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 - CONGO DR - CLUB - Bolasie 'keen to learn' from Adebayor

Crystal Palace FC Yannick Bolasie Emmanuel Adebayor


Crystal Palace winger Yannick Bolasie says he is keen to learn from new signing Emmanuel Adebayor in a bid to add more goals to his game.

Bolasie's impressive start to the season was cut short when he picked up a calf injury in December, with Palace tailing off in his absence.

But the DR Congo international, with eight goals in 50 appearances in the Premier League, is hoping to learn lessons from Togo's Adebayor, citing the striker's 96 goals in England's top flight - as a remarkable feat.

"I am looking forward to learning from Adebayor, I believe he will guide myself and our other players into goal scoring positions to best help Palace score goals and win games, " Bolasie told BBC Sport.

"When you have a proven striker like him who knows the league very well and with a remarkable scoring record then you have a dangerous asset who can hurt your opponents and grab the goals.

"Players like him are the ones I've got to look at and if I can add more goals to my game then it will only improve me and the team" Bolasie added.

At 26, Bolasie knows he still has plenty to learn about the game and hopes any time he spends with Adebayor, on the pitch or off it, can be productive.

The Togo international, who turns 32 later this month, has scored 96 top flight goals during stints at Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham, and Bolasie cannot wait to link-up with his new team-mate on the pitch.

"He's lit up the dressing room and we remain optimistic that he will be a great presence on the pitch," Bolasie said.

"Ade will provide us with a variety of attacking styles due to his ability to hold up the ball as a target man whilst having the ability to link up with myself, Zaha, Puncheon, Cabaye and other attacking players."

Alan Pardew's team have dropped from fifth to 12th place after losing five league games on the spin before holding Swansea City to a 1:1 draw on Saturday - for their first league point in 2016.

Yet Bolasie, who is determined to add an end product to his scintillating individual displays on a more consistent basis, is looking forward to returning from injury and help re-energise the Eagles front line.

"We've been very unlucky with the list of injuries but I'm looking forward to getting back on the pitch again."

 

 

8 Feb 2016
(BBC Sport by Oluwashina Okeleji)

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