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In the October 2020 friendly between Nigeria and Tunisia, Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr trialled an interesting, bold new structure.

It seemed to go under the radar for most observers, and it is not difficult to see why.

For one thing, it was not very memorable, especially after a first-half that saw both teams find the back of the net and Kelechi Iheanacho miss a penalty.

It was, by virtue of the venue, ambience and camera angle, a taxing match to follow. There was also the fact that it followed a disappointing friendly a few days prior, which finished in a limp 1-0 defeat at the hands of Algeria.

If this all sounds eerily familiar, it is because a lot of the same themes were repeated on Tuesday when the Super Eagles ran it back against Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions at the Wiener Neustadt Stadium.

Following a lone-goal defeat in the first meeting five days prior, few were in the mood to tune in for a re-tread, and even fewer expected a leggy side to suddenly burst into life the second time around.

However, Rohr introduced some intrigue into the proceedings by rolling out the same structure from that Tunisia draw. The result – a very bold 4-3-3 with Alex Iwobi and Kelechi Iheanacho in midfield – evoked Manchester City’s 'free eight' concept in Pep Guardiola’s first title-winning season in English football.

At the base, Wilfred Ndidi provided an approximation of peak Fernandinho, completing a central triangle with vertices shifting in reference to the position of the ball.

The idea seemed to be a possession-based game, geared toward patiently working the ball through Cameroon pressure and into the final third; out of possession, the team pushed right onto their opponents, seeking to deny space and harry long balls down the field, which would then (in theory) be recycled to begin another possession phase.

The results were decidedly mixed.

There were pockets of success, especially in the second half when, after initial uncertainty, Nigeria’s build-up seemed a little more fluid. In the first half, the most interesting rotations were to be seen on the left: instead of the left-back inverting, Alex Iwobi would occasionally drop deeper, allowing Jamilu Collins to overlap and Moses Simon to pinch in-field.

On the right, Ahmed Musa held the width while Abdullahi Shehu sat deeper and slightly narrower and Iheanacho was oriented higher and played closer to Paul Onuachu.

Where it fell down, really, was on personnel.

The centre-back pairing of Chidozie Awaziem and Valentine Ozornwafor ultimately kept the door shut, but were unable to fulfil the demands of the tactical idea both in possession (both) and out of possession (the latter).

Their inability to play through the gaps as they appeared made the team’s build-up even slower than it needed to be, and too often resulted in players receiving the ball with their backs to goal and under pressure, instead of facing forward or on the half-turn.

Similarly, the rusty Ozornwafor (seemingly prized solely for being left-footed) was slow to push up and shut down opponents when Cameroon tried to go over the high press, allowing his direct opponent to receive the ball in space between the lines and either play a wall pass or turn.

This allowed the Indomitable Lions to break on an exposed defence, and underlined the inherent risk with the structure as a whole: without all units backing up the press and keeping compact in all phases, it can be quite easy to play through.

It also did not help that the team was without so many attacking regulars.

Upfront, Onuachu did little to upset the idea he plays worse as a starter, offering little by way of link-up play when he came deep and scant movement when he stayed high.

Width was all Musa held, being utterly peripheral and shorn of the one asset that has built him an international career: dynamism.

Iheanacho looked short on intensity, unsurprising both considering the club season is over and when you understand his personality is unlikely to meld well with professional rigour at all times.

As if to make the point, the team looked that little bit sharper after the break as, first, Onuachu was taken off for Terem Moffi, and then Marcus Abraham came on to play on the right.

Ball retention in the final third instantly improved, and the Super Eagles slowly seized control, enjoying something of a flurry late on to almost steal the game.

On the whole, even without a goal to liven the occasion, this offered a lot more interest for Nigeria from a tactical perspective.

It was Rohr doing something he has often been accused of not doing: trying new things.

What is more difficult to understand is whether this is an idea that was foisted on him by circumstance (remember that, for that Tunisia game, he was similarly handicapped in terms of selection options), or if it is a template he intends to build on in the medium term.

Declan Rice has promised to drink his first-ever beer if England win Euro 2020.

The West Ham star admitted he wasn't a fan of the beverage but would make an exception were the Three Lions to bring home the trophy. 

Rice, 22, is likely to play a key role in England's Euros campaign, which kicks off on Sunday against Croatia.

What was said?

“Do you know what, until this day I have never had a beer and I am 22! That is the truth,” Rice said. “Never had a pint. Don’t drink it.

“Not really [a drinker]. But a pint? No. I know it is off topic but I have never had a beer. People get surprised. I just don’t like the smell of it so I have never gone near it.”

Asked if he will have a beer if England win the Euros, Rice said: “Yes. I will give it a try - but I will probably spit it out!"

Rice also expressed his hope that Prime Minister Boris Johnson would be able to lift remaining lockdown restrictions so England fans could fully experience the tournament.

“If Boris lifts the lockdown and the games are in full flow on the 21 st, the nation will be buzzing, all the songs will be flying at the pubs and obviously we’ll be playing.

“We’ll all definitely feel the positive effects on the nation.”

What's next for England?

England will face Croatia in their Euros opener on Sunday before finishing out group play with matches against Scotland and the Czech Republic.

Gareth Southgate's side will have the benefit of home-field advantage, with all three matches set to take place at Wembley Stadium.

Further reading

Olivier Giroud has complained of a lack of service from his team-mates despite scoring two goals in France's 3-0 win over Bulgaria on Wednesday evening.

With Karim Benzema having been forced off late in the first period due to taking a knock in the thigh, fellow striker Giroud found the net twice in the second half to seal victory in their final friendly before the Euros.

Still, Giroud feels that he could have had more than just a double on the night had his compatriots made better, more efficient decisions in attacking phases.

What was said?

“I was a little quiet because sometimes I make runs and the through-balls aren't forthcoming,” Giroud told l'Equipe after the match.

“I'm not saying that I always make the best runs, but I always look to offer solutions in the box.

“With two good balls supplied from Ben [Pavard] and Wissam [Ben Yedder] I finished well, but we could have scored more goals if we had been more efficient.”

Didier attempts to defuse

Many sought to question whether Giroud was calling out Kylian Mbappe for being too individualistic on the ball rather than playing for the team, but coach Didier Deschamps moved quickly to defuse the situation.

“It's always the same,” the France boss told a press conference. “The attacker will say: 'I'm making runs, but it's on the midfield to supply me'. Then the midfielders will say that it is the attackers' fault.

“Sometimes, yes, the pass isn't forthcoming, but sometimes it's down to individual movement. But this is not a criticism of Kylian or whoever.

“I spoke to Kylian at half-time too,” Deschamps added. “Olivier doesn't have the same profile as Karim, he's more of a target man, a pivot. In the first half, the three (Benzema, Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann) could interchange and end up in any zone.

“After that, if they choose to do an individual action when they could have made a pass, it's the game that forces them to do so. It's up to them to choose.”

The Goal view

David Hernandez of Goal France says: “Mbappe was forced to move a little more to the left after Benzema's exit and can, as he sometimes does at PSG, cause irritation by performing certain actions from wide that are too individual.

“We knew that with the offensive potential present in this group, there would inevitably be disappointments. We just didn't think that egos might be affected so quickly when the Euros haven't even started yet...”

Further reading

Former Aston Villa defender Ahmed Elmohamady has disclosed his intention to continue his career in the Premier League despite reports linking him with a move to Al Ahly.

The 33-year-old is currently a free agent after Dean Smith’s side failed to hand him a new deal at the expiry of his four-year contract.

Elmohamady has been playing in England since 2010 after he initially departed Egyptian club ENPPI on a season-long loan to Sunderland before it was made permanent in June 2011.

The Egypt international was part of the Aston Villa squad that earned promotion back to the Premier League in 2019 and he expressed satisfaction with his time at Villa Park even though he was restricted to 14 Premier League matches in the 2020-21 season.

“My contract with Aston Villa ended. I played four successful seasons with the team and I am completely satisfied with the period I spent with them,” Elmohamady said per King Fut.

“In my beginnings, I spoke and revealed that I support Al Ahly, so when some news appears indicating my return to Egypt, my name was linked with Al Ahly again.

“Al Ahly is a big club with great fans, and their name is well known in the world of football.

“My ambition is to retire in England and I will take my time to think about the future after the end of my career with Aston Villa to choose the best for me and my family.

“I have several offers and will continue my career in the Premier League.

“Aston Villa also spoke to me to be part of the coaching and technical staff after my retirement from football.”

Although he is yet to win any silverware in England, Elmohamady was part of the Hull City team that lost 4-3 to Arsenal in the 2013-14 FA Cup final and he also played in the 2019-20 League Cup final as Aston Villa suffered a 2-1 defeat against Manchester City.

He won two Africa Cup of Nations titles with Egypt (2008, 2010) and he was recently succeeded by Liveprool’s Mohamed Salah as Egyptian national team captain.

Antoine Griezmann has insisted his relationship with Barcelona team-mate Lionel Messi is strong, saying the Argentine is so easy to play with it's as if he can turn a "melon" into "caviar."

There has been speculation over the state of the pair's relationship since Griezmann joined Barca from Atletico Madrid in 2019.

The France star's uncle hit out at Messi last year, while his former advisor also said Messi's attitude toward Griezmann was "deplorable."

What was said?

Speaking to L'Equipe, Griezmann said of Messi: "[Our relationship is] good. We get along well. We sometimes write messages to each other, we communicate a lot in training.

"On the pitch, he's obviously a super easy player to play with. You send him a melon, he turns it into caviar! We don't have that pressure to miss a pass with him.

"In the game, things get better and better. This year, it was a bit complicated because we had a lot of injuries and we played in a system where everyone was not necessarily in their best position. But we are going to start a new season with new recruits, it will go better."

Griezmann admits he hasn't always been happy at Camp Nou

Griezmann also spoke out about his two years at Barcelona, admitting that he was upset during times he wasn't seen as a first-choice player.

Asked if he'd ever been unhappy at Camp Nou, the 30-year-old said: "Yes. When you lose the league, for example, it makes me sad.

"At the start of the season too, because I wasn't playing, I didn't feel important. I am used to playing every game, the big matches.

"I found myself on the bench against Real Madrid (a 3-1 loss in October 2020). It made me mad to see my team-mates warming up on the pitch while you're next to it.

"But these are the coach's choices and you have to accept them and do everything possible to change his mind."

Further reading

U.S. women's national team head coach Vlatko Andonovski is expecting key duo Julie Ertz and Tobin Heath to be fit in time for the Olympics.

Heath has not seen the field since January due to an ankle injury followed by a knee problem, while Ertz suffered a right knee MCL sprain last month in NWSL play with the Chicago Red Stars. 

Though Andonovski is optimistic about the pair's progress, he did caution that Heath – who is in camp with the USWNT ahead of their three upcoming friendlies – is farther along than Ertz.

What was said?

"We're excited where she's at right now, but we're going to have to be very careful with our approach and make sure that she's fully recovered before she plays a game," Andonovski said of Ertz on a conference call. 

"Both of them are on schedule to play by the Olympics," the coach added of the pair. 

"I would say Tobin is a little bit ahead of Julie in her progression. She's in camp here and training every day, and she's medically pretty much ready.

"The only thing now for Tobin is physically we’ve got to prepare her and build her stamina."

Heath's long layoff 'makes us think' 

Unlike Ertz, Heath is in camp with the USWNT as they prepare for games against Portugal, Jamaica and Nigeria. 

However, Heath will not play in any of the three matches, after which Andonovski will name his 18-player Olympic squad.

The coach admitted that having to make a decision on Heath before seeing her in a live game "makes us think" but was still confident she'd go to Tokyo if healthy.

"The last time we were able to see Tobin, Tobin was probably the best player on the field," Andonovski said. "That was the November camp in Holland. 

"From all the analysis that we did on both sides of the ball, I think that she was the highest ranked on the field so that plays in her favor very much. 

"And there are so many other things that play in her favor. The fact that we're not able to see [her play], it's not a problem or an issue for us but it makes us think a little bit.

"But if she’s 100 percent or we know she’s going to be close to 100% by the Olympics, her chances to make the team are pretty good."

What's next for the USWNT?

The U.S. will face Portugal on Thursday before they take on Jamaica on Sunday and Nigeria next Wednesday.

Following the Olympic roster reveal, the USWNT will face Mexico twice in send-off matches on July 1 and 5.

Andonovski's side will kick off their Olympic campaign on July 21 with a match against Sweden.

Further reading

Erling Haaland and Achraf Hakimi would fit in well at Chelsea should they join the Premier League outfit from Borussia Dortmund and Inter Milan, respectively, according to Henry Abiodun.

Although 20-year-old Haaland is tied to a contract through to 2024 at the Westfalenstadion, the Blues are casting admiring glances in the Norway international’s direction alongside Manchester City, Real Madrid and Barcelona.

The Stamford Bridge giants have reportedly made contact with the Bundesliga outfit and any deal for the 20-year-old would break the English team’s record transfer fee and wage structure.

Owing to his goalscoring exploits for club and country, the Football Coaches Association of Africa Nations’ director of coaching education is convinced that Haaland would be a valuable addition to Thomas Tuchel’s ranks.

“Right now, you cannot deny the young guy anything. Two seasons ago, we thought it was a joke at the U20 World Cup where he scored nine goals,” Abiodun told Goal.

“With his exploits in Germany, I don’t think he can do any wrong right now. The momentum is on his side.

“Going to Germany, nobody gave him a chance. He is a young kid who has a very bright future ahead of him. So, I think he will fit in perfectly at Chelsea.”

Morocco international and Inter Milan full-back Achraf Hakimi could also be on his way to the London club and coach Abiodun also talked up his chances of excelling there.

The reigning European champions are willing to match Paris Saint-Germain's £56.1 million ($79m) reported approach. Though, the 22-year-old is valued by the Black and Blues at £68.8m (€80m/$96m).

“Just like Haaland, Hakimi will also do well at Chelsea,” he added

“The club’s recent Champions League triumph is a big plus to land them. So, their coming to the Blues is going to be a big plus.

“When you look at the way Tuchel’s men play, most of their goals have been scored from the rear, so having a real no 9. [Haaland] is going to be a big addition.

“Right now, the manager is inspired. He never thought he would have achieved what he has done at Chelsea in his first season.

“All he has to do now is strengthen the team ahead of next season which he is trying to do.”

Boavista forward Yusupha Njie is looking forward to challenging Hellas Verona's Ebrima Colley and Bologna's Musa Barrow for a place in the Gambia squad.

The 27-year-old was recalled to the Scorpions squad for June’s international friendlies after missing the team’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifying series.

Njie’s last appearance for the West Africans came in September 2019 as the Gambia bowed 2-1 to Angola in the second leg of their 2022 World Cup qualification preliminary round clash.

Knowing that he would have to fight for a starter’s place in Tom Saintfiet’s team alongside the Italy-based duo and Bubacarr Trawally, he is unfazed by the challenge and welcomes such competition.

"For me, I think that's the best right now - like the saying 'the best is yet to come' - and that means we are a threat," he told BBC Sport Africa.

"So, for me I like it that way so that everybody can fight to play for the national team it doesn't have to be easy.

"It is good for me Musa Barrow or any player that's playing right now. I'm sure they're happy for this and they like it so that we can push the flag of the country higher and every player will fight for the nation and the right to play.

"We have to thank god that he has made it possible that we're having so many young players in Europe playing in the top leagues which is good for the country, we can compete."

He also expressed his pride in seeing his country qualify for their maiden Africa Cup of Nations finals after qualifying from Group D, which parades Gabon, DR Congo and Angola.

"Since childhood, we all dreamed about qualifying for the Africa Cup of Nations and we managed to make it happen," he continued.

"I'm for the team and all Gambians, let's just keep fighting and see what the Africa Cup of Nations will bring.

"It's always a blessing to see the flag raised high no matter if am there or not, as far as I am Gambian and it's my friends that are doing this it's like being there doing it at the same time. When they did it, I was happy just like them."

Former Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Junior Khanye is unimpressed by the reappointment of Stuart Baxter as the club's head coach. 

The English tactician agreed to a two-year contract plus a two-year option as the coach of Amakhosi’s first team on Wednesday.

Baxter is back at the Naturena-based giants having coached the team between 2012 and 2015.

Khanye questioned Baxter's coaching abilities and stated that the 67-year-old tactician relied on experienced players to win matches for him. 

"Yes, I have seen the news. I am not excited. Yes, Baxter won two PSL titles [with Chiefs], but I am not impressed," Khanye told iDiski TV.

"Which players were there? there was Siphiwe Tshabalala, the guy who scored the opening goal of the Fifa 2010 World Cup. 

"Players who could change the game in your favour. There was [Reneilwe] Letsholonyane, [Erick] Mathoho still had energy. Tefu Mashamaite was their top scorer. [Bernard] Parker was at his best."

Chiefs were described as a long-ball team under Baxter with Mathoho and Mashamaite being a threat offensively from set-pieces. 

"So, there were players who could make things happen. His philosophy was not good. They were playing at the same speed [all the time]. Playing diagonal balls and he is the one who hurt Chiefs," Khanye continued. 

"When Baxter took over [at Chiefs] he went for the old players - the most experienced players. They won by themselves.

"Typically English coaching philosophy, [the team] played with crosses, balls in the air, same speed and no game management."

Letsholonyane, Parker and Tshabalala were key ball-playing players in Baxter's side which won four major trophies including two PSL titles.

"You can check players like Yeye [Letsholonyane] and Parker, who moved the ball around. Siphiwe and Parker took the game into their own hands. They made things easy for him," Khanye added. 

"If you looked at the Chiefs' starting 11 players, eight or nine of them were in the Bafana Bafana starting line-up. They took full responsibility [on the pitch]. So, Baxter is not the solution for Chiefs."

Baxter remains the last coach to win a major trophy with Chiefs when he guided the Soweto giants to the PSL title in the 2014/15 season.

Crystal Palace head of sports science Scott Guyett has revealed Wilfried Zaha’s ability to recover quickly from injuries and pain.  

The Ivory Coast international’s style of play, dribbling to open up defences, have made him prone to injuries and has suffered different problems in the past including shoulder, hamstring and most recently a groin injury, but has managed to get over them, returning to action before the expected time.

He was the second-most fouled player in the Premier League in the 2020-21 season and ended the campaign with 11 goals and two assists in 30 league games.

Guyett has been working with Zaha for some years and has revealed several abilities that distinguishes him from others.

"He probably does, Wilf. I mean I've known Wilf for a long time now. Probably the best athlete I think I've ever worked with,” Guyett told Football London.

"I don't know what it is but he's just, he's got this ability to just keep going and keep going. He has an incredible aerobic capacity so he can run.

"I think he could be a sprinter or a long-distance runner. You know a lot of players have one or the other, they're a sprinter or they're a long-distance runner whereas Wilfried can actually do both very very well.

"And the thing with Wilf is he just loves playing football, so when you're going into that rehab process, Wilfried very often doesn't really want to do it. He just wants to be out there playing five sides with the boys.

"So Wilf is one of those that - [an injury that] would take sometimes a player three to four weeks to get back - Wilf would get back in two weeks, two and a half weeks.

"I think it's an incredible ability and sometimes I just think Wilf has a very, very high pain threshold."

Zaha has been influential for Palace for the past few years, helping them to avoid relegation a number of times.

The forward has been linked away from Selhurst Park and recently revealed his desire to leave the club before pre-season.

Last summer he also made several attempts to leave Palace in his quest to join a top European club but a deal failed to materialize.

Tottenham have turned their focus towards former Roma boss Paulo Fonseca, who is now in pole position to be named the club's new manager, Goal can confirm.

Fabio Paratici, who is set to become Tottenham's sporting director, has already held talks with Fonseca this week over a potential three-year contract with Spurs.

The club had previously been linked with Antonio Conte, only for those talks to fall apart last week.

Who is Fonseca?

Fonseca originally rose through management in Portuguese football, having spent the entirety of his playing career in his home country.

After managing the likes of Aves and Pacos Ferreira, he took charge of Porto from 2013-14 but lasted just 37 games as rivals Benfica seized control of the league.

After a return to Pacos Ferreira and a stint with Braga, he took charge at Ukranian powerhouses Shakhtar, winning the league three times with the club.

In 2019, he earned a step up to Roma, who hired him in June of that year.

He earned a fifth-place finish and spot in the Europa League semi-finals in his first season, but left the club last month after two seasons in charge.

Coincidentally, he was replaced by Jose Mourinho shortly after, and Fonseca is now the favourite to replace the Special One as manager of his compatriot's former club Spurs.

Both Spurs and Roma are set to play in the Conference League next season.

Further reading

Mamelodi Sundowns co-coach Manqoba Mngqithi has admitted that he has always liked Maritzburg United captain Thabiso Kutumela.

The 27-year-old player was one of the most outstanding players in the PSL during the 2020/21 season which saw him being nominated for the Footballer of the Year and Player's Player of the Season accolades.

Kutumela, who was on the books of Orlando Pirates between 2016 and 2019, has been strongly linked with Sundowns and AmaZulu FC ahead of the July-August transfer window. 

Although Mngqithi revealed his admiration for Kutumela, the 50-year-old tactician refused to confirm whenever they are looking to sign the diminutive striker.

“I like him, I am not sure if he is coming to the club or not, but I like him,” Mngqithi said on The Citizen.

“He is a good football player, I have always liked him…. you can ask him. From when he was still at Baroka, I liked him and I still like him today,” he added.

Kutumela, who scored 14 goals in 31 competitive matches for Maritzburg in the 2020/21 season, is part of the Bafana Bafana squad which will face Uganda in an international friendly match on Thursday. 

Meanwhile, Mngqithi is set to sit down with his co-head coach Rulani Mokwena and senior coach Steve Komphela and plan for next season.

“We are still going to sit in that space and look. But it will not be improving," the former Lamontville Golden Arrows head coach continued. 

"it will be to enhance what we have because the boys are looking good and some of the boys who never got to play enough might add value next season."

Sundowns signed former Pirates strikers Kermit Erasmus and Gift Motupa from Cape Town City and Bidvest Wits, respectively, prior to the 2020/21 campaign. 

However, the duo struggled with injuries and they will be given a chance to prove themselves at the reigning PSL champions next season

“Gift Motupa just came in now, Kermit Erasmus was injured most of the time. There are many players who don’t get much game time, who in the next season might find themselves getting game time," Mngqithi concluded. 

It wasn't all excitement as the Ghana ministry of sport announced a joint meeting with the Ghana Football Association and Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi.

The West Africans are giving everything within their power to woo the 20-year-old Champions League winner, who has returned to Ghana for a holiday, to switch international allegiance from England to the country of his parents.

Born to Ghanaian parents in the United Kingdom, the attacker has made three appearances for England at senior international level but remains eligible to change to the Black Stars.

On Monday, he paid a courtesy call to Ghana president Nana Akufo-Addo, who expressed his desire for a nationality switch

The attacker had another round of meetings on Tuesday, this time around, convening with Ghana Football Association president Kurt Okraku and Minister for Sport Mustapha Ussif.

The best reactions to the announcement of his latest meeting are curated below:

Former Nigeria international Victor Ezeji has slammed Gernot Rohr, describing the German as a coach who has not improved the Super Eagles, with reference to their style of play and talent management.

Rohr recently helped the three-time African champions qualify for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon after their third-place finish at the 2019 tournament in Egypt.

Despite the team’s success, the former Enyimba striker said the tactician – who has been at the helm since 2016 – has not impacted the Super Eagles with a particular style of football and he lacks the class to co-ordinate the players.

Ezeji expressed his frustration after Rohr’s men failed to score a goal in their twin friendlies against Cameroon. They suffered a 1-0 loss against the Indomitable Lions last Friday before playing out a goalless draw on Tuesday.

"I have never been a fan of Gernot Rohr but the truth is, sometimes it is not even about the result and sometimes, your team can play very well and lose, people could say they lost and there is prospect for the team,” Ezeji told Goal.

“But in the case of this Gernot Rohr's team, they are not playing very well and they are not winning so people will definitely complain. We have known our Super Eagles to have flair when playing, but that has not happened under him, whichever way he wins his game.

“There is no flair in their game, I think he is done with the team if you ask me because he is not showing anything, no class. We've got the players but I think what we lack is who co-ordinates them.”

Last year May, Rohr agreed on a two-and-half-year contract extension to remain as Super Eagles coach with the target of guiding the country to the 2022 Fifa World Cup in Qatar and also win the 2022 Afcon.

Ezeji argued that the former Bordeaux manager has not been a success in Nigeria and he recalled how indigenous coaches Christian Chukwu also led the country to a third-place at 2004 Afcon before Stephen Keshi’s side triumphed at the 2013 edition in South Africa.

“I don't know what his contract with the NFF looks like but personally, I don't think he has not achieved anything because even our indigenous coaches got to third at Afcon and we became the continent's champions,” he continued.

“In his own case, third-place is not enough at all with the kind of personnel and abundant of talents we have in Nigeria presently, he should do better. As I stated earlier, it is not about winning the cup but it is about playing good football and there are ways you do that.

“Remember Imama's [Amapakabo] U23 boys' game against Libya in Asaba [U23 Afcon qualifier in March 2019], we needed three goals to go through but after the first-half, everybody was like even if they did not get through we are satisfied with their performance but the boys got the result and advanced.

"We need to start seeing that kind of performance in our Super Eagles, nobody has any confidence now that even if we play market women they will win. We need to have that confidence in our team and be rest assured of good football against any opponent.”

Inter Miami owner Jorge Mas believes his side will be able to land Barcelona star Lionel Messi in the future. 

Messi's contract with Barcelona will expire at the end of this month and the club is desperately trying to tie down the 33-year-old to a new deal. 

Various reports have stated that Messi's potential Barca extension would include a provision for him to play two more seasons in Spain, then move to Inter Miami in 2023.

What was said?

Mas confirmed that he and Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham have been involved in talks to bring Messi to Florida.

“David and I have been working really hard, we have aspirations of bringing the best players here and Leo Messi is a generational player, arguably the best player of all time,” Mas told the Miami Herald.

“I am optimistic Messi will play in an Inter Miami shirt because I think it will complete the legacy of the greatest player in our generation and will meet with the ambitions of the owners of Inter Miami to build a world-class team.”

Messi's MLS interest

In an interview late last year, Messi confirmed that he is interested in playing in the United States at some point in his career.

"I always said that I have the impression that I would like to enjoy the experience of living in the United States, of living in that league and that life, but if it happens or not I don't know," the Argentine told La Sexta.

Will Messi re-sign with Barcelona?

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has said that extension talks with Messi are "going well," but stressed that no deal is done as of yet.

Barca have been undergoing an extensive audit of their finances to determine how much they are able to offer the 33-year-old.

Messi is also looking for assurances that Barca will be able to put together a competitive squad for the 2021-22 season after falling short in La Liga and the Champions League this past season.

PSG and Manchester City have been most heavily linked with a potential move for Messi should he decide to leave Camp Nou.

Further reading