Enner Valencia is the name on the lips of all as the Ecuadorian captain starred in an easy 2-0 win for the South American, meaning Qatar becomes the first host nation to lose their first game in a FIFA World Cup finals.Already his country’s all-time top scorer with 35 goals before kickoff, the Fenerbahçe striker thought he had made it 36 three minutes into the match, only for the VAR to deny him as the goal was ruled out for offside.Six minutes later, he won a penalty after being brought down in the box by goalkeeper, Saad Al Sheeb and…
Author: Kehinde-Hassan Afolabi
It could be over before it even get started for both Qatar and Ecuador in the 22nd edition of the FIFA World Cup as the two underdogs in Group A go head to head in the curtain raiser of the first ever winter months FIFA World Cup.It’s been well over 150 months since South Africa became the first host nation in the history of the FIFA World Cup not to reach the next round of the competition after failing to qualify from a group of Uruguay, France and Mexico.The Bafana Bafana finished third, level on points with Mexico but dwarf…
Ahead of the commencement of the FIFA World Cup group games, we take a look at the teams most likely to progress from each group before the real battle begins in the knockout rounds.Group AEighth in the latest FIFA Ranking, The Netherlands will boast favourites in this group and rightly so. They are the highest ranked nation in the group and head to Qatar on a run of unbeaten in their last ten games.Their biggest test in the Group will be against African Champions, Senegal but even they will be expected to come out on top.Players like Frenkie De Jong,…
It’s all been a fairytale but for Jurgen Klopp, who masterminded the process and tried to keep it consistent – however, the law of diminishing returns is catching up on form.Liverpool were at a time the best in the Premier League. At the time, they compete with the best around the world for everything.From players signings to the major titles – and that is why they have the most Champions League title of all other English teams and only a few has won the title more than their six times in all of Europe.However, the most successful period in the…
It will forever be a mystery, the reason Manchester United choose to keep Cristiano Ronaldo beyond the summer even more due to the role he is playing under their new manager, Erik Ten Hag.The Dutch manager said in the summer that the Portuguese is in his plans, though Ronaldo requested a move away following the club’s inability to secure Champions League qualification.Certainly, it would have been better for all parties, mostly Ronaldo and Ten Hag should the player got his move away in the summer. The clash of egos is always going to come to be at the Theater of…
European countriesThe dominant continent in the global competition. Europe have produced more different winner than the other continents combined.Although, the above is a bit of sarcasm because aside Europe, only South America has produced winners of the World Cup in Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay.The other five countries that made up the eight different nations to have won the competition are European countries. Germany, Italy, France, England and Spain have all tasted glory in the global tourney.In this edition of the competition, all the above named countries still carries the tag of favourites and in this article, we access the chances…
If you call it a fairytale, then there are still pages left to be filled because this is not just a flash in the pan for Mikel Arteta and his minions, so welcome to reality.It could have become obvious last season but the eventual stumble is still much acceptable because this is a team in transition, and maybe a season more out of Europe’s most prestigious competition gives them the avenue to prepare ahead for the main task.Reminiscing their first three games at the start of last season, which was rounded off with a 5-0 humiliation at the hands of…
To stop Erling Haaland from scoring, it is not by man marking him because this leaves your defense vulnerable.The aforementioned only affords other City players making late runnings into the box more opportunities to wreck havocs as continuously stalking one man leads to men disadvantage.It has never been easy dealing with Manchester City on their day and the presence of Haaland is just that of a hungry striker in the midst of creative players, goals after goals until he breaks every single record available as long as he remains a City player.After only eight games in the Premier League, Erling…
South AmericansWe access first, the chances of South America teams in a bid to end their 20 year wait for a World Cup success in the part one of our World Cup power rankings.The wait must have started to grow into frustration for South America legends, who have watch European countries dominate and won each the last four editions of the FIFA World Cup after themselves have made history with their countries in their time.Since Brazil beat Germany in the final to win the first edition of the competition to be held outside Europe, South America, or North America, when…