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

NATIONAL TEAM - NIGERIA - COACH - Sunday Oliseh resigns as coach

AFRICAN CUP 2017 QUALIFIERS

 

Sunday Oliseh has resigned as coach of Nigeria citing contract violations, unpaid wages and lack of support.

Oliseh, 41, had been in the job for only eight months.

Nigeria have installed Samson Siasia to oversee next month's crucial 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Group G leaders Egypt.

"Your contractual violations and the interest of the nation necessitates that I tender my resignation," he wrote to the Nigeria Football Federation.

"So little help is being rendered me in getting the players to give their best and very vital conditions and advantages to the team play are also being sacrificed... my several e-mails and others seeking your aid to effectively carry out my duties were ignored."

The NFF technical director Shaibu Amodu, who has managed the national team on four occasions, is widely expected to take charge of the team on a temporary basis.

Former Nigeria captain Oliseh endured a turbulent reign as Nigeria boss after succeeding Stephen Keshi in July 2015.

Some high-profile players have retired, including goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama - Nigeria's most-capped player, who quit after he was replaced as captain.

Two weeks later striker Emmanuel Emenike also announced his retirement from international football.

In early February, a frustrated Oliseh posted an eight-minute video rant on his own website to hit back at what he called the "insanity" of his critics.

He had come under pressure after Nigeria failed to get past the group stages of the 2016 African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Rwanda.

The coach later apologised to the NFF for his outburst aimed at the Nigerian media as well as some of his former international team-mates.

Oliseh had also gone public with the money problems affecting his team during the continental tournament in Rwanda, to the embarrassment of his employers.

Nigeria face seven-time African champions Egypt in back-to-back 2017 Nations Cup qualifiers next month.

They are two points behind group leaders Egypt after two rounds of matches with only group winners guaranteed automatic qualification to the tournament in Gabon.


Oliseh's complaints

A rented apartment in Abuja promised to Oliseh and his two assistants after he was appointed in July 2015 was never provided

While he was paid outstanding salaries on Thursday he was was initially owed five months' salary by the NFF, while his assistants are still owed several months' salary

His players have also gone unpaid after the NFF blamed financial challenges for their inability to pay outstanding match bonuses since September 2015

 

 

 

28 Feb 2016
(BBC Sport, Nigeria by Oluwashina Okeleji)

Related countries

Related articles