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 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2016 - Group Stage - 6th matches - Champions League groups conclude

AFRICAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2016
Group stages
6th matches

Tuesday Group B:
Enyimba vs Mamelodi Sundowns -:- (1530GMT)

Wednesday Group A:
Asec Mimosas vs Al Ahly -:- (1430GMT)
Zesco Utd vs Wydad Casablanca -:- (1430GMT)

 

John Toshack has lead Morocco's Wydad Casablanca to the semi-finals of the African Champions League

Wydad Casablanca of Morocco travel to face Zesco United of Zambia on Wednesday to decide who tops Group A of the African Champions League.

Both sides have already qualified for the semi-finals the winners of Group A face Zamalek of Egypt while the runners-up will play South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns.

Wydad know they need just a point to top the table and will take encouragement from their comfortable 2:0 win over Zesco in Morocco two months ago.

Coached by former Real Madrid manager and Liverpool striker John Toshack, Wydad top Group A with 10 points despite a mid-group crisis.

After wins over Asec Mimosas of the Ivory Coast and Zesco, the Moroccans only took one point from a possible six off struggling Al Ahly of Egypt.

Wydad then battled to translate dominance over Asec at home into goals until Congo Brazzaville-born Fabrice Ondama scored in the final minute to secure a 2:1 win.

That result, and Zesco holding record eight-time African champions Ahly 2:2 away, eliminated the Egyptian and Ivorian clubs.

Zesco have exceeded expectations by reaching the semi-finals although coach George Lwandamina remains worried about concentration lapses in defence.

"Our defence has a tendency to fall asleep after we score and this allows opponents back into matches," said Lwandamina, who doubles as the caretaker national coach.

What Zesco do boast are consistent goal scorers with Idris Mbombo from the DR Congo scoring five in this Champions League campaign.

Clatous Chama and Kenyan Jesse Were have notched four each and John Ching'andu three.

Failing to reach the semi-finals cost Ahly coach and former Tottenham Hotspur manager Martin Jol his job amid safety concerns.

Assistant coach Ossama Orabi has taken charge for the meaningless midweek match against 1998 champions ASEC at Stade Robert Champroux in Abidjan.

Another fixture where only pride is at stake involves already-eliminated Enyimba of Nigeria and Sundowns in Port Harcourt.

Zamalek have a bye as Entente Setif of Algeria were disqualified.

 

 

 

23 Aug 2016
(BBC Sport UK)

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