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

STARS IN EUROPE - CAMEROON - CLUB - Benjamin Moukandjo delighted with Lorient move

FC LORIENT BENJAMIN MOUKANDJO

 

Cameroon forward Benjamin Moukandjo is aiming for success with Lorient after joining the French club on a two-year deal from rivals Reims.

The 26-year-old, who has been in French football since 2007, joins alongside Ghana striker Abdul Majeed Waris.

After stints at Rennes, Monaco and Nancy, Moukandjo believes he has joined the right club at the right time.

"I'm delighted to be here at Lorient and to join an ambitious club," he told BBC Sport.

"I have been in this league for sometime now and at 26 this club provides my career with the ideal stability and challenge.

"I'm not lowering my standards but taking on a great challenge. I have high standards and I aim to achieve success with Lorient."

Lorient only just escaped relegation last season, finishing 16th on 43 points.

But Moukandjo says the chance to work with the club president Loïc Fery and manager Sylvain Ripoll was a big influence on his decision to join the Brittany club.

"When I spoke to the people in charge I could see the club is heading in the right direction," he added.

"I realise they are eager to fix the lessons from a difficult season and there is a solid foundation for this season's realistic ambition and beyond.

"It wasn't difficult to make up my mind to come here.

I received unbelievable offers from Asia but I prefer to continue my progress in this league and with Lorient.

"It's easy to be tempted by big money but I was not going to sacrifice my progress and development for that."

Moukandjo made his international debut for four-time African champions Cameroon against Senegal in June 2011.

An integral member of the Indomitable Lions, he started all three group matches against Mexico, Croatia and Brazil at the 2014 World Cup.

At the 2015 African Cup of Nations, when Cameroon were knocked out at the group stage, he scored in a 1:1 draw with Guinea.

 

 

9 Aug 2015
(BBC Sport, Lagos by Oluwashina Okeleji)

Related countries

Related articles