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

African Super Cup 2016 - Preview - TP Mazembe vs Etoile du Sahel - today

African Champions League 2015

 

African champions TP Mazembe will be lifted by the recent triumph of DR Congo at the African Nations Championship in Rwanda when take on Tunisia's Etoile du Sahel in the Super Cup on Saturday.

Earlier this month, DR Congo won the competition reserved for home-based players for a second time when they thumped Mali 3:0 in the final in Rwanda.

Several Mazembe stars, including skipper Joel Kimwaki and striker Jonathan Bolingi, were part of a side that deservedly won the trophy and were rewarded for their exploits by the country's president with brand-new 4x4s.

The five-time African champions will be looking to win a third Super Cup in Lubumbashi after previous victories in 2010 and 2011.

But Les Corbeaux, or The Ravens, will be without Tanzania international striker Mbwana Samatta, who joined Belgian side Genk in January after four seasons at the Congolese club.

'Samagoal' won the Confederation of African Football award for the best African player based on the continent last year after his goals helped them to a fifth Champions League crown.

Frenchman Patrice Carteron has also quit and he has been replaced by countryman Hubert Velud, who has already made a name for himself in Algeria and was also coach of Togo.

Velud will be eager to win some early silverware having made clear on his arrival last month the importance of continuing to be successful on the continental stage.

"When you are at a great club in Africa like TPM (Mazembe), the only reason for living for both coaches and players is to keep on winning titles. 

And we must think about this every morning," he said.

 

African Confederation Cup 2015

 

Tunisian league leaders

They played out a goalless draw in a local derby on Wednesday at Lupopo to prepare for Saturday's showdown against Etoile du Sahel, who have also won the Super Cup twice, in 1998 and 2008. 

They were also runners-up in 2004 and 2007.

They currently lead the Tunisian league by a point from CS Sfaxien after 16 matches and defeated South Africa's Orlando Pirates to win their second Confederation Cup last year.

Etoile will parade Alaya Brigui, Diogo da Silva Farias and Hamza Lahmar, who have scored five goals apiece this season in the domestic championship.

Striker Ahmed Akaichi was one of the top scorers with four goals at the Nations Championships in Rwanda, where Tunisia were knocked out in the quarter-finals.

However, the Sousse club, known as the Red Devils, will be without star defender Hamdi Nagguez, who picked up an injury in a recent local league game.

Algeria's ES Setif won last year's Super Cup when they defeated Egyptian giants Al Ahly 6:5 on penalties after the teams played to a 1:1 draw in Blida.

 

 

20 Feb 2016
(BBC Sport UK)

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