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

NATIONAL TEAM - ZAMBIA - COACH - Zambia look to replace Honour Janza with foreign coach

AFRICA CUP 2015

 

Janza was appointed as Chipolopolo coach last August 2014 after the departure of Patrice Beaumelle.

He was in charge of Zambia at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea where the team suffered a first round elimination.

But FAZ president Kalusha Bwalya said Janza will soon be replaced.

"The FAZ executive committee sat and evaluated the performance of the technical bench and the decision was made to find a foreign coach who will fit the national team profile," Bwalya told the body's annual general meeting on Saturday.

"Janza still needs more training - we should not be blind that we put a local coach just for the sake of it."

Janza, who has been working as coach without a contract, will still be involved with the Zambia set-up after his successor is employed. 

Bwalya said Janza would revert to his initial position as Faz technical director.

Meanwhile, Zambian clubs have rejected a proposal that required officials who wished to stand for the Faz presidency to have first served on the executive as well as pay a nomination fee of approximately $3,000.

It comes as the association gears up for elections next year.

The controversial proposals drew widespread disapproval, with record-time Zambian champions Nkana being one of the teams against the ideas.

"We feel people must be ushered in offices based on their capabilities and proven performance and not through underhand methods such as systematic barring of potential candidates," Nkana said in a statement.

"With regard to the proposed non-refundable astronomical fees to participate in Faz elections, this is a big joke that must be rejected by all sober-minded and football-loving fans and administrators."

Bwalya dispelled assertions that the proposals were meant to make him president of the association for life.

"We are democratic and if people feel the current constitution is okay, then the executive committee has no problem," Bwalya told delegates.

"It is not our intention to make councillors doubt the executive committee. 

We are here to serve you and if you feel it's not the right time, we have to abide by your decision.

"It is not my intention to be president for life."

Bwalya has been at the helm since 2008, and the FAZ constitution has no restrictions on how long one can be president.

 

 

29 Mar 2015
(BBC Sport, Lusaka by Kennedy Gondwe)

Related countries

Related articles