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Tag: Germany

  • Timo Werner secures Germany’s ticket to 2022 FIFA World Cup

    Timo Werner secures Germany’s ticket to 2022 FIFA World Cup

    Germany became the first country to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar on Monday with Timo Werner scoring twice in a 4-0 win away to North Macedonia.

    The fifth victory in five matches under new coach Hansi Flick, matching the record of predecessor Joachim Loew, has given Germany an unassailable lead at the top of Group J.

    But that was also due to to Armenia losing 1-0 to Romania elsewhere.

    Germany dominated throughout against the side who inflicted only a third-ever World Cup qualifying defeat against them at home in March.

    But they needed until the second half to make the breakthrough.

    Kai Havertz tapped into an empty net to cap a fine counter-attack in the 50th minute to break the North Macedonian resistance.

    The lively Werner then smashed a quick-fire brace before teenager Jamal Musiala completed the rout with his first senior international goal.

    Germany have 21 points from eight games before concluding the campaign in November at home to Liechtenstein and away to Armenia, who are now fourth on 12 points.

    Romania, on 13, are best-placed to secure second and the play-off spot but North Macedonia, above Armenia on goal difference, are also in contention.

    “We have now qualified, that is very, very important first of all for us and it gives us confidence for the next games,” Havertz said in an interview.

    Team captain Manuel Neuer, back in goals after injury, agreed the team should now have high ambitions.

    “If we play for Germany the goal is always to win titles, to reach the highest goals possible. That’s how we will approach it there.”

    Flick made five changes to the team which beat Romania last time out, with Mueller and Havertz also coming into the attack and proving decisive.

    Home goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski denied first Joshua Kimmich then Werner, who was actually offside, and had help from the post when the Chelsea forward beat him on the stroke of half-time.

    It was Werner’s Stamford Bridge colleague Havertz who did find the net when a brilliant pass from Serge Gnabry released Mueller.

    The Bayern Munich man laid the ball off for a simple finish rather than shoot himself.

    “We have qualified as quickly as possible,” said Flick. “We also have to give the team a compliment for their attitude today (Monday).

    “We can be happy that we’ve also finished this game with a win.”

    Mueller, who notched the winner against Romania on Friday, was provider again to set up Werner in the 70th minute with a clever flick following a quick free-kick.

    Werner’s superb curling shot from the edge of the penalty box three minutes later had Germany cruising.

    In the closing stages, Musiala converted an assist from fellow substitute Karim Adeyemi.

  • Germany team jet forced into emergency landing

    Germany team jet forced into emergency landing

    Germany’s team jet has been forced into an emergency landing after transmitting a distress signal.

    The Germans had won 4-0 in World Cup qualification in Iceland on Wednesday before departing Keflavik International Airport at 1am.

    The flight then encountered difficulty while mid-air over Scotland and sent out a Code 7700 distress signal.

    It is unclear what caused the emergency but the signal declares to air traffic control that a plane must land immediately due to ‘urgency’ or ‘distress’ with either the craft itself or a person onboard.

    Following a sharp right-hand turn over Arbroath, the German team landed in Edinburgh and safely exited the plane.

    The German FA (DFB) confirmed via Twitter: “Safety first. Safe stopover as a precaution in Edinburgh.

    “From there, individual onward and return journeys are planned.”

  • Germany to help people in Afghanistan who previously provided assistance – Merkel

    Germany to help people in Afghanistan who previously provided assistance – Merkel

    Germany intends to help a large number of people in Afghanistan who previously provided assistance to it, Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday at a joint news conference with Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas.

    “We know that the situation is extremely difficult. I told Kallas that Germany wants to help even more people who provided assistance to us before.

    “We are concerned as we see that Afghanistan’s achievements related to the situation with girls and women, education and development can be reversed,’’ Merkel said.

    Berlin seeks evacuating as many people as possible from Afghanistan, the chancellor emphasized.

    She praised the arrival of a second German military plane in Kabul as a positive sign.

  • Tokyo 2020: D’Tigers lose to Germany

    Tokyo 2020: D’Tigers lose to Germany

    D’Tigers lose 92-99 to Germany in their second Group B match of the Preliminary Round of the basketball competition.

  • Germany returns 7,000 Benin artefacts to Nigeria October – Official

    Germany returns 7,000 Benin artefacts to Nigeria October – Official

    No fewer than 7,000 artefacts plundered from Benin Kingdom are expected to be repatriated by Germany to Nigeria not later than October, Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said.

    The Permanent Secretary, Amb. Gabriel Aduda, disclosed this at the Inaugural Nigerian Cultural Show exhibiting Nigeria’s diverse cultural heritage, sites and traditional festivals held at the Cultural Centre, Nigeria House, New York.

    Aduda also said the reparation of the artefacts would go with building an ultramodern museum in Edo and the training of some curators that would man the artefacts.

    He said Nigeria had reached an advanced stage of discussions with Germany to return thousands of different pieces of Benin Bronzes back to the country.

    The Nigerian official said the ministry had been at the forefront alongside relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to facilitate the repatriation of thousands of Benin artefacts from the Republic of Germany.

    “We are working with relevant MDAs, we have had several high level meetings with the republic of Germany and we are at stage where thousands of art works are to be returned to Nigeria.

    “There are over 7,000 different pieces of artefacts that Republic of Germany wants to give back to Nigeria,’’ he said.

    “We have talked deep into this that the reparation is not only at giving back, but they are coming to put a modern day museum in Edo State and they are training 25 curators that will man the museum for sustainability.

    “We have gone far and we are thinking that this will be concluded in October this year.

    “We are hoping it will be a window to reach out to other European countries to return to us what was taken from us years back,” he said.

    The permanent secretary commended the Consulate-General in New York for inaugurating in April, a Culture Centre and Library, equipped with books, cultural artifacts, research materials and historic documents on Nigeria for public use.

    A South-South Cultural dance troupe performing at the Inaugural Nigeria Cultural Show at the Culture Centre, Nigeria House, New York

    He said the participants were part of history as Cultural Centre hosts its first Cultural Show, saying “I believe that we will leave this event with a better understanding of our country.

    “Also, with a heightened sense of admiration for our rich and unique ancestral heritage that has been the bedrock of our unity as a nation.

    “We are encouraged by your interest and being a part of our story telling today and I invite you to Nigeria to witness these festivals coming up later this year.’’

    Aduda said the Argungu International Fishing Festival and the Osun-Osogbo Festival promoted at the event are just two of the many festivals that characterise Nigeria.

    In his remarks, a New York Senator, Sen. Robert Jackson, urged Black people to be proud of their race and culture.

    “If we are not proud about out race and culture, how do you expect other people to do it for us?

    “I have come to be part of the cultural event and to learn about the rich culture of Nigeria,’’ he said.

    Also Speaking, Amb. Cuthbert Ncube, Chairman of the African Tourism Board, said culture was a viable tool for development and should not be underestimated as the colonial masters did.

    Ncube said the board was open to engaging like-minded stakeholders as Africa re-writes its own narratives and starts identifying the capacities God had deposited in its citizens.

    “Culture is a veritable social capital deployed for growth and development and can translate to economic and technological capital,’’ he said.

     

    The New Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event, with the theme “Nigeria: Our Community, Cultures and Unity’’, also showcased Nigeria’s cultural dance troupes, musical performances and cultural fashion displays.

    The Show was organised by the Consulate-General of Nigeria, New York, in collaboration with the New York African Chorus Ensemble, the African Tourism Board and the Nigerian-Americans Public Affairs Committee.

    The Consul-General of Nigeria in New York, Amb. Lot Egopija; his Atlanta counterpart, Amb. Amina Smaila; and Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Amb. George Edokpa, were among the dignitaries that attended the event.

  • Tokyo 2020: German footballer proposes to girlfriend on TV after match

    Tokyo 2020: German footballer proposes to girlfriend on TV after match

    Germany captain Max Kruse has proposed to his girlfriend Dilara during a post-match interview on Sunday at the Olympic football tournament.

    Kruse, 33, took the microphone from broadcasters ARD, showed a t-shirt with a writing and went down on his knees after a 3-2 win against Saudi Arabia.

    “We have been together for a few months, a year actually,” he said with a smile, hoping she was watching back in Germany. “If you can read this I ask you if you want to become my wife?”

    Union Berlin striker Kruse said he had initially planned the move after scoring a goal at the Tokyo Games but was not sure if he would find the net at all.

    Germany are not assured of a place in the knockout rounds ahead of their final group game against Cote d’Ivoire.

  • German Olympic team uniform raises eyebrows

    German Olympic team uniform raises eyebrows

    Germany’s Olympic uniform for the Tokyo Games has not gone down well with some athletes and social media users from the country and abroad.

    “Who is responsible for this outfit. Come on now,” Olympic basketball player Maodo Lo said on Instagram about the mint green outfit with a rather extravagant vest and neon-coloured shoes.

    Teammate Niells Giffey agreed, asking makers Adidas and Team Germany “who thinks this up?”

    Internet users were not impressed either during the opening ceremony.

    One tweeted that “no one can take away the gold medal for ugliest uniform from us”, and another added: “you can rely on the tastelessness of German uniforms at Olympic Games.”

    The controversial attire also made it into the BBC live text of the Tokyo ceremony.

    “Following the live text on the motorway. Trying to describe to my wife, who is driving, how bad those German outfits are. Words fail me. My eyes!” the British network quoted one user as saying.

    Adidas defended themselves, saying the outfits were created together with the DOSB Athletes Commission and got a lot of positive feedback when officially presented two months ago.

  • We’ll return 1,130 looted Nigerian artefacts in 2022 – Germany

    We’ll return 1,130 looted Nigerian artefacts in 2022 – Germany

    German Minister of State for Culture, Monika Grutters has disclosed that 1,130 artefacts would be returned to Nigeria from the beginning of 2022.

    Grutters said this on Wednesday during a meeting with the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed in Berlin, Germany.

    This was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by the Special Assistant to the Minister of Information and Culture, Segun Adeyemi.

    Mohammed at the meeting earlier demanded a full and unconditional return of the 1,130 Benin Bronzes that were looted from the African nation in the 19th century and domiciled in German museums.

    Grutters at the meeting said “the way we deal with the issue of Benin Bronzes is important to addressing our colonial past.”

    She assured that the artefacts “would be returned to Nigeria from the beginning of 2022”.

    Gutters noted that the fact that Germany has twice sent delegations to Nigeria for talks over the planned repatriation is an indication that both sides have moved beyond mere talks, saying all the Museums in Germany that are holding Benin Bronzes have agreed to cooperate.

    Mohammed, later at a meeting with the German Foreign Minister, Heiko Maas, said there should be ”absolutely no conditions attached” to the return of the artefacts, which he described as an idea whose time has come..

    He said the ongoing discussion between Nigeria and Germany on the return of the art works is not just the end of an era but the beginning of a new vista of stronger relations, pivoted by cultural diplomacy, between both countries.

    Alhaji Mohammed thanked the Government of Germany for taking the lead in the global efforts to repatriate all artefacts that were looted from Nigeria and indeed from the African continent.

    The Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, who is also a member of the Nigerian delegation, said a ”transformational” museum is being built in Benin city to house the artefacts upon their return, as part of a new cultural district in the city.

  • Germany midfielder Toni Kross retires from international football after Euro 2020 exit

    Germany midfielder Toni Kross retires from international football after Euro 2020 exit

    2014 FIFA World Cup winner Toni Kroos has retired from the German national team following their last 16 exit at Euro 2020, the Real Madrid midfielder said on Friday.

    The 31-year-old Kroos revealed the decision in his Einfach Mal Luppen podcast he runs with his brother Felix.

    “The decision is made, it is irrevocable,” he said.

    “It’s a decision for the family and for me, because it’s also good for me that I’m more with the family. I also want to be there and be needed as a husband and dad.”

    Kroos earned 106 caps for Germany, the last of which came in the 2-0 defeat to England at Wembley on Tuesday.

    Writing on social media, Kroos said he wished to “and had given everything” so that he would reach 109 caps to end at the Euro 2020 final on July 11.

    The midfielder added he had known for some time he would not play the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

    He played at three World Cup finals, including the 2014 triumph in Brazil alongside 2010 and 2018.

    Kroos was also at European Championships in 2012 and 2016.

    Though his international debut came against Argentina in March 2010, it was against another South American team that Kroos struck two of his 17 goals for Germany.

    That was a 69-second brace against Brazil in the 7-1 World Cup semi-final four years later.

    And four more years after that the precision foot of Kroos kept Germany’s hopes alive of defending the title with a last-gasp winner against Sweden.

    That campaign in Russia ended in an early exit, but Kroos —- unlike the discarded Mats Hummels, Jerome Boateng and Thomas Mueller —- always retained the faith of coach Joachim Loew.

    This was even as he (Loew) looked to freshen up other parts of the team.

    Kroos thanked Loew for his guidance, saying he “has made me an international player and world champion. He has trusted me. We have long written a success story.

    “It was an honour for me, all the best —- and good luck and best wishes to [Loew’s successor] Hansi Flick.”

    Loew praised Kroos as “a great leader” in a statement on the website of the domestic federation DFB, saying: “Toni always brought incredible passion, commitment and dedication to the team and was a true role model for the younger players.

    “Toni has immense quality and was a real leader both on and off the pitch. His 106 caps, our long journey together and the triumph in Brazil will always bind us. Thank you, Toni!”

    Flick said it was “a real shame” that Kroos was quitting but added he fully understands his motives, and DFB director Oliver Bierhoff named him “a world class player” and “the epitome of professionalism and loyalty.”

    Kroos came through the ranks at Bayern Munich, impressing on loan at Bayer Leverkusen, and moved to Real Madrid in 2014.

    Three UEFA Champions League titles in the Spanish capital along with considerable domestic success there and in Germany cemented his status as one of the best midfielders of his generation.

    And having said he intends to focus on performing for Real Madrid, where he intends to end his playing career, it is likely his trophy haul is not yet complete.

  • Germans have no idea why Sancho doesn’t start for England – Klinsmann

    Germans have no idea why Sancho doesn’t start for England – Klinsmann

    Jurgen Klinsmann admits German football fans have no idea why Jadon Sancho doesn’t play for England.

    Sancho has lit up the Bundesliga over the past two seasons playing for Borussia Dortmund.

    The 21-year-old, who is close to joining Manchester United, was once again left out of the starting line-up for England’s clash with Germany on Tuesday, which the Three Lions won 2-0.

    Reacting to Sancho’s latest snub, Klinsmann told the BBC: “It’s a topic that us Germans, we discuss up and down.

    “We cannot understand that Jadon Sancho is not playing for England, or not getting more minutes because we believe he is a very special player who has a different gear.

    “He has unpredictability, so we are surprised he doesn’t get more minutes.”