The Final Sub

LOEW RECEIVES FIRST INSTALLMENT The FIFA Confederations Cup came to a head on Sunday at the Krestovsky Stadium in Saint Petersburg, Russia as the prelude to the main show to be staged next year ending in thrills and drama. In the end, it was a young burgeoning Germany side that pipped a golden generation side from Chile, thanks to a 20 th minute goal from Lars Stindl.  It was an epic end to a tournament that had a lot of drama before, during and even after it especially with FIFA’s test run of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system which sparked its own controversies and somewhat threatened to pour scorn on the tournament with some baffling scenarios created from the group stages up to the final. The important note there for Gianni Infantino is for him and his team to look into their project and find solutions. Such jokes would not speak well in the FIFA World Cup proper. However, for Germany and their young Die Mannschaft , it seemed like a night written in...

RUSSIA PRELUDE The tenth edition of the forecasting FIFA Confederations Cup is set to kick off in Russia and we are set to be treated to another summer of football festivity as the entire world gears up for the main dish to be served in Russia come the 2018 World Cup. The Confederations cup though not really held highly by many, is fast becoming an important competition that should not be held high handedly. At least, for this summer, we would be comforted for the absence of the enthralling league sessions with champions across six continents and the world champions as well, locking horns for utmost supremacy ahead of the 2018 mundial. As we rub our palms in waiting, what is there to expect in Russia? RONALDO EYEING ONE MORE GLORY There may be talks of tax evasion allegations in Spain but the Portugal talisman would be out for more glory in an already trophy laden 2017. Having led Real Madrid to a record 33 La Liga title success as well as a third UEFA Champion...

  Super Eagles Must Start Well.   Another race for the African Nations Cup title is set to commence as the 2019 AFCON Qualifiers would get underway this weekend across the continent. It is yet another time for national sides to cross swords and contest for a place in the AFCON finals to be staged in Cameroon come 2019. The Super Eagles of Nigeria must be out to banish the demons of back to back AFCON no shows having missed out on the 2015 and 2017 editions. The 2015 debacle came with the Super Eagles in champions´ capacity after having won the 2013 tournament under the tutelage of the late Stephen Okechukwu Keshi in South Africa. However, a 2-2 draw at home to the South Africans in the final game of the 2015 AFCON Qualifiers ensured that Nigeria would not be able to defend the gong in Equatorial Guinea which heralded failure. The harum scarum that usually bedevils the national team took its reverberating toll and after the joke cracked with Sunday O...

HAS EUROPA LEAGUE UNDERMINED LEAGUES? The 2016/17 football season has ended in most parts and while we await the grand finale that is to take place between eleven time winners, Real Madrid and perennial Italian Champions, Juventus at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff come June the 3 rd , we continue to reminisce over the events in an eventful season. However, a major development in the past week calls for deep reflection at the connotations that could be derived from thence. It was Manchester United’s night and it was written in the stars for them to pip a fledgling Ajax team to the Europa League gong. The triumph handed Jose Mourinho his third trophy success in his first season at the Theatre of Dreams having won the Community Shield and League Cup on the domestic scene to position him among record holders at Old Trafford in just the first lap.  Although, it was a bumpy ride with the Red Devils recording their worst home return in years with 1 4 whopping h...

CHAMPIONS CONTINUE ROT The monumental story that captivated the entire world is fast becoming a proverb. Leicester City’s steady decline is   bringing the ghost of the catastrophic title defense of Manchester City, who got relegated from the First Division in 1936/1937. The foolish dream Leicester nursed that became a loud reality last season, now really looks foolish as the foxes are looking doomed for the drop. With no premier league win or even a goal this year, Leicester is on a free fall and another 1-0 loss to Millwall in the FA cup, ahead of a gargantuan test at Sevilla now leaves them with a very big battle to avoid the horrid story of a sham of a season after a campaign of grand achievement. Leicester City has been tad unrecognizable this season and Claudio Ranieri’s men are in deep trouble especially after losing 2-0 in a six-pointer against fellow relegation fighters, Swansea City. The morale seems to be out of the window and the decline has been staggering an...