Sports

Croatia knock out World Cup favourites Brazil on penalties

Published

4 years ago

December 10, 2022

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Croatia booked their place in the World Cup semi-finals as they dumped Brazil out of the World Cup on penalties.

The five-time champions enjoyed the better of the opportunities in what was a competitive affair but found Croatia keeper Dominik Livakovic an imperious opponent and the match headed into extra-time.

Neymar looked to be the man to decide the tie as he danced through the Croatian defence and thundered home an uber-dramatic strike as Brazil seemingly put one foot in the semi-finals. Croatia were not to be denied though as a flowing move was polished off by Bruno Petković to send the game into a penalty shootout.

Having plundered four in the first-half against South Korea in the round of 16, Tite’s men were not able to continue their scintilating form against Croatia. The five-time world champions struggled to cut through their opponents having been kept at arms’ length throughout the majority of the opening period with just three shots on target.

Vinicius Jr. arguably had the best chance of the first-half as he played an excellent one-two with Richarlison but saw his eventual shot well blocked by Josko Gvardiol – the RB Leipzig defender having been a hugely impressive performer for Croatia in Qatar.

Whilst Brazil’s seeming lack of threat would have been a surprise, they have actually failed to net a first-half goal in six out of their last seven World Cup matches so a goalless first-half was potentially not as unusual as first perceived.

Celtic defender Josip Juranovic has been an ever-present for Croatian during the World Cup. Ahead of Friday’s meeting with Brazil, the 27-year-old had played every minute under Zlatko Dalic. He continued that form with an excellent first-half display against the Selecao.

Juranovic gave ex- Manchester City man Danilo a torrid time – the Brazilian resorting to taking him down with a head-high challenge to stop him. The Celtic man was also brilliant from a defensive viewpoint. Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr looked set to skip away from the right-back but he somehow got back to reclaim the ball for Croatia.

Both part of an all-conquering Real Madrid side for the best part of a decade, Casemiro finally came up against former teammate Luka Modric at the Education City Stadium. The pair are no longer teammates following the former’s switch to Manchester United in the summer.

The Croatian got the better of his opposite number in the first period – something that did not prevent a half-time shirt swap between the pair. Modric’s composed display continued after the game as he controlled large swaths of the centre of the park.

His penalty was also a brilliant effort and he will now turn his attention to yet another momentous semi-final.

Despite a lack of real threat from Brazil throughout the majority of the tie, they did manage to breach the Croatia backline on a few occasions – only to see Dinamo Zagreb stopper Dominik Livakovic in the way.

The 39-time international showed sharp instincts just when his side needed him as Tite’s side cranked up the pressure just after the break. Neymar thrice had efforts denied by the Croatia stopper. In the meantime, he also stood tall to paw away a lofted effort from West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta – that being among a collection of 11 key saves throughout the match.

He kept up his form during the shootout as he saved Rodrygo’s effort to give his side the perfect start.

With Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar set to be 34 by the next World Cup, his dream of adding the glittering trophy to his bloated collection looks to be hanging by a thread.

In what was an otherwise quiet display from the Brazilian sensation, he got his magic feet moving seemingly just when Brazil needed him. Just moments before the extra-time interval, he charged into the Croatia box and exchanged passes with Richarlison.

He kept his balance just long enough to skip around Livakovic and thunder the ball into the near post – a goal that sees him draw level with the great Pele. It wasn’t quite enough though as the South American side failed to keep out Croatia – the game heading into a penalty shootout.

Sports

Lionel Messi retires from international football

Published

3 weeks ago

August 31, 2026

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Argentina football legend, Lionel Messi, has drawn the curtain on his international football with Argentina after an illustrious career with the South American nation.

The 39-year-old made a total of 207 appearances, announced his retirement on Monday.

He won the World Cup in 2022, and was a runner-up in 2026 and 2014. He also secured two Copa América titles.

Messi wrote in a statement, “It was a decision that hurt – and still hurts deep down – but I understand that the time has come. I swear to you that I always gave it my all – not just in these last few years when we won everything, but before that too; I always fought and left everything on the field for this jersey, to bring you joy and make you feel proud to be Argentine through football.

“Time is running short, chapters come to a close, and this is one that hurts me deeply. I love, have loved, and will always love being part of the national team. I’ve given everything I had; I have nothing left to give, and besides, there are some great young players coming up who deserve to be here.”

Messi, who made 207 appearances and reached three World Cup finals, is widely regarded by fans worldwide as the greatest footballer ever.

Sports

Tinubu orders comprehensive reform of Nigerian football after resignation of NFF board

Published

3 weeks ago

August 27, 2026

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered a comprehensive reform of Nigerian football to ensure the national football team overcome repeated failures to qualify for major regional, continental and world tournaments.

“The reform must respond to a longstanding need to strengthen governance, administration, stakeholder representation, development pathways, domestic competitions and accountability across Nigerian football,” he said.

Tinubu, according to a statement on Thursday by Bayo Onanuga, the presidential spokesperson, made the decision to help the country “overcome repeated failures to qualify for major regional, continental and world tournaments”.

“Football, Nigeria’s most popular sport and the greatest beneficiary of public support, investment and national attention, has continued to struggle basically due to structural deficits within the system,” the president said.

The President noted that while other sports had recorded meaningful progress since the reset of the sports sector under the re-established National Sports Commission, football has continued to struggle because of structural weaknesses within the system.

He stressed that Nigerian football must begin to match the country’s exceptional talent, passion and resources with stronger institutions and sustained performance.

President Tinubu directed the Chairman of the National Sports Commission to work with the NFF Secretariat and relevant football stakeholders to ensure continuity in essential football administration and facilitate a broad, consultative reform process.

The process will include appropriate engagement with FIFA and CAF while safeguarding Nigeria’s obligations within the international football framework.

The President called on football stakeholders and Nigerians to support the transition and work together to build a stronger, more accountable and successful football system.

Sports

Ibrahim Gusau confirms resignation as NFF president, Mohammed Sanusi steps down as general secretary

Published

3 weeks ago

August 27, 2026

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Ibrahim Gusau has confirmed his resignation as the president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

The former chairman officially announced his resignation at a press conference held in Abuja on Thursday.

He said: “After consultation with family, friends and stakeholders, I just want to tell you that I have decided to resign from my position.

“As Nigerians, nobody is greater than this country. We all love our country and its progress. And as people who have been in football and managing football, we need to look at ourselves and ask, ‘What next?’ so we made a lot of consultations.”

Gusau added that he also advised members of the NFF board to follow his footsteps. He clarified, however, that he cannot say whether they would heed his advice.

A few minutes after Gusau’s announcement, the NFF, on its X page, confirmed the resignation of Mohammed Sanusi as the federation’s general secretary.

The mass resignation comes a few weeks after the Super Falcons failed to qualify for the women’s World Cup for the first time since the competition’s inception. The disappointment triggered backlash for the NFF board members.

According to rumours, the NFF leadership was pressured to step down after intervention from top brass of the Federal Government, from the National Sports Commission (NSC) to the presidency.

Gusau was elected NFF president in 2022, and his tenure was supposed to end next month, with an elective congress scheduled for September 27.

The fate of the congress is uncertain as reports claim that a normalisation committee will be set up to oversee the federation’s affairs until further notice.

Under Gusau’s leadership, the Super Eagles, like the Falcons, also failed to qualify for the men’s 2026 World Cup, despite Africa getting 10 slots for the first time. The failure also extended to age-grade football, with the men’s U-17 and U-20 teams missing out on World Cups.