National teams World Cup 2014
NATIONAL TEAM - BELGIUM - 2014 WORLD CUP - Belgium welcome attack-minded foes

“The United States came out to win the match rather than avoid defeat. We were then able to take advantage of the extra space,” confirmed Kevin De Bruyne, who opened the scoring in the third minute of extra time and put in a fine all-round performance, linking well with Eden Hazard in particular. “It was a real pleasure to play such free-flowing football,” he added.

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2 Jul 2014
Coaches National teams World Cup 2014
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.” 

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2 Jul 2014
Fixtures+Results National teams Squad World Cup 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - DAY 19 - LAST SIXTEEN - ARGENTINA VS SWITZERLAND 1:0

LAST SIXTEEN
1st July 2014

Argentina vs Switzerland 1:0

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1 Jul 2014
Fixtures+Results National teams Squad World Cup 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - DAY 19 - LAST SIXTEEN - BELGIUM VS USA 2:1

LAST SIXTEEN
1st July 2014

Belgium vs USA 2:1

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1 Jul 2014
Key-Player World Cup 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. 

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1 Jul 2014
Key-Player World Cup 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.

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1 Jul 2014
Coaches National teams World Cup 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.

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1 Jul 2014
Fixtures+Results National teams Squad World Cup 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - DAY 18 - LAST SIXTEEN - FRANCE vs NIGERIA 2:0

LAST SIXTEEN
30th June 2014

France vs Nigeria 2:0

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30 Jun 2014
Fixtures+Results National teams Squad World Cup 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - DAY 18 - LAST SIXTEEN - GERMANY vs ALGERIA 2:1

LAST SIXTEEN
30th June 2014

Germany vs Algeria 2:1

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30 Jun 2014
Key-Player World Cup 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.

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30 Jun 2014
Africa Cup 2022 CAF Featured

Africa Cup 2022 • TEAMS + FACTS

AFRICA CUP 2022

Group A GROUP B GROUP C GROUP D GROUP E GROUP F

 

TEAMS + FACTS

 

 
 
Vincent Aboubakar scored the winner against Egypt as Cameroon won the Nations Cup in 2017.
 
Appearance: 20th
Best finish: Winners (1984, 1988, 2000, 2002, 2017)
Coach: Antonio Conceicao
Captain: Vincent Aboubakar
Fifa ranking: 50
Nickname: Indomitable Lions
 
 
 
Burkina Faso forward Bertrand Traore returned for club side Aston Villa on 26 December 2021 after over two months out injured.
 
Appearance: 12th
Best finish: Runners-up (2013)
Coach: Kamou Malo
Captain: Issoufou Dayo
Fifa ranking: 60
Nickname: The Stallions
 
 
 
Ethiopia have qualified for the Nations Cup for the first time since 2013.
 
Appearance: 11th
Best finish: Winners (1962)
Coach: Wubetu Abate
Captain: Getaneh Kebede
Fifa ranking: 137
Nickname: Walia Ibex
 
 
 
Cape Verde last appeared at the Nations Cup in 2015.
 
Appearance: Third
Best finish: Quarter-finals (2013)
Coach: Bubista
Captain: Ryan Mendes
Fifa ranking: 73
Nickname: Blue Sharks
 
+++
 
 
 
Liverpool forward Sadio Mane provides a threat up front for Senegal, runners-up in the last Nations Cup.
 
Appearance: 16th
Best finish: Runners-up (2002 and 2019)
Coach: Aliou Cisse
Captain: Kalidou Koulibaly
Fifa ranking: 20
Nickname: Lions of Teranga
 
 
 
Al Tai and Zimbabwe striker Knowledge Musona captains a side hit by injuries and FA chaos.
 
Appearance: 5th
Best finish: Group stage (2004, 2006, 2017, 2019)
Coach: Norman Mapeza
Captain: Knowledge Musona
Fifa ranking: 121
Nickname: The Warriors
 
 
 
Naby Keita came up against Liverpool team-mate Sadio Mane when Guinea faced Senegal on 14 January 2022.
 
Appearance: 13th
Best finish: Runners-up (1976)
Coach: Kaba Diawara
Captain: Naby Keita
Fifa ranking: 81
Nickname: Syli National
 
 
 
Malawi defender Charles Petro plays for Moldova's Sheriff Tiraspol.
 
Appearance: Third
Best finish: Group stage (1984, 2010)
Head of technical panel: Mario Marinica
Captain: John Banda
Fifa ranking: 129
Nickname: The Flames
 
+++
 
 
 
Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Romain Saiss will be looking to improve on a last-16 exit in 2019.
 
Appearance: 18th
Best finish: Winners (1976)
Coach: Vahid Halilhodzic
Captain: Romain Saiss
Fifa ranking: 28
Nickname: Atlas Lions
 
 
 
Andre Ayew, now playing in Qatar, was Ghana's top scorer in World Cup qualifying with three goals.
 
Appearance: 23rd
Best finish: Winners (1963, 1965, 1978, 1982)
Coach: Milovan Rajevac
Captain: Andre Ayew
Fifa ranking: 52
Nickname: Black Stars
 
 
 
Moussa Djoumoi scored for Comoros in qualifying for the Arab Cup, but the side were eliminated after a 5:1 defeat by Palestine.
 
Appearance: Debutants
Best finish: n/a
Coach: Amir Abdou
Captain: Nadjim Abdou
Fifa ranking: 132
Nickname: The Coelacanths
 
 
 
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will look to rediscover his form with Gabon after being dropped by Arsenal and stripped of the club captaincy in December 2021.
 
Appearance: Eighth
Best finish: Quarter-finalists (1996 and 2012)
Coach: Patrice Neveu
Captain: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Fifa ranking: 89
Nickname: The Panthers
 
+++
 
 
 
Odion Igahlo was top scorer at the 2019 Nations Cup with five goals, and came out of international retirement in November 2021.
 
Africa Cup Appearance: 19th
Best finish: Winners (1980, 1994, 2013)
Interim coach: Augustine Eguavoen
Captain: Ahmed Musa
Fifa ranking: 36
Nickname: Super Eagles
 
 
 
Egypt captain Mohamed Salah has scored four goals at the Nations Cup.
 
Africa Cup Appearance: 25th
Best finish: Winners (1957, 1959, 1986, 1998, 2006, 2008, 2010)
Coach: Carlos Queiroz
Captain: Mohamed Salah
Fifa ranking: 45
Nickname: The Pharaohs
 
 
 
Sudan lost all their group games at the Arab Cup, leading to the dismissal of coach Hubert Velud.
 
Appearance: Ninth
Best finish: Winners (1970)
Interim coach: Burhan Tia
Captain: Salaheldin Nemer
Fifa ranking: 125
Nickname: Saqur al-Jidyan (Secretary Birds)
 
 
 
Guinea-Bissau only took a point from three group games against Cameroon, Benin and Ghana at the 2019 Nations Cup.
 
Appearance: Third
Best finish: Group stage (2017 and 2019)
Coach: Baciro Cande
Captain: Bura
Fifa ranking: 106
Nickname: Djurtus (Wild Dogs)
 
+++
 
 
 
Algeria are set to defend their Africa Cup of Nations title, which they won in 2019 by beating Senegal 1:0 in the final. Manchester City forward Riyad Mahrez captained Algeria to their second Nations Cup triumph three years ago.
 
Appearance: 19th
Best finish: Winners (1990 and 2019)
Coach: Djamel Belmadi
Captain: Riyad Mahrez
Fifa ranking: 29
Nickname: Desert Foxes
 
 
 
Veteran striker Kei Kamara scored the goal which secured Sierra Leone's qualification for the Nations Cup.
 
Appearance: Third
Best finish: Group stage (1994 and 1996)
Coach: John Keister
Captain: Umaru Bangura
Fifa ranking: 108
Nickname: Leone Stars
 
 
 
Former Mallorca, Middlesbrough and Birmingham City player Emilio Nsue featured when Equatorial Guinea hosted the Nations Cup in 2015.
 
Appearance: Third
Best finish: Fourth place (2015)
Coach: Juan Micha
Captain: Emilio Nsue
Fifa ranking: 114
Nickname: Nzalang Nacional (National Thunder)
 
 
 
Ivory Coast skipper Serge Aurier joined Spanish side Villarreal in October 2021 after leaving Tottenham Hotspur.
 
Appearance: 24th
Best finish: Winners (1992 and 2015)
Coach: Patrice Beaumelle
Captain: Serge Aurier
Fifa ranking: 56
Nickname: The Elephants
 
+++
 
 
 
Farouk Ben Mustapha captained Tunisia to the final of the Arab Cup, where they were beaten 2:0 by Algeria after extra-time.
 
Appearance: 20th
Best finish: Winners (2004)
Coach: Mondher Kebaier
Captain: Wahbi Khazri
Fifa ranking: 30
Nickname: Carthage Eagles
 
 
 
Mali went unbeaten in 2022 World Cup qualifying to reach Africa's play-offs for the tournament in Qatar.
 
Appearance: 12th
Best finish: Runners-up (1972)
Coach: Mohamed Magassouba
Captain: Hamari Traore
Fifa ranking: 53
Nickname: The Eagles
 
 
 
Mauritania were beaten 5:1 by Nations Cup group opponents Tunisia at the Arab Cup in November.
 
Appearance: Second
Best finish: Group stage (2019)
Coach: Didier Gomes da Rosa
Captain: Abdoul Ba
Fifa ranking: 103
Nickname: Mourabitounes
 
 
 
Gambia boss Tom Saintfiet has coached national sides in four different Fifa confederations.
 
Appearance: Debutants
Best finish: n/a
Coach: Tom Saintfiet
Captain: Pa Modou Jagne
Fifa ranking: 150
Nickname: The Scorpions
 
 
 
 
 
15 Jan 2022
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Related countries
Algeria Burkina Faso Cameroon Cape Verde Comoros Côte d'Ivoire Egypt Equatorial Guinea Ethiopia Gabon Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Malawi Mali Mauritania Morocco Nigeria Senegal Sierra Leone Sudan Tunisia Zimbabwe

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