Kwesi Appiah has said Africa’s failure to progress into the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time since 1982 isn’t necessarily a sign that the continent is regressing on the world stage. Following Senegal’s somewhat controversial failure to reach the knockout stage, Appiah feels it has not all been gloomy for the African contingent in Russia. “It has been a difficult campaign for the African teams and we can’t run away from that,” Appiah said. “With five teams you would have expected at least one through and for the continent it is just not good but you…
Author: David Folami
Unai Emery is pushing for the signing of Barcelona midfielder Andre Gomes this summer, sources have said. Gomes, 24, joined Barca from Valencia for an initial fee of €35 million two years ago but has failed to make an impression at Camp Nou. He made just six starts in La Liga last season and his lack of game time saw him cut from Portugal’s World Cup squad. Barca are ready to cut their losses on him this summer and have received enquiries from clubs in England, Italy and Spain. Valencia have confirmed they would like to take Gomes back on…
Unai Emery took charge of his first training session as Arsenal coach on Tuesday as the Gunners started work on their preseason preparations. Most of Arsenal’s non-World Cup players were back at London Colney as Emery began the process of putting his stamp on the team following Arsene Wenger’s departure. The likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Aaron Ramsey, Alexandre Lacazette and Shkodran Mustafi all took part in fitness tests indoors as well as an outdoors session on the pitch. Only eight of last season’s first-team regulars travelled to the World Cup — along with loanee Joel Campbell and new signing Stephan…
At one point, you wondered if they were going to leave. For most of the 90 minutes and stoppage time, the main block of canary-yellow-clad Sweden fans had called out the same name, through Emil Forsberg’s goal and goalkeeper Robin Olsen’s decisive last-ditch save. And they continued after the final whistle, through the handshakes and the postgame flash interviews and the waves to friends and family. The name continued to ring out even after the players — perhaps still stunned by the realization that, yes, they were in the elite eight of the World Cup after a 1-0 win vs.…
Gernot Rohr has said that he was “very surprised” to learn that captain John Obi Mikel played their decisive World Cup game against Argentina while his father sat kidnapped. The former Chelsea player was contacted just hours before kickoff and told to remain silent, so he took to the field in St Petersburg having told neither his bosses nor his coach of the situation. As a result, Rohr did not find out until news broke that Pa Obi had been rescued on July 2, six days after being abducted, along with his driver, while travelling to a funeral in Nigeria.…
Diego Maradona has offered to return to take charge of Argentina’s national team “for free” after admitting his hurt with his country’s World Cup exit. “Yes, and I would do it for free,” Maradona told Telesur’s “De La Mano del 10” show on Monday, when asked whether he would return. “I would not ask for anything in exchange. “Everyone is thinking that I’m happy about this [Argentina’s elimination] but I am not. They are wrong. It hurts my heart, it hurts my soul because I run so many miles with my shirt and with my flag… beating everyone, even FIFA,…
Manchester United have signed veteran goalkeeper Lee Grant from Stoke, the club have confirmed. The club also announced the sale of goalkeeper Sam Johnstone to West Brom. Grant, 35, has signed a two-year deal at Old Trafford, where he will provide cover for David De Gea and Sergio Romero. Grant made five appearances for Stoke in all competitions last season as understudy to Jack Butland. After beginning his career at Derby, the former England under-21 international has also spent time at Burnley, Oldham and Sheffield Wednesday. He made 28 Premier League appearances for Stoke during the 2016-17 season, including a…
Croatia’s coach and captain hailed their “fantastic” World Cup so far and said they were ready to beat Denmark on Sunday. “We’ve played fantastically in the group stage. We must be proud of that. But for this new game, we must forget all that went before,” captain Luka Modric, a 12-year-old when Croatia reached the semifinals in France in 1998, said. “It is a stern test for us, but it is high time that this generation hurdles this obstacle which we haven’t hurdled since 1998. I expect us to be capable of doing that … we are full of self-confidence.”…
The “will he, won’t he?” debate about whether Cristiano Ronaldo will attempt to play in a fifth World Cup in four years’ time can start in earnest following Portugal’s elimination from Russia 2018 at the round-of-16 stage by Uruguay. It has already begun for Lionel Messi, who was also given his boarding pass for a flight home on Saturday when Argentina fell to a 4-3 defeat vs. France in Kazan — but the two superstars have wholly different issues to consider before making a decision regarding their international future. Messi came to life in Argentina’s do-or-die group game against Nigeria,…
Paul Pogba paid tribute to Lionel Messi after France knocked Argentina out of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, saying: “I will always be united with him.” “We know that we are playing against probably the best player in the world,” the Manchester United midfielder told TyC Sports in an on-pitch interview. “For 10 years now I have been watching him, learning from him. He makes me love football more, always. “We want to play against the best, and today we won against the best. I will always be united with him, world class players like him, that is all…
Manchester United goalkeeping coach Emilio Alvarez has said David De Gea’s World Cup blunder against Portugal had no effect on him. Spain and United keeper De Gea let Cristiano Ronaldo’s shot through his hands in the 3-3 draw and has conceded five goals from six shots, but coach Fernando Hierro has confirmed that he will start in the round-of-16 clash with hosts Russia despite some calling for Kepa Arrizabalaga to play. Alvarez, who oversaw the keeper’s breakthrough at Atletico Madrid, told Cadena Ser radio that he was “calm.” “I’m in contact with David, but as coach and friend without interfering…
Kylian Mbappe admitted he is flattered to have become the second-youngest player, after Brazil legend Pele, to have scored three goals at a World Cup after his double helped Les Bleus to a thrilling 4-3 round-of-16 win over Argentina. Speaking with TF1 after the match, the Paris Saint-Germain man was happy with his performance, but will not be letting himself get carried away. “That is good — it is a great competition,” Mbappe said of the statistic. “The biggest names are here — it is flattering. However, it will not stop me from working and going as far as possible…
Danilo will be available to face Mexico in their World Cup last-16 clash, but Marcelo’s status is in doubt and Douglas Costa is out, according to the team doctor. Rodrigo Lasmar said on Saturday that Danilo has recovered from a thigh injury, but that teammate Marcelo, who suffered a back spasm just moments into Brazil’s final group game against Serbia, is recovering well but is not quite 100 percent fit. Juventus winger Costa is recovering well, said Lasmar, but will not be fit for Monday’s match in Samara. “Danilo is fit to play. He trained today and is available for…
France showed their strength of character as they came from 2-1 down to beat Argentina 4-3 in a thrilling World Cup round-of-16 tie on Saturday, coach Didier Deschamps said. “We were up against a highly experienced Argentina team but we showed we were there and the team showed they had character,” he told a news conference. “When we were 2-1 down it was not easy, but we kept fighting. The mentality in this group is excellent.” After opening the scoring with an Antoine Griezmann penalty, France wasted chances and were punished by goals from Angel Di Maria and Gabriel Mercado…
Dele Alli is backing striker Harry Kane to get the better of their Tottenham Hotspur teammate Davinson Sanchez in their World Cup last-16 clash against Colombia on Tuesday. “I think he [Sanchez] is a great player, I don’t think any player is perfect, we know things, we know how he plays and he has a lot of strengths. We’re going to look to do as well as we can to exploit his very few weaknesses,” Alli told a news conference on Saturday. The 22-year-old Sanchez has just completed his first season in the Premier League after joining Spurs in a…
Colombia held out hope that James Rodriguez would be fit to take on England on Tuesday after MRI scan results released on Saturday showed minor swelling but no serious injury to his right soleus calf muscle. James, who left Thursday’s 1-0 win over Senegal after 30 minutes with muscle pain in his left calf, did not participate in training sessions on Friday or Saturday. After being substituted for Luis Fernando Muriel, James was seen punching the turf in frustration before looking upset as he went straight to the dressing room. “The situation is tough for the team — it is…
Zlatan Ibrahimovic and San Jose’s Chris Wondolowski each scored twice on Saturday night as the LA Galaxy and the Earthquakes settled for a 3-3 draw in a match played at Stanford Stadium. Ibrahimovic’s goals marked his eighth and ninth of season since he made his Galaxy debut on March 31. He’s scored twice in four separate games for L.A., which has lost just once in its last six MLS matches and improved its all-time record at Stanford Stadium to 1-4-2. Meanwhile, Wondolowski’s pair of goals pushed him to 140 in his MLS career as San Jose drew a third straight…
The chairman of the Plateau state branch of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Mohammadu Nura has said that its members did not attack anybody in Plateau state. According to Nura, 19 of their members were killed and the whereabouts of 73 others are unknown. He claims that the corpses being paraded are that of Fulani herdsmen and not residents of the affected areas. Speaking to The Cable, He said “As at now, we have been able to bury 19 persons of our own in different places. We have declared 73 persons missing. We have not seen them…
Bukola Saraki has called for the sack of non performing security chiefs. Saraki said this while reacting to the killings in various parts of the country allegedly carried out by Fulani herdsmen. According to reports, the Senate President made the call in Kwara state where he went to visit communities hit by rainstorm. “This is not something to be politicised. If somebody is not capable and cannot do what he has to do, let others have the opportunity to do it.” The Senate President also accused the security agencies in the country of refusing to work together. “We have had…
Gov. Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State has vowed that those involved in the Bodija market mayhem which led to the burning down of a police station would be arrested and prosecuted. There was mayhem at the Bodija market in Ibadan on Thursday as suspected hoodlums allegedly clashed with some police officers. The crisis led to the killing of no fewer than two traders and the razing of the police station in the market. Ajimobi condemned the lawlessness of the butchers which led to loss of lives and property. “Our effort is to provide clean and healthy environment. We don’t want…