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

WORLD CUP 2018 QUALIFIERS - AFRICA - 2ND ROUND - 2nd leg - so far

WORLD CUP 2018 QUALIFIERS
2nd round / 2nd leg
Region: Africa
Date: 11.11. - 17.11.2015

 
Second round, second leg matches

Saturday

Gabon vs Mozambique 1:0 
(1:1 on agg. Gabon win 4:3 on penalties)

Sunday

Uganda vs Togo 3:0
(Uganda win 4:0 on agg.)

Zambia vs Sudan 2:0
(Zambia win 3:0 on agg.)

DR Congo vs Burundi 2:2 
(DR Congo win 5:4 on agg.)

Equatorial Guinea vs Morocco 1:0 
(Morocco win 2:1 on agg.)

Guinea vs Namibia 2:0 
(Guinea win 3:0 on agg.)

 

DR Congo advance in African World Cup qualifying along with Guinea, Uganda, Zambia, Morocco and Gabon.

A penalty from Yannick Bolasie helped the Democratic Republic of Congo edge past Burundi 5:4 on aggregate to reach the group phase of African World Cup qualifying.

Earlier on Sunday, Uganda, Zambia and Morocco also advanced to the group phase.

They joined Gabon who became the first country to book their place on Saturday.

DR Congo hosted Burundi in Kinshasa on Sunday leading 3:2 from the first leg.

Jordan N'kololo put the home side ahead in the 19th minute to increase DR Congo's overall lead, only for an own-goal from Dieumerci Mbokani nine minutes later to take the score on the day to 1:1.

In a tense match, Bolasie helped ease the anxiety by converting a 77th minute penalty to make it 5:3 overall for his team.

Burundi then scored from an 89th minute penalty of their own through Fiston Abdul Razak but DR Congo held on to keep their World Cup hopes alive.

Also on Sunday, Uganda won the second leg of their tie against Togo 3:0 in Kampala to go through 4:0 on aggregate.

Uganda Cranes captain Geoffrey Massa gave the hosts an early goal after four minutes from a well delivered cross by Tony Mawejje.

Rising star Farouk Miya then scored two quick goals to make sure of the win.

His first goal came on 41 minutes with the second on the stroke of half time.

For Uganda, the victories were even more satisfying after recent painful defeats to Togo.

"This is a a sweet win because Togo beat us twice last year in the Afcon qualifiers," said Massa after the game.

Guinea qualified for the group phase with a 2:0 win over Namibia, winning 3:0 overall.

The match was played in neutral Casablanca because Guinea are still not able to host international matches due to the threat of the ebola virus.

Idrissa Sylla scored for Guinea in the 44th minute, with Naby Keita adding a second 10 minutes from time.

Zambia booked their place in the group phase with a win over Sudan, without two key players.

Captain Rainford Kalaba was ruled out with a fever, and defender Dauti Musekwa was also missing through injury.

But Zambia, leading 1:0 from the first leg, looked comfortable throughout.

Lubambo Musonda made it 2:0 overall with Zambia's opener on 59 minutes.

Winston Kalengo, who had scored in Sudan last week, sealed the win with Zambia's second nine minutes from time to take the tie 3:0 on aggregate.

Morocco lost the second leg of their tie away to Equatorial Guinea in Bata 1:0 but still went through 2:1 on aggregate.

Igor Engonga gave the home side hope with an early goal after just 15 minutes, but further goals were hard to come by, with Morocco progressing.

On Saturday, Bundesliga star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored the winning penalty as Gabon became the first team to reach the group phase of African 2018 World Cup qualifying.

Gabon beat Mozambique 4:3 on penalties following extra time in Libreville after Gabon won 10 to level the second-round tie at 1:1 on aggregate.

Aubameyang, who has scored 22 goals from 20 appearances for Borussia Dortmund in all competitions this season, missed the 1:0 first leg defeat in Mozambique with an injury.

He set up the only goal of the second leg for Malick Evouna after four minutes at Stade L'amitie Sino Gabonaise.

But goals were hard to come by after that with no one able to add to the score-line in 120 minutes of play.

After extra time, Gabon goalkeeper Didier Ovono saved two penalty kicks before Aubameyang hammered his high into the left corner.

The remaining 14 second round, second leg matches take place on Tuesday as teams aim to reach the group phase of qualifying.

Five African teams will then progress to Russia 2018.

 

 

17 Nov 2015
(BBC Sport UK)

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