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England U-21 rising star Nadueke believes PSV move helped him 'get ahead of peers'

The forward turned his back on interest from two Premier League giants in favour of a switch to Netherlands

PSV's teenage star Noni Madueke has no regrets over leaving his native England for the Eredivisie, and believes that moving overseas has proved invaluable for his development as a player. 

The 19-year-old left Tottenham for the Dutch giants in 2018, despite attracting interest from the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea. 

He is now an established member of the first team in Eindhoven, something he does not see as possible had he stayed put. 

What was said? 

Speaking to reporters while on international duty for England Under-21s, Madueke affirmed: "Obviously it's been great for my development. I wanted to go out and play first-team football at a young age and get ahead of my peers.

"I've done that by getting into the England Under-21 squad and so on and so forth. The move was perfect for me at the time."

A breeding ground for budding stars

The Eredivisie has long been known for its ability to produce top young talents, who have gone on to bolster the ranks of Europe's elite. 

Ajax alone have sold Matthijs de Ligt, Frenkie de Jong and Donnie van de Beek to Juventus, Barcelona and Manchester United respectively in recent seasons; while Hakim Ziyech, who arrived at the Amsterdam club at the age of 23 from Heerenveen, moved on to Chelsea at a huge profit for his former side. 

And just as Jadon Sancho judged that his progress would be better served in the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund than at Manchester City, Madueke jumped at the chance to hone his talents away from England. 

"[Sancho] has opened the eyes to other talents,” the forward, who placed 28th in Goal's NxGn ranking of the best young talents in world football, told Voetbal International last year. “A year after him, I went from Spurs to PSV. The plan that I had in mind then is now working out the way I intended it.

"In England, it is very difficult as a young talent to get into the first team, especially at the bigger clubs. The squads are very large and there is little room for youngsters. They often stay in reserve teams for a long time or are loaned out.

"There is little flow or chance to break through. That is completely different in the Netherlands."

Further reading 

Original author: Goal

Olatunji-Okuku: Why Super Eagles were relaxed against Benin Republic

The highly-respected football administrator has defended the performance of Gernot Rohr’s men against the Squirrels on Saturday evening

Nigeria were not competitive against Benin Republic because they had earned a place in Cameroon 2022 before kick-off, according to experienced football administrator Samuel Olatunji-Okuku.

Hours before the Super Eagles took on the Squirrels in Porto-Novo, the three-time African champions were hoping for a win or a draw to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations.

However, Lesotho’s 0-0 draw with Sierra Leone earned Gernot Rohr’s men an early ticket even before kick-off against Michel Dussuyer’s men – and that changed the complexion of the game at the Stade Charles de Gaulle.

Although Paul Onuachu’s late minute strike handed Nigeria a slim 1-0 triumph, albeit, several football fans expressed their disenchantment with the performance of Rohr’s side. But, the Tripple 44 Academy CEO has a different view.

“We already qualified before the start of the match, so that reduced the competitiveness of the game,” Olatunji-Okuku told Goal after the game.

“The Super Eagles were a little bit relaxed and they played with ease because we have almost nothing to play for except our pride - that’s what everyone can see in the game.

“To be honest, they [Nigeria] played better today even though I expected us to create more chances and score some goals earlier.

“Let’s not forget that Benin Republic were defending very deeply with 10 men behind the ball and this shouldn’t be a surprise given the fact that the coach already said they will not be offensive against Gernot Rohr’s men.”

“However, we could have tried to score more and make sure the Super Eagles were scary once more,” he added.

“Be it friendly or competitive matches, I expect Super Eagles to be more aggressive and willing to win against every opponent.

“We should play more and show that we are the giant of Africa so that whoever wants to play against us should get worried. But I think we need to work more on our chance creation and goalscoring as well.”

Olatunji-Okuku went a step further suggesting the Eagles have the depth of quality to rule Africa in Cameroon, but he pointed out what needs to be done to achieve that.

“We should take a lot of positivity from the performance and the squad that was assembled,” he added.

“Without sounding immodest, Nigeria have what it takes to win the Africa Cup of Nations next year.

“We just have to find a way to make sure this set of players play together, create more chances, pass the ball a little bit faster and score more. Every nation should be scared of these set of Eagles.”

Original author: Shina Oludare

‘Grealish could probably choose 99 per cent of clubs in the world’ – Aston Villa star told he has Champions League pedigree

The England international continues to generate transfer talk, with former team-mate Alan Sheehan among those keeping a close eye on his career path

Jack Grealish “could probably choose 99 per cent of clubs in the world” if he decided to leave Aston Villa, says former team-mate Alan Sheehan, with the 25-year-old considered to be ready for the Champions League stage.

International recognition has come the way of the talented playmaker this season, with impressive progress being made by a confident character who is seeing his full potential unlocked.

Big-money moves have been mooted in recent windows, with Manchester United and Tottenham among those said to be keen, and it could be that Grealish’s future lies outside of his native West Midlands.

What has been said?

Sheehan can see a top talent climbing the ladder at some stage in the near future, with a man who captained Grealish during a loan spell at Notts County in 2013-14 claiming that he would not look out of place at a global heavyweight.

He has told the Birmingham Mail’s Claret & Blue Podcast: “For me right now he’s one of the best players in the Premier League.

“I would be surprised if he wasn’t up for PFA Player of the Year.

“I think it’s up to him. He’s a legend and captain of his boyhood club. He could probably choose 99 per cent of clubs in the world.

“What’s been unbelievable for him, particularly in the last 18 months to 24 months, has been Dean Smith who is a brilliant manager. Villa are evolving as a club and obviously, they will want to go as high as possible.

“But with Jack it depends. If he wants to move on, I’d be confident he could do it in the Champions League or winning trophies, whatever.

“It seems like at the moment he wants to do it at Aston Villa. It’s all up to him about how far he wants to go and I think his hunger and everything that he has, he will keep just kicking on.”

Grealish’s record in 2020-21

A niggling knock has prevented Grealish from figuring for Villa over recent weeks, with five games sat out.

He has also missed out on a place in England’s squad for the start of 2022 World Cup qualifying, but will hope to do enough over the coming months to earn a spot in Gareth Southgate’s plans for this summer’s European Championship.

Impressive standards have been maintained this season when clear of injury, with seven goals and 10 assists recorded through 23 appearances.

Further reading

Original author: Chris Burton

Siwa: Former Bandari goalkeeping coach set for Yanga SC

The 27-time champions are aiming at stabilizing their technical bench to end the season on a high

Razak Siwa has agreed to head the Yanga SC goalkeeping department and is already in Dar es Salaam to formalise the deal.

Timu ya Wananchi have been without the goalkeeping coach since the beginning of the month after the team opted to part ways with the entire technical bench headed by Burundian coach Cedric Kaze. The 27-time champions have now opted to appoint the former Burundi trainer to sharpen their custodians.

"He is in Dar es Salaam and everything has been agreed on and a formal announcement will be made soon," a source close to Siwa told Goal on Saturday.

"Yanga wanted someone with experience and who has worked for a top team, and it is the reason why they went for him. He has also worked for the club in the past which made it easier for the management to go for him."

At Wananchi, Siwa will be reunited with Farouk Shikhalo who they worked with while with the Football Kenya Federation Premier League side. He will be replacing Vladimir Niyonkuru.

Siwa left Bandari in January alongside Nasoro Mwakoba after their contracts had expired. 

"We announce... that the club has parted company with assistant coach [Nasoro] Mwakoba and goalkeeper trainer [Razak] Siwa after the expiry of their contracts," Bandari announced in a statement obtained by Goal back in January.  

"The management and board of trustees would like to thank the two amazing coaches for their great service to the club. Siwa served for a period of six years while Nasoro was with us for nine years, both contributing to the club's success.

"We wish them all the best in their future endeavours. The club will, therefore, provide direction concerning its technical bench alongside unveiling a new head coach early next week."

They joined coach Ken Odhiambo out of the coastal-based team; the latter replaced John Baraza at Sofapaka, a team he helped to win the then Kenyan Premier League back in 2009. 

At Yanga, Siwa is expected to work with Sebastien Migne who has been tipped to take over from Kaze. Timu ya Wananchi hope to win the Tanzania Mainland League title this season for the first time in three seasons.

Original author: Seth Willis

Nigeria have 'so much to improve' – Twitter reacts to Super Eagles win over Benin

Gernot Rohr’s men secured victory over the Squirrels in Porto Novo to retain their place at the top of the group, having already qualified for Afcon

Fans have taken to social media to react to Nigeria’s 1-0 victory over the Republic of Benin in Saturday’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifying game.

The three-time African champions headed into the encounter, having already qualified for the continental showpiece after Lesotho and Sierra Leone played out a 0-0 draw before their encounter with the Squirrels.

The Super Eagles dominated the encounter but failed to convert the chances that came their way and had to wait until the 90th minute to break the deadlock.

In-form Genk forward Paul Onuachu came off the bench to score the only goal of the encounter with a fine header to help Nigeria return to winning ways in the qualifiers after back-to-back draws with Sierra Leone the last time out.

The victory ensured Gernot Rohr’s men finished top of Group L with one game to spare after gathering 11 points from five games.

The Super Eagles supporters have shared their feelings on the result, with many praising goalscorer Onuachu and urging the West African side to improve on their performance in future.

 

Original author: Gbenga Adewoye

LIVE: Wales vs Mexico

Wales come into this game having just begun their World Cup Qualifying campaign, whilst Mexico take to the field for the first time this calendar year.

Hello and welcome to our LIVE coverage of the international friendly fixture between Wales and Mexico at the Cardiff City Stadium.

‘They pushed me to show myself’ – Onuachu thanks Nigerians after his match-winning goal vs Benin

The Genk striker came off the bench in Porto-Novo to lead Gernot Rohr's team to victory on Saturday

Paul Onuachu has appreciated Nigerians for motivating him to show his best for the Super Eagles after his late winning goal in their 1-0 defeat of Benin on Saturday.

Onuachu replaced Kelechi Iheanacho at the Stade Charles de Gaulle in the 70th minute to steer the three-time African champions to victory in their penultimate 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.

After Victor Osimhen’s shot was saved by goalkeeper Saturnin Allagbe, the Genk forward followed up with his header which broke the deadlock in Porto-Novo in the 93rd minute.

The goal ended Benin’s eight-year unbeaten home streak since their last loss to Algeria in a World Cup qualifying game in June 2013.

It was also Onuachu’s second goal in a Super Eagles shirt after his winning goal on his debut outing against Egypt in a friendly match two years ago.

In reacting to his heroics, Onuachu told the NFF TV: "I'm just going to say, thanks to the nation for the push because they have really pushed me to show what I have to show in the national team. And now I am happy for the team and for the country. It is a lot of confidence for a striker to score, and I'm very happy.”

Nigeria qualified for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations on Saturday even before the victory in Benin after Sierra Leone settled for a goalless draw against Lesotho.

The 26-year-old – who is the top scorer in the Belgian First Division A this season with 25 goals after 30 appearances – revealed the Super Eagles’ mission in Cameroon next year.

“We will just have to go there and take the gold,” he said.

Onuachu will now shift his attention to Tuesday’s match at Teslim Balogun Stadium with the ambition of helping Gernot Rohr’s men end their qualifying campaign on a winning note.

Original author: Taiye Taiwo

USWNT phenom Macario scores first professional goal for Lyon

The 21-year-old scored in the second half against Dijon to open her account with the European champions

U.S. women's national team forward Catarina Macario scored her first professional goal on Saturday when she netted for Lyon against Dijon. 

With her side already up a goal, Macario played a one-two with Delphine Cascarino and found the back of the net in the 55th minute. 

Macario signed with Lyon from Stanford University in January, the same month in which she made her USWNT debut. 

Macario's career thus far

Macario emerged as one of the best prospects the USWNT has seen in years after winning the Hermann Trophy as the top collegiate player in the United States in back-to-back seasons. 

The 21-year-old opted to leave Stanford early and forgo a spot in the NWSL, instead deciding to sign with European champions Lyon. 

Macario was born in Brazil but moved to the United States at age 12, and saw her one-time switch to represent the USWNT approved by FIFA in January. 

After making her debut in January, Macario has three USWNT caps, scoring her first goal in her team's second match against Colombia in January. 

Macario has been brought along slowly at Lyon, as Saturday's game was just her second league appearance and first league start for Lyon. 

The midfielder has also made three Champions League appearances this season. 

What's next for Macario?

Lyon face a massive Champions League quarter-final second leg against domestic rivals PSG on Wednesday, carrying a 1-0 lead after the first leg. 

After a league match against Guingamp next weekend, Macario will link up with the USWNT for friendlies at Sweden on April 10 and France three days later. 

Further reading

Original author: Seth Vertelney

Stephanie Frappart makes history by taking charge of men's World Cup qualifier between Netherlands and Latvia

The Frenchwoman has taken charge of Champions League and Ligue 1 games in the men's game

Stephanie Frappart wrote herself another piece of history when becoming the first female to referee a men’s World Cup qualifier.

Frappart is hugely respected in the game, and earlier this season she became the first female to take charge of a Champions League match, when Juventus faced Dynamo Kiev in December.

She is also the first female referee to have overseen a major men's European final when she took charge of the UEFA Super Cup clash between Liverpool and Chelsea in September, 2019, while she has refereed in Ligue 1 in her native France.

Another piece of history made

Having consistently impressed in the women’s game, Frappart broke further new ground on Saturday following her Champions League appearance as she ran the rule over the World Cup qualifier between Netherlands and Latvia.

Frappart leads the way

While Frappart is the high-profile female official - having been the referee for the 2019 Fifa Women’s World Cup final between USA and Netherlands - she is not the only one who has impressed, and Kateryna Monzul will follow her lead when she takes charge of the World Cup qualifier between Austria and Faroe Islands in Vienna on Sunday.

What has been said?

Pierluigi Collina is arguably the most famous referee to blow a whistle and, as the current chairman of FIFA’s Referees Committee, he oversees appointments.

The Italian feels Frappart and Monzul are fully deserving of taking charge of the World Cup qualifiers.

“Although they already had some matches in important men’s competitions under their belts, officiating a FIFA World Cup qualifier for the first time is special and is something to be very proud of,” he said. “They have worked very hard in recent years and these appointments are recognition for the good job that they have done.”

Further reading

LIVE: Serbia vs Portugal

Portugal have also made a few changes, six in total, with Cedric, Fonte, Fernandes, Oliverira, Danilo and Jota all coming into the team and they have replaced Duarte, Mendes, Moutinho, Neves, Neto and Andre Silva.

Serbia have made five changes to their side, with Lazovic, Milinkovic-Savic, Gudelj, Kostic and Mitrovic all coming into the starting line-up, with Racic, Lukic, Mladenovic, Duricic and Gajic missing out.

PORTUGAL SUBS: Renato Sanches, Pedro Neto, Joao Palhinha, Luis Neto, Rui Silva, Rafa, Nuno Mendes, Domingos Duarte, Andre Silva, Ruben Neves, Jose Sa, Joao Felix.

PORTUGAL (3-5-2): Anthony Lopes; Cedric Soares, Jose Fonte, Ruben Dias, Joao Cancelo; Danilo Pereira, Bruno Fernandes, Sergio Oliveira; Bernardo Silva, Diogo Jota, and Cristiano Ronaldo.

SERBIA SUBS: Mihailo Ristic, Nemanja Maksimovic, Andrija Zivkovic, Uros Spajic, Nemenja Radonjic, Djordje Nikolic, Nenad Krsticic, Filip Djuricic, Marko Grujic, Predrag Rajkovic, Marko Petkovic, Luka Jovic.

SERBIA (4-2-3-1): Marko Dmitrovic; Nikola Milenkovic, Stefan Mitrovic, Strahinja Pavlovic; Darko Lazovic, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Nemanja Gudelj, Filip Kostic; Dusan Tadic; Dusan Vlahovic, Aleksandar Mitrovic.

These two sides are likely to battling out for top spot come matchday 10, so today’s game could show us who has the advantage. Serbia are unbeaten in their last five games, their last defeat coming against Scotland in the Euro qualifiers, which saw them miss out on qualification. Meanwhile Portugal were unable to defend their Nations League title, after finishing runners-up in their League A group, following a defeat against France.

Both teams got off to winning starts in Group A, with Serbia beating Republic of Ireland 3-2 and Portugal securing a 1-0 victory over Azerbaijan on Wednesday.

Hello and welcome to our LIVE match commentary of the Group A World Cup qualifying clash between Serbia and Portugal.

‘There was no English blood in there!’ – Musiala’s decision to pick Germany welcomed by Bayern team-mate Muller

A World Cup winner at the Allianz Arena is pleased to see a player of considerable promise pledging his allegiance to Die Mannschaft

Thomas Muller has refuted any suggestion that Germany 'stole' Jamal Musiala from England, with the teenager's Bayern Munich team-mate joking that he found “no English blood in there” when international allegiance was pledged to Die Mannschaft.

A battle for the right to call upon one of the hottest prospects in world football raged between two arch-rivals when it became clear that a big future call had to be made.

Musiala had represented the Three Lions at youth level, having grown up in London and spent time with Chelsea, but has opted to turn out for the land of his birth at senior level and has now made his competitive bow for Joachim Low’s side.

What has been said?

Offering his take on that decision, World Cup winner Muller has told the Daily Mail: “I don’t know if we stole him!

“I looked at his bloodlines and there was no English blood in there!

“But we are very happy in Germany that Jamal decided for Germany. The set-up now, with his long contract to play in Bayern and decision for the German national team, fits very well.

“They keep me on my toes for sure [these teenagers] and they keep my body in shape. But I think the other way round. I keep them on their toes! And they have to know that when they start playing for Bayern, it doesn’t matter which age, they have to win. So they have no time …. ‘OK, so I take a look in the next few years and I watch the older players and have to learn’.

“That’s part of the process [of developing]… but [they need to think] ‘while I’m playing I have to do everything to win’.”

Why was Musiala in demand?

The 18-year-old has already re-written the history books at Bayern through 30 first-team appearances.

He is the youngest player to represent the club in the Bundesliga, and to find the target, while also becoming the youngest Bayern talent to score in the Champions League.

A long-term contract has been committed to in Bavaria, while a debut for Germany was made off the bench in a 2022 World Cup qualifying clash with Iceland.

What about Muller?

Musiala is playing alongside the perfect role model at Bayern when it comes to establishing consistency for club and country in an attacking role.

Muller remains a key part of future plans in Munich at 31 years of age, but has not represented his country since earning the 100th cap of a remarkable career back in 2018.

Low has claimed to be leaving the door open for experienced stars to earn a recall, with another European Championship fast approaching, but the slate has not been wiped clean as yet.

Further reading

Original author: Chris Burton

'I’m disappointed' - South Africa Under-23 coach Notoane frustrated as Safa fail to secure friendly matches

The retired striker confirmed that his side was scheduled to face Australia as part of their preparations for the Olympic Games

South African Under-23 head coach David Notoane has expressed his disappointment at the lack of international friendly matches during the current Fifa break.

The 52-year-old tactician and his charges are currently in a training camp as part of their preparation for this year's Olympic Games which will be staged in Japan starting in July.

A squad of 24 players made up of only locally-based players is in the camp after the South African Football Association (Safa) failed to secure international friendly games for the team. 

According to Daily Sun, Japan, the USA and Australia, all wrote to Safa asking to play friendly matches against Notoane's side. 

However, the matches reportedly never materialised due to the Covid-19 pandemic and Safa secured two friendlies against PSL clubs Golden Arrows and Maritzburg United.

“I’m disappointed and a bit frustrated because behind the scenes we were putting in a lot of work," Notoane said on Daily Sun on Saturday. 

"We thought we could benefit from the Fifa Club World Cup in Qatar where we were scheduled to play against Australia.

“That could have given us an opportunity to see the foreign-based players come back into the fold but because of the [Covid-19] regulations that fell through."

Safa then tried to arrange a friendly match against 2019 Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations champions, Egypt, but that also failed to materialise. 

"Then we tried to get Egypt to host us and that also fell through," Notoane, who also serves as Mamelodi Sundowns reserve team head coach, continued. 

"It left us with a bit of a challenge and we must be thankful to the KwaZulu Natal government for presenting us with this opportunity to stage our camp in Durban and put the team together.”

South Africa qualified for the Olympic Games after finishing third at the 2019 Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations finals which was hosted by Egypt.

They defeated Ghana's Black Meteors 6-5 on penalties following a 2-2 draw in an entertaining match which took place at Cairo International Stadium.

The draw for the Olympic Games men's football tournament will be held on April 21 at the Fifa headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland.

Original author: Austin Ditlhobolo

LIVE: Netherlands vs Latvia

That's all for now though, goodbye!

Netherlands climb to third in Group G, while Latvia remain pointless in fifth.

Goals from Berghuis and Luuk de Jong give the Netherlands a dominant 2-0 victory. This was a completely one-sided game throughout, despite the hosts squandering a plethora of chances. After Klaassen and Depay had both wasted big opportunities, the Netherlands finally took the lead when Berghuis curled in a brilliant strike from just outside the box. They had to wait until the 70th minute to seal the game, but it finally arrived when Luuk de Jong powered Depay's corner in at the near post. Latvia rallied late on and hit the post through Ciganiks, but in truth, a 2-0 defeat flattered the visitors, as the hosts secured a much-needed three points.   

90' + 3' FULL TIME: Netherlands 2-0 Latvia

90' Two minutes of stoppage time are added.

85' Latvia hit the post! The visitors continue to rally late on, as Ciganiks connects with a cross at the back post, before issuing a fierce volley that Krul instinctively deflects against the post!

84' De Jong goes close! The midfielder rampages into the box, before skewing a low effort across goal and inches wide from 12 yards!

83' Depay's 10th shot of the game is parried away by Ozols comfortably - it's just not his day!

81' Chance for Latvia! The visitors almost find a way back into the game, as Savalnieks rushes away on the counter-attack, before darting past Wijndal inside the box and curling a deft effort narrowly wide of the far post from 12 yards!

77' Brilliant run from Depay! The attacker slaloms past two challenges on the edge of the box, allowing him plenty of space to shoot from 20 yards, but his powerful effort is straight at Ozols!

75' Netherlands have amassed a mighty 29 shots and they'll be wondering how they only have two goals to show for it so far.  

73' Klaassen goes close again! Almost three for the hosts as Klaasen pounces on a loose ball inside the area, before drilling a shot against Cernomordijs from close range!

71' Well, that should finally wrap it up for the Netherlands! They've completely dominated this game, but it's taken until the 70th minute to make it safe.

66' De Ligt's glancing header flashes well wide from Frenkie de Jong's corner.

64' The second half has picked up right where the first period left off. Netherlands have been in total command and have created plenty of openings without scoring.  

62' Wijnaldum has a shot from eight yards blocked behind, before Luuk de Jong heads the resulting corner well over from close range.

60' Ozols calmly dives to his left to tip Depay's bobbling 25-yard effort around the post.

58' Superb challenge from Wijndal! Kamess bursts clean through on goal, but Wijndal recovers to catch up with the attacker before sliding in to poke it away! Without that intervention, Kamess would have been one-on-one!

56' Latvia survive a goalline scramble! De Ligt heads a corner across goal and it's parried into danger by Ozols! A crowd of players cluster inside the six-yard box to try and bundle it in, but Latvia defend bravely to block all shots at goal and eventually clear.  

54' Depay wastefully hammers a free-kick straight into the wall from 25 yards.  

51' Wijndal volleys high and wide from 20 yards after Tarasovs headed a corner clear.

50' Luuk de Jong latches onto Wijnaldum's pass deep inside the six-yard box, but he can't engineer the space to shoot and his shot's blocked away for a corner.  

48' The hosts begin the second period with a long spell of pressurising possession as they search to quickly put this game out of reach.  

46' Netherlands get the second half underway.

Latvia barely made it out of their own half in the opening 45 minutes, but they'll be buoyed by their defensive effort. Nevertheless, if they're to pull off an upset they'll need to be more adventurous in the second half.   

Berghuis' brilliant strike gives the Netherlands a 1-0 lead going into the break after dominating proceedings. The hosts took 15 shots in that half and it's been surprising that they only hold a one goal advantage. After squandering numerous opportunities, they finally broke the deadlock when Berghuis bent in a super effort from 20 yards. But with Luuk de Jong and Klaassen both hitting the bar from point-blank range, they'll be feeling that they should be three up by now.

45' + 1' HALF TIME: Netherlands 1-0 Latvia

44' Frenkie de Jong skews a lot shot well wide from 25 yards.  

42' Depay has been everywhere in this half: he's produced six shots to go with two key passes and Latvia have looked unable to cope with him!

40' Luuk de Jong hits the bar! Berghuis swings it into the six-yard box, where Luuk de Jong manages to beat Tarasovs to the ball only to steer his header against the bar! The hosts have squandered some huge opportunities in this half!

38' Latvia look a little rattled by this long spell of pressure - they need to try and just restrict the Netherlands until half time and then reground for the second half.

36' Big chance for Depay! Depay and Wijndal play a clever one-two inside the box, allowing the former to get through on goal at an angle, however Depay's curling effort from eight yards drifts agonisingly wide of the far post!

30' The Netherlands will be wondering how they're not ahead! They've created chance after chance, but wasteful finishing mixed in with misfortune has cost them so far.

28' Klaassen hits the bar! Dumfries lays it off to Berghuis, who hooks in an inviting cross towards Klaassen who powers a header against the bar from close range! That should really have been a goal there. 

27' The hosts have already had 10 shots inside the opening 30 minutes (including six from inside the box) but they haven't been able to convert.  

25' Berghuis nods Wijndal's delivery back across goal and it looks like Klaassen will be there to head it in, but Cernomordijs gets there in front to hack it clear.  

24' Frenkie de Jong's corner is nodded clear at the back post by Cernomordijs.

22' The Netherlands are throwing everything at Latvia right now and it looks unlikely that the visitors will be able to hold out much longer.   

20' Chance for Klaassen! Latvia struggle to clear Wijndal's low cross and it eventually bounces to Klaassen, who can't direct his header on target from close range!

18' Berghuis scoops a cross just over Luuk de Jong as Latvia continue to frustrate the hosts. 

16' Chance for Berghuis! Depay cuts inside and draws in the defence, before laying it off to Berghuis who bends a first-time effort from 20 yards narrowly wide of the far post!

14' Netherlands are looking threatening going forward, but they still look vulnerable defensively when Latvia break.

12' Depay cuts inside and rifles a powerful effort from the edge of the box that flicks off Fjodorovs and into the grateful arms of Ozols.

10' Depay slaloms into the box before drilling in a low cross that Ozols does well to gather.

9' Depay curls a 25 yard effort harmlessly over the bar.

8' Off the line by Tarasovs! Wijnaldum stands up a dangerous cross to the back post where Luuk de Jong plants a header over the goalkeeper and towards the far corner, only for Tarasovs to acrobatically hook it away from danger!

6' Brilliant block by De Ligt! Latvia race away on the break, as Kamess scurries to the byline before cutting it back to Ikaunieks who has a shot blocked away from close range by De Ligt!

5' Wijnaldum charges into the area at an angle, but he's muscled off the ball by Tarasovs.

3' Kamess trips Depay out near the left touchline, presenting the hosts with a promising free kick. They elect to play it short though and the eventual cross is easily cleared. 

1' Latvia get the first half underway.

The players are emerging from the tunnel and kick off is just seconds away!

Netherlands manager Frank de Boer, has only won two of his seven games since his appointment and he’ll be under intense pressure to win today.

Latvia also make three switches to their side: Steinbors is replaced in goal by Ozols, while Oss and Savalnieks make way for Frodorovs and Tarasovs in defence.

Netherlands make three changes to the team that lost to Turkey: De Roon, Tete and Malen all make way for Klaassen, Dumfries and Luuk de Jong.

SUBS: Marcis Oss, Kriss Karklins, Vitalijs Maksimenko, Krisjanis Zviedris, Aleksandrs Solovjovs, Davis Ikaunieks, Vladislavs Gutkovskis, Roberts Savalnieks, Raimonds Krollis, Alvis Jaunzems, Eduards Emsis, Pavels Steinbors.

LATVIA (4-4-2): Roberts Ozols; Vladislavs Fjodorovs, Antonijs Cernomordijs, Igors Tarasovs, Raivis Andris Jurkovskis; Vladimirs Kamess, Arturs Zjuzins, Kristers Tobers, Andrejs Ciganiks; Janis Ikaunieks, Roberts Uldrikis.

SUBS: Maarten Stekelenburg, Calvin Stengs, Kenny Tete, Ryan Gravenberch, Marten de Roon, Donyell Malen, Joel Veltman, Steven Bergwijn, Marco Bizot, Ryan Babel, Patrick van Aanholt, Donny van de Beek.

NETHERLANDS (4-2-3-1): Tim Krul; Denzel Dumfries, Matthijs de Ligt, Daley Blind, Owen Wijndal; Davy Klaassen, Frenkie de Jong; Steven Berghuis, Georginio Wijnaldum, Memphis Depay; Luuk de Jong.

Group G is only one game old for both these teams, but with the Netherlands crashing to a 4-2 defeat against Turkey, and Latvia losing 2-1 to Montenegro, they’ll each be desperate for a lift today.

Hello and welcome to this European World Cup Qualifier between Netherlands and Latvia. 

'He is happy here' - Bakayoko open to extending loan at Napoli from Chelsea

The midfielder is on loan in Naples, but his future at the club is in doubt with no talks scheduled

Tiemoue Bakayoko’s agent has said the midfielder is open to the prospect of extending his loan spell at Napoli from Chelsea.

The Frenchman joined Chelsea from Monaco in 2017, but cut little ice in west London and has spent the last three seasons away from the club.

He is currently at Napoli, following spells at AC Milan and Monaco, and is open to the prospect of remaining in Naples.

What has been said?

Bakayoko has had two spells working under current Napoli boss Gennaro Gattuso after playing for him at AC Milan as well. Gattuso's future at Napoli is shrouded in doubt, but the player’s agent says his client’s future is not linked to Gattuso’s.

“His future is not tied to that of the coach,” Abdoulaye Bakayoko, who is the midfielder’s brother and agent, told Radio Marte . “There is a strong bond with the coach, but when the talks take place with the club to stay at Napoli, we’ll see.

“The focus right now is to see out the season in the best possible way.

"There are no talks planned with the club to discuss it.

“Whether he remains at Napoli or not, that will not depend on Gattuso.

"He is happy here, it’s a big club with a great history.”

What does the future hold for Bakayoko?

Gattuso is an admirer of the 26-year-old, having worked with him at Milan and now Napoli.

The Partenopei have not had the season expected of them, sitting are in fifth and fighting to secure a spot in the top four, and Gattuso’s relationship with club president Aurelio De Laurentiis is reportedly strained. 

Should Gattuso depart, it could cause problems for Bakayoko and it is perhaps telling that his brother and agent said no talks have taken place and none are in the pipeline.

Bakayoko has a further 18 months remaining on the five-year deal he signed at Chelsea in 2017.

He has had little chance to impress at Stamford Bridge, but the club are now under the guidance of a new manager in the shape of Thomas Tuchel and there is an outside chance the German could bring the midfielder back into the fold during pre-season.

The most likely scenario is Bakayoko heads out of Chelsea again next season, with the Blues set to press for a permanent departure given he would be in the final year of his contract.

Further reading

England better now than World Cup semi-final squad, Maguire claims

Gareth Southgate has a wealth of talent and experience at his fingertips and the Man Utd defender is feeling positive ahead of the Euros

England centre-half Harry Maguire has claimed that the Three Lions are now a better side than the squad that reached the semi-finals of the World Cup in 2018.

Maguire played his part in a strong tournament in Russia as he and his team-mates reached the final four, only to have their hearts broken by Croatia.

Speaking ahead of England's World Cup qualifier against Albania, however, the Manchester United man has warned opponents that Gareth Southgate's men have only grown stronger since their last major tournament.

What has been said?

Maguire told the press: “I think over the three years we’ve developed, we’ve worked more tactically, the experience of the big tournament, the highs and the lows.

“We’ve got to take that experience into the coming tournaments. I’m sure that will help us. Of course as a player and as a team three years is a long time to develop and we have developed in a positive way.”

While there can be no doubts surrounding the wealth of experience at Southgate's disposal, the manager has not been afraid to give youth a chance too.

Getting his Phil

Reece James, Mason Mount and Jude Bellingham all featured in the recent 5-0 win over San Marino, but it was another youngster that Southgate was all too happy to praise in Manchester City's Phil Foden.

“He’s just a very good player; very exciting, a player who is intelligent in his positioning,” the 50-year-old said. “He has skills to receive the ball under pressure and take players out of the game with his tight control.

“He has a lovely range of passing. And what’s most important is he has a real eye for goal and a hunger to score.”

Further reading

Chelsea's Broja: Why I chose Albania over England
Foden: I feel sorry for Southgate over selection headaches
Rashford and Saka ruled out of England clashes

Original author: Goal

Man Utd were 'extremely close’ to Sarr signing, says former Watford director

Filippo Giraldi has admitted that the Red Devils looked into snapping up the Senegalese winger during the summer window of 2020

Manchester United came “extremely close” to signing Ismaila Sarr from Watford during the summer of 2020, claims former Watford technical director Filippo Giraldi.

The Senegal international suffered relegation out of the Premier League last season, but offered enough during his time in the English top flight to attract admiring glances from heavyweight outfits.

Liverpool were another of his suitors, as they considered pairing the 23-year-old with his fellow countryman Sadio Mane at Anfield, but United came closest to pulling off a deal.

What has been said?

Giraldi has told the Here We Go podcast of the interest shown in Sarr from Old Trafford: “We were extremely close, I was personally negotiating with them.

“We weren't able to reach an agreement. And I think Ismaila is very young, he will arrive for sure.

“He missed probably an opportunity, but I think also for his football to stay here and get 10 goals and 10 assists, he's deciding the league.

“I think for Watford in the condition they are at the moment it's lucky he stayed.

“I love Ismaila because he has the ability to affect the game every time he plays, and that's quite rare.

“You see fast wingers becoming more and more important in physical leagues like the Premier League.

“I remember last year against Manchester United and Liverpool, he was the one with Gerard Deulofeu on the other side affecting the game and deciding the game every time.

“This type of player are players you have to try to maximise and protect them as much as you can.”

Sarr’s record at Watford

The Hornets invested more than £30 million ($41m) in luring Sarr away from Rennes in 2019.

He hit six goals during his debut campaign, including memorable efforts in the first defeat inflicted on Liverpool as Jurgen Klopp’s side surged towards a Premier League title triumph.

Sarr showed that he could cut it among English football’s elite, but now finds himself turning out in the second tier.

Nine goals and four assists have been recorded this season, with that contribution helping Watford to position themselves among the Championship promotion hopefuls.

Further reading

Original author: Chris Burton

Vidal agent confirms transfer offers & claims Inter midfielder wants Champions League glory

The Chile international had been an ever-present in Antonio Conte's line-ups until a knee injury forced him to undergo surgery

The agent of Inter midfielder Arturo Vidal has claimed that there have been multiple offers for his client, but stressed that he has no intention of leaving San Siro.

The Chilean enforcer is a favourite of Antonio Conte, taking in 30 appearances across all competitions thus far in 2020-21.

He is currently sidelined after undergoing knee surgery, giving him time to assess his future. His representative, however, insists he is going nowhere.

What has been said?

Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Fernando Felicevich said: “It is normal that there are offers for someone of his level, but he is staying at Inter.”

Inter currently sit at the top of Serie A, six points ahead of cross-town rivals AC Milan with a game in hand.

With Conte's men looking nailed on to lift the title, Vidal is said to be hungry for even more silverware next season with the Italian trainer.

Sights set on European glory

“[Vidal] wants the Scudetto now, then the Champions League next season,” Felicevich said of the 33-year-old's aspirations.

Asked how his client is coming along as he recovers from surgery, he added: “He'll be back on the pitch soon.”

What's next for Vidal?

Inter are said to be hopeful that Vidal will return to first-team training in mid-April, meaning he could feature in a crunch clash with Napoli.

Before that, the Nerazzurri will take in dates against Bologna, Sassuolo and Cagliari.

Further reading

Original author: Goal

Benin Republic vs Nigeria: Super Eagles starting XI

Gernot Rohr has named his starting line-up for Saturday's Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against the Squirrels billed for Porto-Novo

Afcon 2022 Qualifiers: How South Africa could start against Sudan

Bafana Bafana will be away to the Falcons of Jediane in a Group C match on Sunday. Goal predicts coach Molefi Ntseki's starting line-up
Original author: Austin Ditlhobolo

Nigeria qualify for 2022 Africa Cup of Nations after Sierra Leone draw with Lesotho

The three-time African champions have secured their place in the continental showpiece, scheduled for next year

The Nigeria national team have qualified for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon after Lesotho and Sierra Leone played out a 0-0  draw on Saturday.

The Super Eagles have eight points from four games, the Republic of Benin have seven points while the Leone Stars and the Crocodiles have four and three points, respectively, from five games. 

The three-time African champions are set to face the Squirrels at Stade Charles de Gaulle, Porto Novo and will now aim to retain the top spot in Group L. 

More to follow...

 

 

Original author: Gbenga Adewoye

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