact. 

There are things in the past that were not so good, so we try to improve them."

 


MATCH FACTS

• This is the fifth Nations Cup tournament in a row that Ghana have made the knockout stage - they've always finished in the top four in the previous four tournaments

• Guinea were awarded a quarter-final spot at the expense of Mali through the drawing of lots.  

• The last time this happened at an Nations Cup in 1988, when Algeria progressed ahead of Ivory Coast

• Guinea have never beaten Ghana at this tournament but this will be their first meeting in the latter stages of a competition

• Ghana have scored in each of their five Nations Cup matches against the National Elephants, but never more than twice

• Andre Ayew was involved in the most goals in the group stage (3, scoring two and assisting another)

• The Marseille man scored with both of his shots on target in the group stage

• Guinea have only made it further than the quarter-finals once in four attempts, when they finished runners-up in 1976

• No side faced fewer shots on target in the group stage than the Black Stars (6)

 

31 Jan 2015
(BBC Sport UK)

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