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

U-23 AFRICA CUP 2015 - NIGERIA - Osimhen included in squad

Victor Osimhen

 

Victor Osimhen, top scorer at the Under-17 World Cup, has been included in Nigeria's squad for the Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations in Senegal.

After scoring 10 goals to help Nigeria win the trophy last month he had been on standby for the tournament which is also a qualifier for the Rio Olympics.

Osimhen was drafted in to replace Isaac Success, who has not been released by his Spanish club side Granada.

The finals take place from 28 November to 12 December.

Matches will be played in Dakar and M'bour, and the top three teams will also earn a spot at next year's Olympics.

Coach Samson Siasia has named three foreign-based players in his 21-man squad, including Taiwo Awoniyi, who is on loan from Liverpool to German side FSV Frankfurt.

Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations:

GROUP A 
Senegal
South Africa
Zambia
Tunisia

GROUP B
Egypt
Algeria
Mali
Nigeria

Twelve players from the squad that won a bronze medal at this year's All African Games in Congo-Brazzaville, including Erhun Obanor, Kingsley Sokari, Etor Daniel and Mustapha Abdullahi, have been omitted.

Nigeria boast a proud Olympics football record, having won gold medals at the Atlanta Games in 1996.

They also finished runners-up at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where current under-23 coach Siasia also coached the 'Dream Team' in China.

However, the so-called 'Dream Team V' led by Austin Eguavoen failed to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics after crashing out in the group stages of the qualifying tournament in Morocco.


Nigeria full squad:

Goalkeepers

Yusuf Mohammed 
(Kano Pillars)

Emmanuel Iwu 
(Heartland)

Emmanuel Daniel 
(Enugu Rangers)


Defenders

Zaharadeen Bello 
(Kano Pillars)

Seun Olubayo 
(Sunshine Stars)

Chizoba Amaefule 
(Dolphins)

Ebuka Iroha 
(Diamond Football Academy)

Sincere Seth 
(Supreme Court FC)

Seun Oduduwa 
(Nath Boys)


Midfielders

Azubuike Okechukwu 
(Yeni Matalatyaspor, Turkey)

Godspower Aniefiok 
(Kano Pillars)

Ndifreke Effiong 
(Abia Warriors)

Usman Mohammed 
(FC Taraba)

Tiongoli Tobara 
(Bayelsa United)

Bature Yaro 
(Nasarawa United)

Oghenekaro Etebo
(Warri Wolves)

Stanley Dimgba 
(Warri Wolves)


Forward

Taiwo Awoniyi 
(FSV Frankfurt, Germany)

Victor Osimhen 
(Ultimate Strikers Academy)

Junior Ajayi 
(CS Sfaxien, Tunisia)

Kufre Ebong 
(Warri Wolves)

 

 

24 Nov 2015
(BBC Sport by Oluwashina Okeleji)

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