Nigeria will bounce back after shock loss to Guinea-Bissau, Iwobi says

In this January 19, 2022 photo, Nigeria's players celebrate a goal during the Group D Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) victory over Guinea-Bissau in Garoua. Last Friday, it was Guinea-Bissau's turn to celebrate. (AFP file)
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Updated 26 March 2023

Nigeria will bounce back after shock loss to Guinea-Bissau, Iwobi says

  • Next time will make the country proud, star says, referring to a Group A rematch on Monday

JOHANNESBURG: Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi promised that Nigeria will bounce back after suffering a shock 1-0 home loss to Guinea-Bissau on Friday in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying.
It was one of the biggest upsets in the history of the competition as Mama Balde scored for the Wild Dogs, who are 81 places below the Super Eagles in the FIFA world rankings.
“As players and staff, we know we have to react to this result,” said Iwobi, one of three Premier League stars in the starting line-up.
“All we can do is improve and, to the fans, all I can say is that they should stick by us and support us because we give 100 percent not just for ourselves, but also for our nation.
“Next time we are going to do our best and make the country proud,” he added, referring to a Group A rematch in Guinea-Bissau on Monday.
Balde, who plays for French top-tier club Troyes, scored on 30 minutes in Abuja to take the Portuguese-speaking nation to the top of the table.
Guinea-Bissau have seven points, Nigeria six, Sierra Leone two and Sao Tome e Principe one, halfway through the six-round mini-league. The top two finishers progress to the finals.
Nigeria, whose line-up included prolific Napoli scorer Victor Osimhen, were firm favorites to win at home.
But after a bright start, with Osimhen coming close to scoring on 16 minutes, the home side battled to create clear-cut scoring opportunities in the capital city.

HIGHLIGHTS

It was one of the biggest upsets in the history of the competition as Mama Balde scored for the Wild Dogs.

Elsewhere, some of the biggest names in Africa were among the goals, including Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Sebastien Haller.

Salah claimed the first goal and played a role in the second as Egypt beat Malawi 2-0 in Cairo to rise from last to first in Group D.

Mane scored the second goal in a 5-1 Group L rout of Mozambique in Dakar.

As the match reached the half hour mark, Balde raced on to a lofted pass and fired a low shot past goalkeeper Francis Uzoho.
Osimhen, who has been linked with a move to Manchester United or Arsenal, became increasingly frustrated as poor service and close marking restricted his threat.
It was the fifth loss in seven matches for Nigeria coach Jose Peseiro, and another defeat next week in Bissau could spell the end for the Portuguese.
“We could have been here for another hour and not scored,” said Peseiro.
“I am not happy. I am sad, like my team, but they did the maximum. If you play like we played, you can beat any team, not only Guinea-Bissau.”
In Soweto, Belgium-born South Africa coach Hugo Broos stormed back to the dressing room before the final whistle after seeing his side surrender a two-goal lead in a 2-2 Group K draw with Liberia.




Alex Iwobi. 

Lyle Foster put the hosts two goals ahead by half-time, but Tonia Tisdell halved the deficit entering the final quarter and Mohammed Sangare levelled in added time.
Broos initially refused to attend the post-match press conference, then spoke briefly and refused to answer questions.
“There are too many disappointments, too many frustrations and too much anger in my body. If I say anything, it will not be nice,” he said.
“In the past, I have always been ready to answer your questions — even difficult ones. But I hope that you understand that tonight it is going to be very, very difficult to do that.”
The draw meant 2022 World Cup semifinalists Morocco, who had a bye, became the first team to book a place at the finals apart from hosts the Ivory Coast, who qualify automatically.
Elsewhere, some of the biggest names in Africa were among the goals, including Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Sebastien Haller.
Returning to the Senegalese line-up after missing the World Cup due to a leg injury, Mane scored the second goal in a 5-1 Group L rout of Mozambique in Dakar.
Salah claimed the first goal and played a role in the second as Egypt beat Malawi 2-0 in Cairo to rise from last to first in Group D.
Haller, who resumed playing last month after successful treatment for testicular cancer, notched the second goal for the Ivory Coast in a 3-1 Group H victory over the Comoros in Bouake.
Tanzania won an east African showdown against Uganda in Group F 1-0 thanks to a superb second-half strike from Simon Msuva.


No alternative to Bayern sackings, says ex-president Hoeness

Updated 02 June 2023

No alternative to Bayern sackings, says ex-president Hoeness

  • "The overall development was simply too unsatisfactory" Hoeness told newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung
  • Hoeness revealed "nobody" at the club was consulted about the decision to fire coach Julian Nagelsmann in March

BERLIN: Former Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness said in an interview published on Friday the club had no alternative but firing chief executive Oliver Kahn and sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic.
Hoeness explained the club needed to take action, with news of the sacking becoming known just moments after Bayern won their 11th straight Bundesliga title.
“The overall development was simply too unsatisfactory” Hoeness told newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung, referring to the club’s poor second half of the season.
Nine points ahead of Borussia Dortmund at Christmas, Bayern entered the final round of the season two points behind.
Their 2-1 win over Cologne in the last match of the campaign, along with Dortmund’s 2-2 draw against Mainz, meant they won the title on goal difference.
Bayern sacked Kahn and Salihamidzic on Thursday, but did not tell the players or make the news public until moments after the full-time whistle.
Captain Thomas Mueller found out in a post-match interview, after putting on a t-shirt commemorating the win.
Hoeness, who played for Bayern before running the club in various capacities for decades, revealed “nobody” at the club was consulted about the decision to fire coach Julian Nagelsmann in March.
“Even Herbert Hainer (Bayern president) was informed far too late... and something like that simply doesn’t work.”
While saying that Salihamidzic “remained a good sporting director,” Hoeness said former goalkeeper Kahn had not done enough work in the sporting department.
“Oliver had defined his role for himself in such a way that he largely stayed out of sports. Yet sport is the main task.
“Our product is football” the 71-year-old added.


Inter’s Gosens returns, Gnabry dropped from Germany squad for upcoming friendlies

Updated 02 June 2023

Inter’s Gosens returns, Gnabry dropped from Germany squad for upcoming friendlies

  • Flick returns to a more conventional squad after experimenting with new players for Germany's last round of friendlies in March
  • The 26-man squad named Friday contain no new call-ups, though AC Milan defender Malick Thiaw is uncapped despite having been in the March squad

FRANKFURT, Germany: Inter Milan midfielder Robin Gosens is set to return to the Germany team for the first time in nearly a year, while Bayern Munich forward Serge Gnabry was left out as coach Hansi Flick announced his squad for upcoming friendly games Friday.
Flick returns to a more conventional squad after experimenting with new players for Germany’s last round of friendlies in March following a group-stage exit at the 2022 World Cup. Those experiments brought mixed results with a 2-0 win over Peru and a 3-2 loss to Belgium.
The 26-man squad named Friday contain no new call-ups, though AC Milan defender Malick Thiaw is uncapped despite having been in the March squad. Eight players return after not being selected in March, including Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gündogan, who missed Germany’s last friendlies after becoming a father, Bayern forward Leroy Sané and Real Madrid defender Antonio Rüdiger.
Gosens is back for the first time in nine months after his role in helping Inter to the Champions League final, albeit mostly as a substitute. He was listed as a defender in Friday’s announcement, reflecting his usual role for Germany as a left-back, not the midfield role he typically plays for Inter.
Gosens has 14 appearances for Germany and started all four games at the European Championship in 2021, making waves with a goal and two assists in a 4-2 win over Portugal, but has played only once since September of that year.
Gnabry misses out despite a late-season burst of form which saw him score five goals and assist one more in Bayern’s final five games, helping his team to overtake Borussia Dortmund for the Bundesliga title. Others from the March squad who have been dropped include Eintracht Frankfurt’s attacking midfielder Mario Götze and Wolfsburg forward Felix Nmecha. Bayern’s Thomas Müller remains out of the squad and hasn’t been selected since the World Cup.
As the host nation for next year’s European Championship, Germany do not have to play qualifying games. They host Ukraine on June 12 in what the German soccer confederation considers to be the team’s 1,000th game. That will be followed by matches at Poland on June 16 and home against Colombia on June 20.

Germany:
Goalkeepers: Bernd Leno (Fulham), Marc-André ter Stegen (Barcelona), Kevin Trapp (Eintracht Frankfurt).
Defenders: Matthias Ginter (Freiburg), Robin Gosens (Inter Milan), Benjamin Henrichs (Leipzig), Thilo Kehrer (West Ham), Lukas Klostermann (Leipzig), David Raum (Leipzig), Antonio Rüdiger (Real Madrid), Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund), Malick Thiaw (AC Milan), Marius Wolf (Borussia Dortmund).
Midfielders: Julian Brandt (Borussia Dortmund), Emre Can (Borussia Dortmund), Leon Goretzka (Bayern Munich), Ilkay Gündogan (Manchester City), Jonas Hofmann (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich), Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen).
Forwards: Niclas Füllkrug (Werder Bremen), Kai Havertz (Chelsea), Leroy Sané (Bayern Munich), Kevin Schade (Brentford), Timo Werner (Leipzig).


Jose Mourinho charged by UEFA for verbally abusing referee at Europa League final

Updated 02 June 2023

Jose Mourinho charged by UEFA for verbally abusing referee at Europa League final

  • UEFA said the Roma coach is charged for “insulting / abusive language against a match official” after Sevilla’s victory in Budapest this week
  • Footage circulated Thursday of Mourinho approaching referee Anthony Taylor in the garage and calling him a “disgrace” with an expletive

NYON, Switzerland: Jose Mourinho was charged by UEFA on Friday after being filmed aggressively cursing at the English match referee in a stadium garage after the Europa League final.
UEFA said the Roma coach is charged for “insulting / abusive language against a match official” after Sevilla’s victory in Budapest this week.
It was one of a slew of disciplinary charges UEFA opened into incidents at a testy, bad-tempered game that lasted more than three hours on Wednesday.
Footage circulated Thursday of Mourinho approaching referee Anthony Taylor in the garage and calling him a “disgrace” with an expletive.
Later Thursday, Taylor and his family were harassed and verbally abused by Roma fans at the airport in Budapest.
Roma lost to Sevilla in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw that saw players and officials clash on the field and in the technical area.
UEFA charged both teams with improper conduct – typically activated for at least five yellow cards shown – and Roma was charged over crowd disturbances and acts of damage.
Sevilla was also charged because dozens of its fans invaded the field after the match.
UEFA gave no timetable for its disciplinary panel to judge the cases.


Stuttgart beat Hamburg 3-0 in 1st leg of Bundesliga playoff

Updated 02 June 2023

Stuttgart beat Hamburg 3-0 in 1st leg of Bundesliga playoff

  • The win puts Stuttgart, which finished third from bottom in the Bundesliga, on course to stay in the first division
  • Hamburg, the last remaining founding member of the Bundesliga, were relegated in 2018 and have been bidding for promotion since

STUTTGART: Hamburger SV’s five-year wait to rejoin the Bundesliga looks set to continue.

Serhou Guirassy helped to put Stuttgart in a commanding position to keep their place in Germany’s top division with a 3-0 win over Hamburg on Thursday in the first leg of their playoff.

Guirassy had failed to make the most of a one-on-one chance and had a penalty saved in the first half, but the Guinea forward grabbed Stuttgart’s third goal early in the second half.

Hamburg’s task was further complicated in the 69th minute when substitute Anssi Suhonen was sent off minutes after coming on for a studs-up lunge at Josha Vagnoman’s thigh.

The win puts Stuttgart, which finished third from bottom in the Bundesliga, on course to stay in the first division before the second leg of the playoff in Hamburg on Monday. Hamburg finished third in the second division.

There was a minute’s silence before Thursday’s game in tribute to the 15-year-old player who died after a post-match brawl at an international youth tournament in Frankfurt last weekend.

Stuttgart got off to a great start with Konstantinos Mavropanos heading the opener inside the first minute.

The visitors had Daniel Heuer Fernandes to thank for keeping the score down. The Hamburg goalkeeper saved from Chris Führich, then got the better of Guirassy in a one-on-one, and also saved Guirassy’s penalty in the 27th. Two minutes later he produced another save to deflect Führich’s effort away.

Fuhrich effectively created the second goal in the 51st when he eluded two Hamburg defenders and played a perfectly weighted pass for Enzo Millot, who crossed for the unmarked Vagnoman to score.

Guirassy finally scored with a header to a corner three minutes later.

Hamburg, the last remaining founding member of the Bundesliga, were relegated in 2018 and have been bidding for promotion since. They finished fourth in 2019, 2020 and 2021 before finishing third last year for a playoff against Hertha Berlin. Hertha prevailed on that occasion.
 


Spanish league reaches finish with 6 teams in danger of relegation

Updated 01 June 2023

Spanish league reaches finish with 6 teams in danger of relegation

  • Valladolid are currently in 18th place, the last spot that will tumble along with already demoted Espanyol and Elche
  • A victory by the team owned by former Brazil great Ronaldo would be enough to secure salvation

MADRID: Six teams are vying to avoid relegation to the second division as the Spanish league reaches its finish.
Cadiz, Getafe and Valencia each have 41 points, Almeria and Celta have 40, and Valladolid has 39 heading into the final round of games.
Valladolid are currently in 18th place, the last spot that will tumble along with already demoted Espanyol and Elche. But Valladolid have their fate in their hands because they host 14th-place Getafe on Sunday.
A victory by the team owned by former Brazil great Ronaldo would be enough to secure salvation, but a draw could do the trick depending on other results. A draw by Getafe would be enough for the modest Madrid-based club to stay up.
Cadiz, in 14th place, will play at Elche needing only a draw to ensure they survive.
Valencia, which eliminated Espanyol last weekend with a stoppage-time goal, need a draw from their trip to Real Betis, which have already secured a Europa League berth.
A draw would also suffice Almeria at Espanyol.
Celta, which have entered a nosedive in recent weeks, host champion Barcelona needing a victory to control their fate. A draw would leave them depending on other results. Fortunately for Celta, Barcelona have nothing to play for.
Nearer to the top of the standings, Osasuna and Athletic Bilbao are tied on points and both wanting to clinch the Conference League berth that goes with a seventh-place finish.
Osasuna host Girona, while Bilbao are at Real Madrid.
LAST GAMES
Barcelona veterans Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, who have won multiple titles between them, will play their last game for the club.
But Madrid’s game at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium could potentially be the last appearances for the pillars of their multiple Champions Leagues over the past decade.
Karim Benzema and Luka Modric, both Ballon d’Or winners, along with Toni Kroos and Marco Asensio are all on contracts that expire at the end of June. The club and players have reportedly been in talks about their futures, but nothing has officially been decided.