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Tag: Fifa

  • FIFA: Check out world ranking for August 2022.

    FIFA: Check out world ranking for August 2022.

    The latest edition of the FIFA Men’s Rankings dropped yesterday, August 25th, 2022 & there wasn’t much surprise in the listings of the world’s top footballing nations across the globe. This ranking comes less than 90 days to the 22nd Edition of the FIFA World Cup, the biggest showcase event in the 2022 football calendar.

    Probably because it’s been quite some time since I last checked out FIFA’s monthly ranking of their member nations, or the fact that I haven’t been particularly following international football as much as I have been following club football but I was quite surprised that Brazil were now back to the number 1 team in the world & by a very comfortable stance at that. The Red Devils of Belgium (who were on the top of the log last time I checked), Argentina, France & England all make up the rest of the Global top 5 & I particularly couldn’t help but notice the wide 100 points gap between Brazil in Number 1 & England in Number 5 spot as well as the strong 50 point gap between Argentina & Belgium in Number 3 & 2 respectively.

    Leading the African contingents in the global rankings was reigning African Champions, Senegal, who were ranked 18th & the only African team in the global top 20. Also notably:

    •       The Top 10 consists of only European (8) & South American (2) nations
    •       There only 2 countries from CONCACAF in the top 20; Mexico (14) & USA (16)
    •       There is only 1 CAF nation in the top 20, Senegal (18).
    •       Europe has as many nations in the top 10 as Africa & South America have in the global top 50 (8)
    •       Iran are the highest ranking Asian side with a 22nd placed ranking, two places above Japan in 24th & six places above Korea in 28th position.

     

    Here is the Top 20 world ranking for August 2022.

    1. Brazil
    2. Belgium
    3. Argentina
    4. France
    5. England
    6. Spain
    7. Italy
    8. Netherlands
    9. Portugal
    10. Denmark
    11. Germany
    12. Mexico
    13. Uruguay
    14. USA
    15. Croatia
    16. Switzerland
    17. Colombia
    18. Sengal
    19. Wales
    20. Sweden

     

    The Top 10 Ranking of CAF nations for this month is also thus:

    1) Senegal (18th)

    2) Morocco (23rd)

    3) Tunisia (30th)

    4) Nigeria (31st)

    5) Cameroon (38th)

    6) Egypt (40th)

    7) Algeria (41st)

    8) Mali (46th)

    9) Cote d’voire (52nd)

    10) Burkina Faso (55th)

     

    As the FIFA World Cup in Qatar draws closer, there are significant changes expected to happen to the global rankings as teams would play friendlies, accrue points & move up & down the rankings till the World Cup in November.  @thedavidadesina

  • Super Eagles maintain position in latest FIFA ranking

    Super Eagles maintain position in latest FIFA ranking

    The Super Eagles of Nigeria has maintained 31st position in the world in the August FIFA ranking.

    According to the ranking table published on FIFA’s verified page on Thursday, the Jose Peseiro-tutored players maintained the 1,504.7 garnered points in July.

    On the continental level, they are still placed fourth behind Senegal (18), Morocco (23), and Tunisia (30).

    On the global scene, with five major tournaments in different parts of the world, international women‘s football has hogged the headlines in recent months.

    Fifty-eight international fixtures were played in the men‘s game, mostly in Africa and Asia, hence changes in the August edition of the FIFA World Ranking are few and far between.

    Two countries, Mauritania (107th, plus 3) and Botswana (146th, plus 3) have been posting good results, as reflected by a climb of three places each in the standings.

    That progress makes them jointly the two most-improved sides in terms of places.

    In the top 50, almost nothing has changed from the previous edition, Brazil (1st, ), Belgium (2nd, ) and Argentina (3rd, ) still occupy the podium places, while their immediate followers remain in the same order they were in June.

    Only Iran (22nd, plus 1) and FIFA World Cup hosts Qatar (48th, plus 1) move up one place apiece.

    Outside the Top 100 in addition to the aforementioned African duo, Mozambique (116th, plus 2) and Angola (120th, plus 2) also made up ground among CAF sides, as did Bermuda (168th, plus 2) in Concacaf.

    With a raft of international games to come in September in particular, there is expected to be more movement in the next edition.

  • FIFA releases World Cup sound track two on streaming Platforms

    FIFA releases World Cup sound track two on streaming Platforms

    Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has released the second track of the 2022 World Cup.

    The World Cup track will be released across all music streaming platforms from August 26, 2022. The single,

    ‘Arhbo’, features Congolese-French rapper Gims and Latin Grammy-winning Puerto Rican artist Ozuna. It is currently available only on the official YouTube channel of FIFA.

    Gandhi Bilel Djuna, better known by his stage name Maître Gims and more recently just Gims grew up in France and currently lives in France and Morocco.

    He has topped the French singles charts four times. Juan Carlos Ozuna Rosado, known simply by his surname Ozuna, is a Puerto Rican/Dominican singer and rapper.

    All five of his studio albums have topped the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart.

    Recall that FIFA released the second  ‘Hayya Hayya (Better Together)’, featuring Trinidad Cardona, Davido, and Aisha was released in April.

    The two soundtracks will be used throughout the FIFA World Cup slated to start on the 20th of  November in the Asian country of Qatar.

  • Why Falconets overstayed at Istanbul airport – NFF

    Why Falconets overstayed at Istanbul airport – NFF

    The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Wednesday explained that a number of factors, including the inability to secure transit visas for players and officials of the U20 Girls National Team, Falconets, at the Istanbul Airport, led to the team having to stay 24 hours at the airport in Turkey on their way from the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup.

    “The NFF did not book the team’s tickets from Costa Rica; FIFA did. FIFA also did not envisage the hitches that saw the team delayed for more than three hours in Bogota, and another one hour in Panama. By the time the team got to Istanbul, the flight to Abuja had left.

    “Our officials pleaded for compassionate transit visas so as to take the players and officials to a hotel inside the town, but this was not possible as they were informed that Nigeria had been removed from the list of countries whose citizens were issued visa-on-arrival in Turkey.

    “The airline then took the team to a sleeping area at the airport and gave them tickets to have meals every five hours. This situation has nothing to do with NFF, who had made arrangements to receive the team in Abuja before the complications in travel arrangements,” NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, explained.

    It would be recalled that the NFF had implored world-governing body, FIFA to intervene with the Embassy of Germany to issue the team transit visas before their departure from Nigeria, in order for the team to be able to travel through Germany. This did not happen.

    On the issue of body-wear, Sanusi said: “The players were handed three sets of green jerseys and two sets of white jerseys, several house-wear types and training jerseys. The players opted to wash only their jersey top (no other stuff) because when the first set of body-wear was sent to the laundry people at the hotel, it returned with some FIFA and NFF badges at the front and names at the back peeled by the machine.”

  • Falconets set perfect group stage record after edging Canada 3-1

    Falconets set perfect group stage record after edging Canada 3-1

    The Nigeria team on Wednesday at the ongoing 10th FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica advanced to the quarter-finals in grand style.

    The Falconets qualified by setting a World Cup group stage perfect record for themselves after beating Canada 3-1 in Alajuela.

    The feat enabled them to finish with a perfect nine points out of nine in Group C. In spite of hard-fought victories over France and Korea Republic, the Nigerian side were favourites to win the match even though they had already secured a final eight place.

    They did concede their first goal of the competition in the match, but they never looked back after drawing level thereafter.

    Goalkeeper Omini Oyono’s poor management of a backpass from Jumoke Alani granted Kala Novak a fortuitous goal in less than two minutes after kick-off.

    “It was great for us to come back from that setback, and also conceding first in the tournament.

    “But we showed character and spirit after that, and that would be huge for us going forward in the competition,” team head coach Christopher Danjuma said after the match.

    Esther Onyenezide, whose vicious curling shot earned all three points against Korea Republic late on, to send the Falconets into the last eight Sunday, soon drew them level.

    She scored from the penalty kick spot in the 24th minute after Canadian defender Mia Pante had handled the ball from a Blessing Okpe shot in the penalty box.

    The Falconets did look composed and surefooted in the middle with the return of Deborah Abiodun, who sat out the encounter with the Koreans.

    Chiamaka Okwuchukwu also played an inspiring game after starting for the first time in the tournament.

    Her firm header from an Okpe cross in the 15th minute had missed narrowly.

    Onyenezide however went on to shoot Nigeria ahead, also from the penalty kick spot, in the 32ndminute.

    This was after Simi Awujo’s dangerous play against Mercy Idoko was penalised, when Idoko went for a header from Rofiat Imuran’s inswinger.

    In the added time of first period, Idoko came close to scoring her first goal of the tournament, but her touch from another Imuran inswinger brushed the upright.

    In the second half, the Falconets added pace and brilliant use of space to their game.

    It was no surprise then when Imuran, again with a visionary cross, set up substitute Chioma Olise for Nigeria’s third goal.

    Their imperial campaign in the group stage earns the Falconets a quarter-final date with The Netherlands in Alajuela on Sunday.

  • FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup: Falconets defeat South Korea 1-0

    FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup: Falconets defeat South Korea 1-0

    Nigeria’s Under-20 National Women’s Football Team (Falconets) defeated  South Korea 1-0 on Sunday in their Group C Match Day Two of the ongoing FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica.

    The Falconets got a vital boost at the Estadio Alajuela Morera Soto Stadium with the defeat of the South Koreans to reach the knock-out round.

    The Falconets also got off to a winning start on Thursday with a 1-0 win over highly-rated France. However,  the South Koreans shot to the top of the group when they beat Canada 2-0.

    Falconets got on a sound footing with excellent passes to the admiration of few spectators but no goal to show for their display in the first half of the match.

    They started very well, but their Korean opponents grew into the game, and even hit the post from a free kick but the Nigerian girls held on.

    Both teams played almost all their tactics and skills all to no avail in the pursuit of a goal that never came. The Falconets dominated possession with 64 per cent as against the South Koreans’ 36 per cent.

    Both teams continued from where they stopped with the Falconets dominating  in the second half of the game.

    Esther Onyenezide finally scored for the Falconets in the 83rd minute  of the game for the winning goal.

    Nigeria will be up agsinst Canada on Aug.19 in their next match. The victory lifted Falconets to the knockout rounds of the World Cup even before a final group game against Canada.

    The Falconets were paired in Group C along with France, South Korea and Canada.

    Meanwhile, in another match played earlier in Group D, Japan defeated Ghana 2-0.

    The FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, which started  on Aug. 10, is expected to end on 28 in Costa Rica.

  • Qatar 2022: FIFA set to change World Cup start date

    Qatar 2022: FIFA set to change World Cup start date

    Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) is set to announce a shift in date for the opening ceremony and match of the 2022 Qatar winter Worldcup.

    The opening match between host Qatar and Ecuador initially billed for November 21st will now be played on the 20th of November.

    The move, which has been approved by the FIFA Council before the 100-day countdown starts this week, will retain the tradition of the first match featuring the host country.

    Under the existing arrangement, Senegal and the Netherlands play the first game on November 21, followed by the official inauguration match between Qatar and Ecuador later that day.

     

    “There were discussions and agreement between the two respective teams and there was a request from CONMEBOL — the South American confederation,” one World Cup source told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity as no official decision has been announced.

    “We wanted to follow the tradition that either the reigning champions or the host country be involved in the opening match,” the source added.

    For fans who have tickets for the November 21 game, “any disruption will be dealt with so impact is minimal”, another tournament source told AFP.

    Under the change, Netherlands v Senegal would be moved from 1:00 pm (1000 GMT) on November 21 to a 7:00 pm start. “It is a better slot for both teams for television and other areas,” said the World Cup source.

    Due to unfavourable weather conditions in Qatar in the Summer, the World Cup is postponed till the winter of 2022.

    32 teams from all over the world will qualify for the tournament after a rigorous qualifying series and will battle one another for the World Cup trophy.

    France won the last edition hosted by Russia in 2018  after defeating Croatia 4-2 and will hope to defend their title in Qatar.

     

  • FIFA fraud: Blatter, Platini acquitted by Swiss court

    FIFA fraud: Blatter, Platini acquitted by Swiss court

    Former FIFA president Joseph Blatter and former UEFA president Michel Platini were on Friday acquitted by the Swiss Federal Criminal Court in a FIFA fraud trial.

    The two ex-football officials had been charged by federal prosecutors in Switzerland with defrauding FIFA in connection with a payment of two million Swiss francs (2.07 million dollars) Platini received.

    The Frenchman had received the money from FIFA in 2011 for work done as a consultant between 1998 and 2002.

    Switzerland’s Blatter, 86, presided over the world governing football body from 1998 to 2015.

    The Swiss probe started in 2015 after a search at the FIFA headquarters on general corruption suspicion.

    Platini was originally only listed as a witness.

    The prosecution had wanted a suspended sentence of one year eight months for both men.

    Platini was also to be fined some 2.2 million Swiss francs, the original payment plus social security taxes FIFA also paid.

    Blatter and Platini had protested their innocence, with FIFA not in a financial position at the time to fully pay the Frenchman Platini who for his part spoke of a fabricated case.

    Blatter, who had said the two had a verbal agreement for the payment, said shortly ahead of the verdict he expected to be found not guilty.

    “I expect nothing else but an acquittal. I am not innocent in my life but I am innocent in this case,” he said before entering the Bellinzona court house.

    Platini had spoken of a politically-motivated case which ended his ambition to take over from Blatter as FIFA president, a position now held by former UEFA secretary general Gianni Infantino.

    Both men were banned from football by the FIFA ethics committee, and their careers were over even though the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) later reduced the bans.

    Platini, 67, said in a statement distributed by his lawyer that “my fight is a fight against injustice. I have won a first game.”

    “The truth has come to light in this trial,” he said, vowing “we will meet again”.

    He added that he would “go all the way in my quest for the truth” because “there are culprits who did not appear during this trial.”

  • Qatar 2022: FIFA to use semi-automatic offside technology

    Qatar 2022: FIFA to use semi-automatic offside technology

    World football governing body, FIFA says it will use semi-automatic offside technology at the November to December World Cup to make video assistant decisions faster and more reliable.

    FIFA said on Friday that the system would be used in all 64 matches in Qatar.

    The new offside technology was tested at the Arab Cup and the Club World Cup in February.

    Using a signal in the ball and a dozen cameras that record players’ movements, the position of players is recorded even more accurately than before.

    The data will be reviewed by a video assistant and immediately relayed to the referee on the field.

    “The match officials are still involved in the decision-making process, as the technology gives an answer only when a player is in an offside position.

    “In other words, the assessment of interfering with an opponent remains a match official’s responsibility,” FIFA referees’ chief, Pierluigi Collina, said in a statement.

    In addition to more precise measurements, it is also hoped that the technology speeds up video assistant reviews for offside.

    Currently, it takes an average of 70 seconds but the new system could cut that to 25 seconds.

    “I’ve heard a lot about ‘robot referees.’ I understand sometimes this is very good for headlines, but this is not the case,” Collina said.

    Video screens will be used to inform fans in the stadium about decisions.

  • Final tickets for Qatar 2022 available from Tuesday

    Final tickets for Qatar 2022 available from Tuesday

    The remaining tickets for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar slated for later this year will go on sale from July 5 on a first-come first-served basis.

    Global football governing body FIFA said on Thursday that the tickets would be available via the FIFA homepage for the tournament.

    Around 1.8 million tickets have already been sold for the tournament which runs from Nov. 21 to Dec. 18.

    “Fans can apply again for tickets for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ through the First Come First Served sales period of Sales Phase (2) that starts on 5 July 2022 at 11:00 CEST / 12:00 (midday) Doha time and ends on 16 August 2022 at 11:00 CEST / 12:00 (midday) Doha time.

    “During this sales period, tickets will be allocated on a first come, first served basis, and ticket purchases are processed as a real-time transaction, subject to availability. All successfully purchased tickets will be confirmed immediately to the ticket applicants.

    “We advise football fans to place their application as soon as the sales period opens, as tickets will likely sell out quickly,” the football governing body stated on its website.

    Recall that FIFA had in late May announced the closure of the random selection draw sales period of Sales Phase (2) for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ tickets.

    The second ticket sales phase for the Qatar World Cup started in April, with fans able to apply for tickets for two matches on one day.

    “Payments of allocated tickets during the second Random Selection Draw sales period that finished on 28 April 2022 are no longer accepted,” FIFA stated.

    TNG reports that There are going to be four matches per day in the group stage in view of the tournament’s uniquely compact nature and short travel times between the eight venues.

    FIFA is now offering fans a chance to watch two games on one day for the first time.

    The supporter tickets meanwhile can be ordered for group stage matches of their team, and a conditional supporter ticket includes a possible last 16 game of the respective team.

    FIFA is also offering a four-stadium ticket for those who want to watch four games on successive days at four different venues, while individual match tickets are also available.

    Some 800,000 tickets were sold in the first sales period for the Nov. 21 to Dec. 18 tournament.