The Russia’s national football team has started its home campaign at the 2018 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup with a crushing victory over Saudi Arabia.

The Russian sportsmen outclassed their feeble Saudi Arabian rivals 5-0 in the tournament’s opening match at the Luzhniki Stadium in the Russian capital city of Moscow on Thursday evening to put an end to their nine-month winless run, and boost the morale of the host nation’s team and fans.

The spectators were sent into raptures after only 12 minutes, when 28-year-old Russian midfielder Yury Gazinsky headed home for the opener.

Denis Cheryshev showed great skill of his own later on, and unleashed a left-footed piledriver that doubled the hosts’ lead just before half time.

Artem Dzyuba got Russia’s third only seconds after coming on as a substitute in the 70th minute.

After that, Cheryshev cleverly steered home the fourth with the outside of his foot just a minute into injury time.

Aleksandr Golovin completed the visitors’ misery by curling his free kick beyond the wall in the the 94th minute to make it 5-0.

On Friday, Egypt will play Uruguay in a Group A fixture at the Central Stadium of Ekaterinburg. Morocco will take on Iran in a Group B match at Saint Petersburg’s Krestovsky Stadium.

Portugal will face Spain in a Group B encounter at Fisht Olympic Stadium of Sochi.

During the official 2018 FIFA World Cup draw ceremony at Kremlin State Palace in the Russian capital city of Moscow on December 1 last year, the host nation, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Uruguay were put in Group A in the preliminary round of the tournament.

The Iran men’s national football team, nicknamed Team Melli, has joined Portugal’s A Selecção, Spain’s La Furia Roja and Atlas Lions of Morocco.

France is drawn in Group C, and is pitted against Australia, Peru and Denmark.

Argentina, Iceland, Croatia and Nigeria are drawn in Group D.

Group E consists of Brazil, Switzerland, Costa Rica and Serbia.

While the 2014 FIFA World Cup champion Germany, Mexico, Sweden and South Korea shape Group F, Belgium, Panama, Tunisia and England are in Group G.

Group H has Poland, Senegal, Colombia and Japan.

The 2018 FIFA World Cup will take place from June 14 to July 15. Russia will open the event against Saudi Arabia in a Group A fixture at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium.

A total of 64 matches will be played in 12 venues located in 11 cities.

Culled from Presstv

During the official 2018 FIFA World Cup draw ceremony at Kremlin State Palace in the Russian capital city of Moscow on December 1 last year, the host nation, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Uruguay were put in Group A in the preliminary round of the tournament.

The Iran men’s national football team, nicknamed Team Melli, has joined Portugal’s A Selecção, Spain’s La Furia Roja and Atlas Lions of Morocco.

France is drawn in Group C, and is pitted against Australia, Peru and Denmark.

Argentina, Iceland, Croatia and Nigeria are drawn in Group D.

Group E consists of Brazil, Switzerland, Costa Rica and Serbia.

While the 2014 FIFA World Cup champion Germany, Mexico, Sweden and South Korea shape Group F, Belgium, Panama, Tunisia and England are in Group G.

Group H has Poland, Senegal, Colombia and Japan.

The 2018 FIFA World Cup will take place from June 14 to July 15. Russia will open the event against Saudi Arabia in a Group A fixture at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium.

A total of 64 matches will be played in 12 venues located in 11 cities.

2018 FIFA World Cup schedule: Dates, fixtures, groups, venues and kick off times

Group Stage

Kick-offs are shown in British Summer Time (BST).

Thursday 14 June

Russia vs Saudi Arabia (Group A) – Moscow (Luzhniki) – 4 p.m.

Friday 15 June

Egypt vs Uruguay (Group A) – Ekaterinburg – 1 p.m.

Morocco vs Iran (Group B) – St Petersburg – 4 p.m.

Portugal vs Spain (Group B) – Sochi – 7 p.m.

Saturday 16 June

France vs Australia (Group C) – Kazan – 11 a.m.

Argentina vs Iceland (Group D) – Moscow (Spartak) – 2 p.m.

Peru vs Denmark (Group C) – Saransk – 5 p.m.

Croatia vs Nigeria (Group D) – Kaliningrad – 8 p.m.

Sunday 17 June

Costa Rica vs Serbia (Group E) – Samara – 1 p.m.

Germany vs Mexico (Group F) – Moscow (Luzhniki) – 4 p.m.

Brazil vs Switzerland (Group E) – Rostov-on-Don – 7 p.m.

Monday 18 June

Sweden vs South Korea (Group F) – Nizhny Novgorod – 1 p.m.

Belgium vs Panama (Group G) – Sochi – 4 p.m.

Tunisia vs England (Group G) – Volgograd – 7 p.m.

Tuesday 19 June

Colombia vs Japan (Group H) – Saransk – 1 p.m.

Poland vs Senegal (Group H) – Moscow (Spartak) – 4 p.m.

Russia vs Egypt (Group A) – St Petersburg – 7 p.m.

Wednesday 20 June

Portugal vs Morocco (Group B) – Moscow (Luzhniki) – 1 p.m.

Uruguay vs Saudi Arabia (Group A) – Rostov-on-Don – 4 p.m.

Iran vs Spain (Group B) – Kazan – 7 p.m.

Thursday 21 June

Denmark vs Australia (Group C) – Samara – 1 p.m.

France vs Peru (Group C) – Ekaterinburg – 4 p.m.

Argentina vs Croatia (Group D) – Nizhny Novgorod – 7 p.m.

Friday 22 June

Brazil vs Costa Rica (Group E) – St Petersburg – 1 p.m.

Nigeria vs Iceland (Group D) – Volgograd – 4 p.m.

Serbia vs Switzerland (Group E) – Kaliningrad – 7 p.m.

Saturday 23 June

Belgium vs Tunisia (Group G) – Moscow (Spartak) – 1 p.m.

South Korea vs Mexico (Group F) – Rostov-on-Don – 4 p.m.

Germany v Sweden (Group F) – Sochi – 7 p.m.

Sunday 24 June

England vs Panama (Group G) – Nizhny Novgorod – 1 p.m.

Japan vs Senegal (Group H) – Ekaterinburg – 4 p.m.

Poland vs Colombia (Group H) – Kazan – 7 p.m.

Monday 25 June

Uruguay vs Russia (Group A) – Samara – 3 p.m.

Saudi Arabia vs Egypt (Group A) – Volgograd – 3 p.m.

Spain vs Morocco (Group B) – Kaliningrad – 7 p.m.

Iran vs Portugal (Group B) – Saransk – 7 p.m.

Tuesday 26 June

Denmark vs France (Group C) – Moscow (Luzhniki) – 3 p.m.

Australia vs Peru (Group C) – Sochi – 3 p.m.

Nigeria vs Argentina (Group D) – St Petersburg – 7 p.m.

Iceland vs Croatia (Group D) – Rostov-on-Don – 7 p.m.

Wednesday 27 June

South Korea vs Germany (Group F) – Kazan – 3 p.m.

Mexico vs Sweden (Group F) – Ekaterinburg – 3 p.m.

Serbia vs Brazil (Group E) – Moscow (Spartak) – 7 p.m.

Switzerland vs Costa Rica (Group E) – Nizhny Novgorod – 7 p.m.

Thursday 28 June

Japan vs Poland (Group H) – Volgograd – 3 p.m.

Senegal vs Colombia (Group H) – Samara – 3 p.m.

England vs Belgium (Group G) – Kaliningrad – 7 p.m.

Panama vs Tunisia (Group G) – Saransk – 7 p.m.

Source: Presstv

Moroccans believe it was Saudi Arabia that ruined the North African country’s bid to host the 2026 World Cup.

Local press in Morocco said on Wednesday that it was Saudi Arabia that “led an all-out campaign” in favor of an opposite bid to host the 2026 World Cup by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The joint North American bid won 134 votes, compared to 65 for Morocco, at a FIFA Congress in Moscow earlier in the day to gain the rights for hosting the prestigious football tournament in 2026.

Moroccan officials said Saudi Arabia, a long-time ally of their country, was very influential in nixing the success of their bid to host the tournament.

“God protect me from my friends, my enemies I can deal with,” said Moncef Belkhayat, a member of Morocco’s bid committee and ex-sports minister, before the vote opened in Moscow.

Saudi Arabia apparently led other Arab countries, especially those wealthy states in the Persian Gulf region, to support the North American bid. The move came despite a promise in April by the Arab League to back Morocco’s bid.

Senior media figures in Morocco lamented the Saudi decision. Samira Sitail, head of public broadcaster M2, said the vote showed that Saudis were no more than a vassal state for the United States.

“The United States has a new state. It is Arab and Muslim, easily exploitable, and it loves to put knives in friends’ backs,” said Sitail, making an apparent reference to Saudi Arabia.

Morocco’s national football team is also present in Russia. The team is grouped with Iran, Spain and Portugal in the World Cup games while there is a very slim chance that it meets Saudi Arabia in the second stage of the tournament.

Source: Presstv

Senegal’s team has arrived in Russia ahead of their World Cup campaign which begins in Group H with matches against Poland, Colombia and Japan.

The team that features a potent attack led by Liverpool forward Sadio Mane flew in wearing traditional African attire, with dark blue tunics and matching pants.

The fashionable team follows the head turning Nigeria team that arrived in Russia on Monday wearing green and white traditional African attire, with matching hats and shoes.

Senegal won their last warm up game on Monday against South Korea, with goals from Pape Moussa Konate and Kim Young-gwon (OG).

Culled from Africa News

Football governing body FIFA has confirmed that the US, Mexico and Canada’s United Bid has won the right to host the 2026 World Cup.

According to English publication The Guardian, the United Bid received 134 votes, while Morocco received 65 votes, and one country voted for neither.

The North Americans rode to victory on a wave of support from the Americas, Europe and Asia, plus a few votes from Africa.

The 2026 edition of the global showpiece will be the first time three countries host the World Cup, but a vast majority of the tournament will be played on US soil.

Of the 80 matches, 10 will be held in Canada, 10 in Mexico and the other 60 in the US, including the final, which will take place at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

The last time the men’s World Cup was held in North America was when the US hosted it in 1994, and before then it was also held in Mexico in 1970 and 1986.

Source: Soccerladuna

Cameroon great Roger Milla has told AFP that he never received the credit he deserved for his World Cup goalscoring exploits.

Milla, lured out of retirement at the ripe old age of 38, left an indelible mark on the 1990 finals in Italy.

Considered an intriguing addition to a Cameroon team expected to head home after the group stages, Milla turned the tournament, and the fate of African football, on its head.

Following a shock 1-0 win over Argentina, Milla came off the bench to score twice in the final minutes of a 2-1 win over Romania, his second a fierce strike from the right side of the area.

After a 4-0 drubbing by the Soviet Union, Milla, again, stepped up to the plate.

He came off the bench again to hit his second brace, in extra-time, to secure a 2-1 win over Colombia that sent Cameroon into the last eight, the first African side to make it to the quarter-finals.

In Russia, Cameroon will be absent but Milla can take pride from the presence of a record five African teams — Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal and Tunisia  — in the 32-nation World Cup starting Thursday.

Thoughts of that strong African contingent got Milla reflecting on those heroics 28 years ago.

“The most beautiful goal was my second against Romania,” he told AFP.

“I hope you’re going to write about it, because no other player has scored a goal like that!”

He added: “I don’t know why you (the media) don’t talk more about Africans. For me, it’s because of racism!

“If a Brazilian, German or Frenchman had scored a goal like that, you would burst everyone’s eardrums talking about it.

“But since it was a Cameroonian, a black player, it was hardly talked about. Still, Europeans told me that it should be rated among the world’s best.”

Oldest World Cup scorer

Each of Milla’s strikes were followed by what would become his trademark celebration — running to the corner flag and shimmying his hips from side to side as if dancing to his own personal tune.

In the run-up to Italia 90, the striker who had played for French clubs Bastia and Saint-Etienne had been anticipating a life of retirement in the sun on the French Indian Ocean island of Reunion.

But a last-minute request by Cameroon president Paul Biya, who urged him to grab his boots and get on a plane to Italy, made sure Milla, and African football, would never be the same again.

Milla’s magic was felt far beyond Italy.

“After that first qualification for the quarter-finals, FIFA’s eye were opened,” said Milla.

“The whole world understood that in Africa there are a lot of great players, and some great football-playing nations.

“Ghana (2010), Senegal (2002) went on to emulate our achievements. But that year, a door opened for African football.”

Aside from the 1990 finals, Milla had seen a “perfectly good goal” disallowed in a scoreless draw with Peru at Cameroon’s maiden World Cup at Spain ’82.

Then, at USA ’94, he became at 42, the tournament’s oldest ever scorer.

After a 2-2 draw with Sweden and a 3-0 defeat to Brazil, a 6-1 drubbing by Russia, in which Milla scored, capped a poor campaign by the Africans.

“I scored the only goal against Russia in our final match with technical ease and the strength of a player much younger than myself!

“I showed the whole world that, even at 42, if you’ve treated yourself well, you can do it.

“I’m a legend in Africa, and in South America, where ‘King Pele’ asked me why I wasn’t born a Brazilian!

“I did for my country and for my continent, I’d like it if they talked about it more in Europe, and in France, where I spent my entire career.”

Source: AFP

The 2018 FIFA World Cup host Russia will go into the tournament as the lowest ranked side of all the 32 participating teams.

In the latest FIFA ranking released on Thursday, the Russians were placed 70^th after falling four places from their position in the May ranking.

Current world champions Germany retained their spot at the top, followed by Brazil in second place and Belgium in third.

The World Cup is set to kick off on 14 June, with a game pitting Russia against Saudi Arabia, the second lowest ranked side in the new FIFA ranking.

Africa will be represented at the tournament by Egypt, Nigeria, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia.

The Pharaohs, boosted by the imminent return of star player Mohamed Salah, will be the first side in action. They will play the second game of the tournament against Uruguay on 15 June, before Morocco takes on Iran later on the same day.

The African teams will be seeking to reach the semi-final stage for the very first time in the competition’s history.

Only three nations from Africa reached the quarter finals once each; Cameroon in 1990, Senegal in 2002 and Ghana in 2010.

Here’s a look at the different group in which African teams were drawn;

GROUP A

• Russia
• Saudi Arabia
• Egypt
• Uruguay

GROUP B

• Portugal
• Spain
• Morocco
• Iran

GROUP D

• Argentina
• Iceland
• Croatia
• Nigeria

GROUP G

• Belgium
• Panama
• Tunisia
• England

GROUP H

• Poland
• Senegal
• Colombia
• Japan

Source: Africa cgtn

Egypt’s top striker Mo Salah is on track in his recovery to join the rest of his team for the start of the World Cup, said coach Hector Cuper on Tuesday.

The Argentinian coach, who took charge of the Egyptian team in March 2015 and led them to the final of the Africa Cup of Nations last year, was speaking in Brussels where the team is preparing for their final World Cup warm-up game against Belgium on Wednesday.

Salah scored 71 per cent of the Pharaohs’ goals in the Russia 2018 World Cup qualifying matches, scoring in every one of their third-round victories. A shoulder injury sustained in the Champions League final after a challenge by Sergio Ramos has raised concerns that the team might have to face their first-round opponents, in particular Uruguay on June 15, without him.

But Cuper said he was almost certain Salah would be fit for the match against Uruguay.

On the 19th they will play the hosts Russia, and will then finish their group stage against Saudi Arabia on the 25th.

Reuters

Nigeria’s coach named the final 23 man squad that will be representing the country at this month’s World Cup in Russia.

The squad was made public on Sunday before the team set off to their training camp in Austria, for their last warm up game against Czech Republic on June 6.

The Super Eagles lost a friendly game against England on Saturday and coach Gernot Rohr said the team will train hard to improve before their opening game against Croatia on June 16.

“This game shows we still have a lot of work to do to be ready for the World Cup. We have to make the best use of the 2 weeks left before our first game in Russia. It’s time to focus..no distractions,’‘ Rohr said.

Nigeria final squad

Goalkeepers: Daniel Akpeyi (Chippa United), Ikechukwu Ezenwa (Enyimba), Francis Uzoho (Deportivo Coruna)

Defenders: Chidozie Awaziem (Nantes), Leon Balogun (Brighton & Hove Albion), Tyronne Ebuehi (ADO Den Haag), Elderson Echiejiole (Cercle Brugge), Brian Idowu (Amkar Perm), Kenneth Omeruo (Kasimpasa), Abdullahi Shehu, William Ekong Troost (both Bursaspor)

Midfielders: Oghenekaro Etebo (Las Palmas), John Obi Mikel (Tianjin Teda), Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City), Joel Obi (Torino), John Ogu (Hapoel Be’er Sheva), Ogenyi Onazi (Trabzonspor)

Forwards: Odion Ighalo (Changchun Yatai), Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City), Alex Iwobi (Arsenal), Victor Moses (Chelsea), Ahmed Musa (CSKA Moscow), Simoen Nwankjwo (Crotone).

Source: Africa News