Sports

End of a Dream: France ends fairy-tale Morocco run, to meet Argentina in World Cup final

Published

4 years ago

December 14, 2022

admin

France will play Argentina and Lionel Messi in the 2022 World Cup final after beating Morocco 2-0 at the Al Bayt Stadium on Wednesday night. It was an end to a history-setting run for the Africans.

France, who won the World Cup in Russia four years ago, were tipped to beat underdogs Morocco – but this tournament has been full of shocks. Goals from Theo Hernandez and Randal Kolo Muani ensured Didier Deschamps’ side weren’t the latest victims of an upset.

Morocco performed admirably after losing Nayef Aguerd and Romain Saiss to injury and, on another day, could’ve won the semi-final. In the end, France took their chances and Morocco were left to rue theirs. Here are the main talking points from a tense affair.

France needed just five minutes to register their first goal. Manchester United defender Raphael Varane played Antoine Griezmann in behind the defence before he found Kylian Mbappe in the middle, allowing the Paris Saint-Germain striker to get a shot off.

Mbappe’s effort was deflected, but the ball squirmed into the path of Hernandez. Goalkeeper Bono tried to put the pressure on the AC Milan defender by racing out of his net, yet Hernandez produced a calm finish to give France the perfect start.

The defending champions were expected to dominate after their early goal and came close to doubling their advantage when Olivier Giroud hit the post. Yet Morocco didn’t give up and almost equalised thanks to Jawad El Yamiq’s moment of magic.

The Real Valladolid defender forced Hugo Lloris into a desperate save after producing an outrageous overhead kick just before half-time. The Tottenham goalkeeper tipped El Yamiq’s attempt on to the post before France managed to scramble the ball away.

Morocco thought they should’ve had a penalty during the first half when Sofiane Boufal went down under Hernandez’s challenge. The defender won the ball but caught the former Southampton star with his follow-through. The incident has divided people’s opinions.

Former England captain Alan Shearer told BBC Sport: “Not [a penalty] for me, Hernandez actually gets the ball. He gets the ball there.”

Yet fellow pundit Rio Ferdinand disagreed. He replied: “He does, but then he catches the legs. Anywhere else on the pitch and it’s a foul, so why’s it not a penalty?”

Sofyan Amrabat has been one of the stars of the World Cup after helping Morocco achieve wins against Canada, Belgium, Spain and Portugal. The Fiorentina midfielder produced another superb display against the French – and one tackle will live long in the memory.

The challenge unfolded when Mbappe flew into acres of space on the left flank. Just as France’s talisman was about to cut into the box, Amrabat produced a perfect sliding tackle to save the day. No wonder Liverpool are reportedly after the Moroccan midfielder.

Morocco matched France throughout Wednesday night’s game and came close to an equaliser when Abderrazak Hamdallah danced passed several defenders. The Al-Ittihad striker failed to shoot, however, and Morocco were punished moments later.

France got their crucial second goal when Mbappe picked up the ball in the box and danced past a couple of defenders. He failed to test Bono, but the ball squirmed into the path of substitute Kolo Muani for a tap in. It was a tough end to Morocco’s terrific World Cup campaign – yet France’s ability to take their chances proved to be the difference.

Sports

Lionel Messi retires from international football

Published

3 weeks ago

August 31, 2026

admin

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

admin

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

admin

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.