Key-Player World Cup 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. 

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1 Jul 2014
Key-Player World Cup 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.

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1 Jul 2014
Coaches National teams World Cup 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.

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1 Jul 2014
Fixtures+Results National teams Squad World Cup 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - DAY 18 - LAST SIXTEEN - FRANCE vs NIGERIA 2:0

LAST SIXTEEN
30th June 2014

France vs Nigeria 2:0

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30 Jun 2014
Fixtures+Results National teams Squad World Cup 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - DAY 18 - LAST SIXTEEN - GERMANY vs ALGERIA 2:1

LAST SIXTEEN
30th June 2014

Germany vs Algeria 2:1

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30 Jun 2014
Key-Player World Cup 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.

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30 Jun 2014
Key-Player World Cup 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.

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30 Jun 2014
Fixtures+Results National teams Squad World Cup 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!

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29 Jun 2014
Fixtures+Results National teams Squad World Cup 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.

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29 Jun 2014
Key-Player World Cup 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. 

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29 Jun 2014
Africa Cup 2015 National teams

2015 AFRICA CUP - QUARTER-FINALS - DAY 14 - Ivory Coast vs Algeria - PREVIEW

AFRICA CUP 2015 GROUP C GROUP D Quarter-Finals

 

MATCH PREVIEW


MATCH PREVIEW

Ivory Coast and pre-tournament favourites Algeria go head-to-head in what has the makings of a classic quarter-final.

The Elephants have yet to his top gear and know they will have to raise their game against the leading side in Africa according to the Fifa rankings.

Neutrals will be hoping for a repeat of the 2010 quarter-final encounter between the teams in Angola, when the Ivory Coast led 2:1 going into injury time only for Algeria to equalise before triumphing 3:2 after extra-time.

However, Ivorian coach Herve Renard will settle for a solid defensive display from his side.

For all the attention given to captain Yaya Toure and an attack led by Wilfried Bony, it was their defence which particularly impressed in Wednesday's 1:0 defeat of Cameroon which took the Elephants through.

"There are not many teams in the world who are capable of attacking all the time. 

At international level Spain have been able to play that way and today maybe Germany too. But we are not Germany, we are Ivory Coast," said Renard.

In the opposite dugout will be Renard's fellow Frenchman Christian Gourcuff, an advocate of passing football.

He frequently complained that his team were unable to string passes together in their first two group games in Mongomo but saw an improvement in the 2:0 defeat of Senegal in Malabo on Tuesday that took his team through.

 

MATCH FACTS

• Ivory Coast and Algeria have met six times before in the Africa Cup of Nations, with two wins apiece and two draws

• However, only one of those meetings has been in the knockout stage - Algeria progressed to the semi-finals in 2010 after extra time, winning 3:2

• The Desert Warriors have made it past the quarter-final stage just once since winning the tournament in 1990, the aforementioned win over Ivory Coast.

• The Elephants have made the knockout stage of the competition for the sixth edition in a row.

• Serge Aurier attempted the most dribbles in the group stage (20)

• Sofiane Feghouli was the only player to provide more than one assist in the group stage (2)

• These two sides conceded the most fouls in the group stage - Ivory Coast committed 74 fouls, Algeria 62

• Max Gradel has scored in four of his last five competitive games for the Elephants

 

 

31 Jan 2015
(BBC Sport UK)

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