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

PLAYER OF THE YEAR 2016 - Riyad Mahrez is named Africa's best player

Riyad Mahrez

 

Leicester forward Riyad Mahrez has won the Confederation of African Football's player of the year award.

The 25-year-old Algerian, who helped Leicester to the Premier League title, is also the PFA Player of the Year and BBC African Footballer of the Year.

Borussia Dortmund's Gabonese forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was second and Senegal and Liverpool striker Sadio Mane came third.

"It's never easy to win a big award like that," Mahrez said.

"I'm very happy to win because obviously it was against two big players.

"What happened last season was amazing, we knew it wasn't going to happen again - and it won't happen again I think, for a small team like Leicester," added the first Algerian and North African to win the prestigious individual honour since its inception by Caf in 1992.

Arsenal and Nigeria forward Alex Iwobi, 20, won the young player award.

Countryman and Manchester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho, 20, won the most promising talent award.

South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Denis Onyango, 31, was named Africa-based player of the year.

Nigeria forward Asisat Oshoala, 22, was named female player of the year.

It was Oshoala's second title after winning in 2014 in Lagos. 

And it was double delight for her as the Super Falcons were adjudged Women's National Team of the Year following their record-extending eighth title at the Women's Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon in December 2016.

Two more awards came the way of Sundowns, who were named club of the year with Pitso Mosimane winning coach of the year.

Uganda's qualification for the Africa Cup of Nations after a 39-year wait was recognised with the national Team of the year award.

Gambian official Bakary Papa Gassama was named referee of the year for the third time in a row.

Manuel Lopes Nascimento, president of Guinea Bissau Football Federation was named football leader of the year - his country qualified for their first major continental championship by reaching the Nations Cup in Gabon.

Ivorian striker Laurent Pokou, who died in November, was post-humously recognised with the African Legend award, together with Cameroonian Emilienne Mbango, one of the pioneers of women's football on the continent.

The Platinium Award went to President of Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari.

 

 

9 Jan 2017
(BBC Sport UK)

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