LONDON: Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden were recalled Friday by England coach Thomas Tuchel for the team’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Serbia and Albania.
The attacking midfielders — two of the country’s most talented players — were left out of England’s last squad, with Tuchel stressing the need to have a strong team spirit in the camp and warning there would be “no guarantees” for his superstar players.
Bellingham has started all five of Real Madrid’s games since the last international break, scoring in three of them, and looks to be fully recovered after missing the start of the season because of shoulder surgery.
Foden is back to his best form with Manchester City, too, scoring twice against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Wednesday.
“I think the contribution of both of them to their clubs lately was immense,” Tuchel said.
“They play regularly, they play a big role in the success of Real and City’s matches lately. They score regularly decisive goals. We are delighted they are in shape, in form and back with us.”
England have already qualified for the World Cup, with a 5-0 victory over Latvia in October guaranteeing Tuchel’s team first place in their group and taking their qualifying record to six wins from six matches.
The campaign has also included a 5-0 win in Serbia, a statement performance under Tuchel when Bellingham and Foden were absent and Morgan Rogers played in the No. 10 position.
Tuchel explained that if England hadn’t yet qualified, he would pick the same team as he chose last month — an indication that Bellingham and Foden still have work to do to recover their places in the starting XI.
“It’s the same headline — more of the same please and build on what we have already built,” Tuchel said. “Come with the same energy.
“We would have selected the same team if we needed both games to win. If it was a playoff to qualify for the World Cup, I would have selected the same team.”
There was a first call-up for Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott and a recall for Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton, while there was no place for Madrid right back Trent Alexander-Arnold or Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins.
Bellingham and Foden back in England squad but no room for Alexander-Arnold
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Bellingham and Foden back in England squad but no room for Alexander-Arnold
- Foden is back to his best form with Manchester City, too, scoring twice against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Wednesday
- “I think the contribution of both of them to their clubs lately was immense,” Tuchel said
The world needs to respect African football, Mali coach Saintfiet says
- “I think the world needs to respect African football” Saintfiet told Reuters
- “Football is not only played in England, or not only played in Germany or in Italy”
BAMAKO: African football deserves greater respect, Mali coach Tom Saintfiet said, after FIFA’s surprise decision to delay the release of players to their national teams ahead of this month’s Africa Cup of Nations.
With less than three weeks until the tournament in Morocco, FIFA announced on Wednesday that clubs needed to release players only from December 15, a week later than the standard international window.
The 35th edition of the biennial tournament, which runs from December 21 to January 18, was originally scheduled for the northern summer to avoid clashing with the European club season, but was later moved to winter.
“I think the world needs to respect African football” Saintfiet told Reuters in a Zoom interview on Wednesday.
Asked about the most suitable timing for the competition, he said: “There is never a perfect solution. If you talk, it’s in the middle of the season, then you think about the west European countries, the majority of them, but they are not ruling the world of football.
“Players who play in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Russia, they are at the end of the season, they have finished the season. So football is not only played in England, or not only played in Germany or in Italy.
“I think Africa has to do what they feel is the best. It has to do with climate... and I think the rest of the world has to start respecting Africa... there are rules (about) two weeks before the tournament and it’s never perfect.
“I mean if there’s a World Cup in June, July, there are other leagues who have to stop. Norway is in the middle of the league, Japan is in the middle of the league, Russia is in the middle of the league, or they are not playing World Cup,” he added.
FRIENDLIES CANCELLED
FIFA’s decision forced Mali to cancel planned friendlies before facing Zambia on December 22, followed by hosts Morocco and Comoros in Group A.
“We will see our players six days before the tournament. We have a different situation... All our players are foreign-based players, so it’s a big consequence for us,” said Saintfiet.
The 52-year-old Belgian coach, who also holds a Gambian passport, will participate in the tournament for the third time, having led Gambia to the quarter-finals in 2021 before they made an early exit in 2023.
He hopes Mali can go far, despite facing Morocco, who reached the 2022 World Cup semifinals, with two teams qualifying from each group.
“Morocco is the big favorite. Fantastic team, good development, fourth in the World Cup and now the host... we are not afraid of Morocco,” added Saintfiet.
“We really look forward to that game. But first we need to face Zambia and we need to be also focused in the last game against Comoros. So every game will be tough.”
The coach aims to restore the success of a team who finished second in 1972 and won bronze medals in 2012 and 2013.
“The aim is to go to the semifinal. We said that when I signed the contract. We are not scared to say that. We know there are many teams in Africa who can reach the semifinal,” said Saintfiet.
“We have to show Africa that we have very good players. And I think we have really good players. I hope everyone will be available. And I think I added as a coach also some tactical discipline and hopefully it’s good enough to reach our goal to play a minimum of the semifinal.”
Mali is the seventh African team Saintfiet has coached, after Namibia, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Malawi, Togo and Gambia. When asked why he preferred Africa, he said he had chosen it willingly.
“Many European coaches come to Africa because they have no chances in Europe and they are having bad performances or no future anymore. For me, coming to Africa was a real choice. To make a career in Africa and because I love Africa.”
