Category: News

QATAR WORLD CUP 2022

Posted on by Margaret

The countdown to Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup has officially begun as the participating teams learnt who they will be facing at the 22nd edition of the football tournament in Fridays draw that took place in Doha, Qatar.

Four-time world champions Germany have been placed in Group E together with Spain who last won the tournament in the memorable South Africa 2010 edition. Other Group E members include Japan and the yet to be decided winner of the qualifier game between New Zealand and Costa Rica.

The reigning African champions Senegal have been placed in Group A along with the Netherlands, Ecuador, and the hosts Qatar. The African Champions will begin their quest for the trophy that has eluded the African continent since its inception with the match against the 2010 silver medallists the Netherlands, on November 21st, 2022.

France are the defending champions and are placed in group D but are yet to learn their first opponents in their defence of the title as they await the outcome of the playoffs between Peru, Australia, and UAE. Other members of group D include Denmark and Tunisia.

With only 233 days to go, the tournament kicks off with a match between the hosts Qatar and Ecuador on Monday 21st November 2022 at the impressive retractable 60,000 capacity Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor city.

Do you know your football? Bet on who you think will win this year’s world Cup here. The full draws are as follows.

GROUP A

Qatar (hosts)
Ecuador
Senegal
Netherlands

GROUP B

England
Iran
United States
Wales/Scotland/Ukraine

GROUP C

Argentina
Saudi Arabia
Mexico
Poland

GROUP D

France
United Arab Emirates/Australia/Peru
Denmark
Tunisia

GROUP E

Spain
Costa Rica/New Zealand
Germany
Japan

GROUP F

Belgium
Canada
Morocco
Croatia

GROUP G

Brazil
Serbia
Switzerland
Cameroon

GROUP H

Portugal
Ghana
Uruguay
South Korea

Bruno Fernandes has signed a one-year contract

Posted on by Margaret

Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes has signed a one-year contract extension with the club. The 27-year-old, who joined in January 2020 for an initial £47m, is now under contract until 2026 and this new deal includes an option for a further one-year extension.

Fernandes has scored 49 goals in 117 matches in all competitions for United.“There’s so much more I want to achieve here, and that’s the same for the rest of the squad and staff,” he said. <br>”More than anything, we want to give the fans the success that they deserve,” added Fernandes, who has also contributed 39 assists.

“We have shared some great moments, but the best is yet to come from myself and this team.” Manchester United football director John Murtough said Fernandes was the “ultimate professional” and praised the Portugal international for performing “remarkably consistently” since his arrival.

“Bruno, like everyone across the football club, remains hugely ambitious and determined to deliver sustained success on the pitch to get us back to challenging for titles,” Murtough added. Fernandes was deemed a key signing upon arriving and won the club’s Matt Busby Player of the Year award despite only joining midway through the season and also took it last season.

:BBC Sports

Liverpool v Watford: what to expect live on SS

Posted on by Margaret

Liverpool have won 12 of their 13 home league games against Watford, with the exception being a 1-0 loss in August 1999. They’ve won the last six in a row against the Hornets at Anfield by an aggregate score of 22-1.

Watford have taken just four points from their last 30 available against Liverpool in the Premier League (W1 D1 L8), drawing 3-3 in August 2017 and winning 3-0 in February 2020 (both at Vicarage Road).

Liverpool have won each of their last nine Premier League home games, scoring 27 goals and conceding just twice in this run. The Reds are unbeaten in their last 18 league games at Anfield (W14 D4) since a 1-0 loss to Fulham in March 2021.

Liverpool have won their last nine Premier League games, and victory here would see them become the second club to have five runs of 10+ consecutive wins in the competition, after Manchester City. It would also be Liverpool’s third such run in the Premier League under Jürgen Klopp, with only Pep Guardiola (4) leading his side to 10+ consecutive wins on more occasions in the competition.

? Watford have won eight points from their six Premier League away games under Roy Hodgson (W2 D2 L2), as many as they had from their previous 17 on the road in the competition (W2 D2 L13). The Hornets won 2-1 at Southampton last time out, but haven’t won consecutive away top-flight games since a run of three in September 2017.

Despite having used the joint-second most different players in the Premier League this season (30), Watford have had fewer different goalscorers than any other side this term (7). Meanwhile, Liverpool have had a league-high 17 different players find the net for them this season (excluding own goals).

This will be the 19th time a manager who has previously taken charge of Liverpool in the Premier League will face them at Anfield in the competition. Just one of the previous instances has ended in a victory (D3 L14), with that coming for current Watford boss Roy Hodgson while at West Brom in April 2012.

Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah has been directly involved in 11 goals in just seven Premier League games against Watford, scoring nine and assisting two. The Egyptian averages a goal or assist every 57 minutes against the Hornets, the fourth best ratio one player has against a club in Premier League history (minimum 600 minutes against that opponent).

No player has scored the opening goal in more different Premier League games this season than Liverpool’s Sadio Mané (6), while teammate Mohamed Salah has scored the joint-most winning goals in the competition this term (6).

Watford’s Cucho Hernández has been directly involved in four goals in his last three Premier League appearances (3 goals, 1 assist), more than he managed in his first 19 games in the competition (2 goals, 1 assist). source SuperSport

 

Jude Bellingham: Has Borussia Dortmund midfielder made himself an England starter?

Posted on by Margaret

England’s 3-0 friendly victory against Ivory Coast at Wembley was as routine as it comes, but there was still plenty for manager Gareth Southgate to ponder as the countdown to the World Cup in Qatar continues.

Southgate will discover England’s group opponents at Friday’s draw, then will further fine-tune his plans when they return to action against Hungary, Germany and Italy in the Nations League in June.

England delivered pretty much all Southgate would have wanted in two Wembley wins against Switzerland on Saturday and here against a disappointing Ivory Coast, but it all gets harder from now on and he has issues to consider.

Is Bellingham now a starter?

Jude Bellingham has looked perfectly at home from the moment he first walked on to the full international stage and has simply got better and better in his 12 caps and 510 minutes of action.

 

England fans have taken to hurling paper aeroplanes on to the Wembley turf to relieve tedium or signal a game is over as a contest, but nothing soared higher than Bellingham’s outstanding performance.

From the time he exchanged passes with Ollie Watkins only to see his effort deflected against the post by Ivory Coast keeper Badra Ali Sangare, Bellingham simply oozed class and was a cut above every player on the pitch.

Manchester United: Erik ten Hag needs ‘football club, not commercial club’ – Louis van Gaal

Posted on by Margaret

Former Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal has suggested Erik ten Hag should rule out a move to the Red Devils because they are “a commercial club”.

United have spoken to Ajax coach Ten Hag about their vacant manager’s job.

Interim boss Ralf Rangnick, who replaced Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, will be in charge until the summer.

“I’m not going to advise [Erik], he’ll call me himself. But he must choose a football club and not a commercial club,” said Netherlands boss Van Gaal.

Ten Hag, 52, has a contract with the reigning Dutch champions until 2023.
 
However, that is unlikely to prove an obstacle should United decide the Dutchman – who led Ajax to league titles in 2019 and 2021, plus the 2019 Champions League semi-finals – is the right man to replace Rangnick.Paris St-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino is also on a shortlist, with Sevilla coach Julen Lopetegui and Spain coach Luis Enrique also in the frame.But Van Gaal, who won the FA Cup during his spell in charge at Old Trafford between 2014 and 2016, suggested Ten Hag should consider his options carefully.

“Erik ten Hag is a great coach and that is always good for Manchester United,” added Van Gaal, who was speaking before the Netherlands’ friendly against Germany.

“But Manchester United are a commercial club, so it’s a difficult choice for a coach. He’d better go to a football club.”

 

Former Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal has suggested Erik ten Hag should rule out a move to the Red Devils because they are “a commercial club”.

United have spoken to Ajax coach Ten Hag about their vacant manager’s job.

Interim boss Ralf Rangnick, who replaced Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, will be in charge until the summer.

“I’m not going to advise [Erik], he’ll call me himself. But he must choose a football club and not a commercial club,” said Netherlands boss Van Gaal.

Ten Hag, 52, has a contract with the reigning Dutch champions until 2023.
 
However, that is unlikely to prove an obstacle should United decide the Dutchman – who led Ajax to league titles in 2019 and 2021, plus the 2019 Champions League semi-finals – is the right man to replace Rangnick.Paris St-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino is also on a shortlist, with Sevilla coach Julen Lopetegui and Spain coach Luis Enrique also in the frame.But Van Gaal, who won the FA Cup during his spell in charge at Old Trafford between 2014 and 2016, suggested Ten Hag should consider his options carefully.

“Erik ten Hag is a great coach and that is always good for Manchester United,” added Van Gaal, who was speaking before the Netherlands’ friendly against Germany.

“But Manchester United are a commercial club, so it’s a difficult choice for a coach. He’d better go to a football club.”