Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2023 i World Soccer

Wow. What a World Cup. What a World Cup final. FIFA president Gianni Infantino, rather predictably, said the tournament was the “best ever”. For quality alone, probably not. But for drama, quite possibly so. Football punditry is often guilty of hyperbole, but the final was, without question, one of the most memorable and dramatic of all time. After all of the talk and controversy off the pitch, this World Cup needed to deliver on the pitch. And that it most certainly did. For UK TV viewers, the tone delivered by the broadcasters throughout was balanced – after the closing ceremony a review piece was aired questioning whether it was the “greatest World Cup ever or a triumph for sportswashing” while, at the beginning of the tournament, the opening ceremony was…

FEBRUARY 19 Asian Champions League west zone knockout rounds begin 26 English League Cup final MARCH 20 2023 West Asian Football Federation Championship begins 21 UEFA Nations League 2022-23 relegation play-outs 23 Euro 2024 qualifying begins TBC South American 2026 World Cup qualifying begins APRIL 6 Women’s Finalissima – England v Brazil 29 Asian Champions League final1st leg French Cup final MAY 6 Asian Champions League final 2nd leg Spanish Cup final 14 Women’s FA Cup final 20 Under-20 World Cup begins 24 Italian Cup final 27 Bundesliga final day 28 Premier League final day Women’s Super League final day 29 EFL Championship play-off final 31 Europa League final CONCACAF Champions League final1st leg JUNE 3 FA Cup final Women’s Champions League final CONCACAF Champions League final 2nd leg Ligue1 final day…

There might have been some disappointment with their semi-final exit from the World Cup, but there was also a real sense of achievement after Morocco broke new ground for themselves, African and Arab football at the World Cup in Qatar. Weary bodies, broken hearts and desolate faces but also immense pride after an incredible tournament that has the potential to be a game changer for African football. Morocco’s exciting run to a first-ever World Cup semi - final will inject a new energy into African football and give hope to the continent’s teams when they return in larger numbers in four years’ time, with nine places at the 2026 finals in North America, and possibly one more through the play-offs. African football had been in a crisis of confidence after…

ECUADOR An exciting young team but one whose star happened to be their 33-year-old striker and captain Enner Valencia, who scored three goals in the group stage. A defeat to Senegal in the final group game led to an anticlimactic exit from the tournament, but this bunch – with a core of players in their early 20s including star midfielder Moises Caicedo of Brighton – will more than likely be back stronger for future World Cups, as well as the intervening Copa America. QATAR Having finished with the worst record for a host nation in the history of the World Cup, the tournament couldn’t have gone any worse for Qatar who lost all three of their group games. An extended training camp meant players hadn’t played competitive club football for…

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 7PM ARGENTINA (1) 3 (Messi 34 pen, Alvarez 39, 69) CROATIA (0) 0 Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail Att: 88,966 Ref: Orsato (Ita) ARGENTINA E. Martinez; Molina (Foyth 86), Romero, Otamendi, Tagliafico; De Paul (Palacios 74), Paredes (Li. Martinez 62), Fernandez, Mac Allister (Correa 86); Messi, Alvarez (Dybala 74). Romero, Otamendi CROATIA Livakovic; Juranovic, Lovren, Gvardiol, Sosa (Orsic 46); Modric (Majer 81), Brozovic (Petkovic 50), Kovacic; Pasalic (Vlasic 46), Kramaric (Livaja 72), Perisic. Livakovic, Kovacic GOALS 1-0 Enzo Fernandez putsJulian Alvarez clean through. Alvarez flicks the ball past Croatia keeper Dominik Livakovic, who bodychecks the Argentine forward. Lionel Messi steps up and lashes the penalty home with real conviction. 2-0 Alvarez goes on a slaloming solo run from the half-way line. Aided by convenient bounces off Josip Juranovic…

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 4PM QATAR (0) 0 ECUADOR (2) 2 (Valencia16 pen, 31) Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor Att: 67,372 Ref: Orsato (Ita) QATAR Al Sheeb; Pedro Miguel, Al Rawi, Khoukhi, Hassan, Homam; Al Haydos (Waad 71), Boudiaf, Hatem; Afif, Almoez (Muntari 72). Al Sheeb, Almoez, Boudiaf, Afif ECUADOR Galindez; An. Preciado, Torres, Hincapie, Estupinan; Plata, Mendez, Caicedo (Franco 90), Ibarra (Sarmiento 68); Valencia (Cifuentes 77), Estrada (Rodriguez 90). Caicedo, Mendez GOALS 0-1 Qatari custodian Saad Al Sheeb brings down Enner Valencia in a one-on-one situation, and the striker coolly converts the spot-kick. 0-2 A pinpoint cross by right-back Angel Preciado is headed in expertly at the far post by the unmarked Valencia for his second. VALENCIA SPOILS THE PARTY Enner Valencia ensured Qatar’s World Cup bow was a miserable one…

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1PM DENMARK (0) 0 TUNISIA (0) 0 Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan Att: 42,925 Ref: Ramos (Mex) DENMARK Schmeichel; Andersen, Kjaer (Jensen 65), Christensen; Kristensen, Hojbjerg, Delaney (Damsgaard 45+1), Maehle; Eriksen; Skov Olsen (Lindstrom 65), Dolberg (Cornelius 65). Kristensen, Jensen TUNISIA Dahmen; Bronn, Meriah, Talbi; Drager (Kechrida 88), Skhiri, Laidouni (Sassi 88), Abdi; Ben Slimane (Sliti 67), Msakni (Mejbri 80); Jebali (Khenissi 80). Khenissi PLUCKY TUNISIA, DENMARK BELOW PAR Tunisia brought a vibrancy and energy to this game – epitomised by Aissa Laidouni’s emphatic celebration after his early tackle on Christian Eriksen – and nearly fashioned victory against a stuttering Denmark. The North Africans were in control during the first half and almost scored just before the break when Kasper Schmeichel made a fine save from Issam…

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 10AM SWITZERLAND (0) 1 (Embolo 48) CAMEROON (0) 0 Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah Att: 39,089 Ref: Tello (Arg) SWITZERLAND Sommer; Widmer, Akanji, Elvedi, Rodriguez (Comert 90); Freuler, Xhaka; Shaqiri (Okafor 72), Sow (Frei 72), Vargas (Rieder 81); Embolo (Seferovic 72). Elvedi, Akanji CAMEROON Onana; Fai, Castelletto, Nkoulou, Nouhou; Zambo Anguissa, Oum Gouet, Hongla (Ondoua 68); Mbeumo (Ngamaleu 81), Choupo-Moting (Aboubakar 74), Toko Ekambi (Nkoudou 74). Fai GOALS 1-0 A swift Swiss move carves Cameroon open and culminates in Breel Embolo clinically turning Xherdan Shaqiri’s cross past Andre Onana. EMBOLO BREAKS CAMEROONIAN HEARTS Both sides had periods of control in the first half, but Cameroon had the more promising openings with each of their front three getting a sight of goal. Despite this, defences remained on top…

Just by the stadium where the World Cup final was played, there runs a broad shopping street, the Lusail Boulevard, which claims to be the Champs Elysees of the Middle East. It’s an odd mix of high-end shops, a Sainsbury’s, and some pretty grim-looking American fast-food chains. It’s outside but air-conditioned, as so much of Qatar is. Over the past month it has been covered in World Cup branding; flags from the competing nations hung from the lampposts; the World Cup anthem dribbled out of speakers; huge adverts featuring the likes of Neymar and Lionel Messi. But what there was not was any football, or any fans. On the day Argentina played Mexico in Lusail, I headed up from Doha early, thinking I’d be able to watch Poland v Saudi…

Preview There have obviously been some bigger tournaments in the Middle East in very recent memory but the 2023 Arabian Gulf Cup is significant for a number of reasons – and not just because this is the 25th edition. One is that the eight teams, all from the Asian side of the region, will be playing in Iraq from January 6 to 19. It is the first time that the competition has gone to the country since1979, when the Lions of Mesopotamia lifted the trophy in front of their own fans. It was followed by the Iran-Iraq war, two US-led invasions and years of instability and violence, which made it impossible for the country to host tournaments or even play individual games. Baghdad is still not seen as ready by…

FRIENDLIES Nov 6: Saudi Arabia 1 (Abdulhamid 26) Iceland 0 Mexico 4 (Vega 4, Funes Mori 48, Gallardo 67, Antuna 90+2 pen) Iraq 0 Nov10: Costa Rica 2(Duarte 7, Waston 73) Nigeria 0 Panama 1 (Diaz 8) Saudi Arabia 1 (Asiri 37) Iran 1 (Torabi15) Nicaragua 0 Nov11: South Korea 1(Song Min-kyu 33) Iceland 0 Bahrain 2(Al Humaidan14, Yusuf Helal 65 pen) Canada 2 (Kone 6, Haram 81 og) Nov16: Saudi Arabia 0 Croatia 1 (Kramaric 82) United Arab Emirates 0 Argentina 5 (Alvarez17, Di Maria 25, 36, Messi 44, J. Correa 60) Oman 0 Germany 1(Fullkrug 80) Poland 1 (Piatek 85) Chile 0 Mexico 1 (Vega 60) Sweden 2 (Rohden 54, Svanberg 84) Nov17: Ghana 2(Salisu 70, Semenyo 74) Switzerland 0 Japan 1(Soma 9) Canada 2 (Vitoria 21, Cavallini…

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“FIFPRO is shocked and sickened by reports that professional footballer Amir Nasr-Azadani faces execution in Iran after campaigning for women’s rights and basic freedom in his country”International players’ union FIFPRO reacts to the arrest of Iranian defender Amir Nasr-Azadani A host of national team managers left their jobs after the World Cup. As expected, Tite stepped down as coach of Brazil after taking charge of a record 81 games for the Selecao, while Luis Enrique left his role as Spain boss after failing to take his side beyond the last16, with Under-21s coach Luis de la Fuente stepping up to replace him. Fernando Santos also departed after eight years at the Portuguese helm, while Belgium’s failure to qualify from their group saw Roberto Martinez leave his role after six years…

Qatar 2022 marks the end of an era This last World Cup marks the end of an era. For this was the last of the World Cups as we have come to know them. The next finals, in 2026, will be staged in a hosting triumvirate of Canada, Mexico and the United States with a starting line-up of 48 national teams. That tally represents almost one quarter of the FIFA membership. Any team and their coach will need to be pretty awful not to qualify. A traditional, prestigious standard of single-nation hosting will now also be the exception, not the rule. Three hosts in 2026, two or more in 2030 and then how many in 2034? Once that date appeared wide open for China but the soccer fad there has…

The most extraordinary final in World Cup history between the two best teams in the competition and the game’s two finest players in Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe was the perfect climax to the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Mbappe, a hat-trick securing the Golden Boot as the finals’ eight-goal top scorer, finished on the losing side as France lost the crown secured four years ago in Moscow. But the enduring story of Qatar’s controversial World Cup will focus on Messi. The 35-year-old did not need World Cup success to confirm him as one of the greatest footballers of all time, but most football fans wanted it for him. Messi duly opened the scoring and helped create a second for Angel Di Maria. The match was not even a contest until…

A is for Added time. Referees took time wasting very seriously, often with plenty of time added on at the end of each half. B is for Barcelona, the club side with the most players at the tournament, with17 in total. C is for Compact. The furthest distance between any of the host stadiums was just 34 miles. D is for Drama. Nearly every group had final-day twists and turns, while the final was one of the best and most dramatic of all time. E is for End of an Era. Many of the last decade’s finest players probably played their last World Cup, including the likes of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Luka Modric, Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Busquets, Gareth Bale and Robert Lewandowski. F is for Female referee. France’s Stephanie…

UNITED STATES One of the youngest squads at the tournament came unstuck against the wily Dutch. A bright, sprightly midfield of Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie and Yunus Musah had drawn plaudits in the group stage, but they looked out of gas by their fourth game. They were the only team to stifle England in Group B, where Christian Pulisic scored an important goal against Iran to help reaffirm his status as his country’s key player. This young group will look forward to the next World Cup on home turf but – just like one of their 2026 co-hosts, Canada – they would have liked to have gone further in Qatar. AUSTRALIA Mathew Leckie’s winning goal against Denmark in Australia’s final group game will go down in Socceroos history. Their reward…

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 18, 3PM ARGENTINA (2) 3 (Messi 23 pen,108, Di Maria 36) FRANCE 3 (Mbappe 80 pen, 81,118 pen) After Extra-Time; 2-2 at 90 mins; Argentina win 4-2 on penalties Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail Att: 88,966 Ref: Marciniak (Pol) ARGENTINA E. Martinez; Molina (Montiel 91), Romero, Otamendi, Tagliafico (Dybala120+1); De Paul (Paredes102), Fernandez, Mac Allister (Pezzella116); Messi, Alvarez (La. Martinez102), Di Maria (Acuna 64). Fernandez, Acuna, Paredes, Montiel, E. Martinez FRANCE Lloris; Kounde (Disasi120+1), Varane (Konate113), Upamecano, T. Hernandez (Camavinga 71); Tchouameni, Rabiot (Fofana 96); Dembele (Kolo Muani 41), Griezmann (Coman 71), Mbappe; Giroud (Thuram 41). Rabiot, Thuram, Giroud GOALS 1-0 Ousmane Dembele effects a clumsy challenge on Angel Di Maria. Though minimal contact appears to be made, the referee points to the spot. Lionel Messi calmly sends Hugo…

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9, 3PM CROATIA (0) 1 (Petkovic 117) BRAZIL (0) 1 (Neymar 105) After Extra-Time; 0-0 at 90 mins; Croatia win 4-2 on penalties Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan Att: 43,893 Ref: Oliver (Eng) CROATIA Livakovic; Juranovic, Lovren, Gvardiol, Sosa (Budimir110); Modric, Brozovic (Orsic114), Kovacic (Majer105); Pasalic (Vlasic 72), Kramaric (Petkovic 72), Perisic. Brozovic, Petkovic BRAZIL Alisson; Militao (Alex Sandro105), Marquinhos, Thiago Silva, Danilo; Paqueta (Fred105), Casemiro; Raphinha (Antony 56), Neymar, Vinicius Junior (Rodrygo 64); Richarlison (Pedro 84). Danilo, Casemiro, Marquinhos GOALS 0-1 Neymar plays one-twos with Rodrygo and Lucas Paqueta before rounding Croatia keeper Dominik Livakovic and scooping the ball into the roof of the net. 1-1 Luka Modric finds Mislav Orsic in space on the left, and the latter crosses low for sub Bruno Petkovic to score…

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1PM ENGLAND (3) 6 (Bellingham 35, Saka 43, 63, Sterling 45+1, Rashford 71, Grealish 90) IRAN (0) 2 (Taremi 65, 90+13 pen) Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan Att: 45,334 Ref: Claus (Bra) ENGLAND Pickford; Trippier, Stones, Maguire (Dier 70), Shaw; Bellingham, Rice, Mount (Foden 71); Saka (Rashford 71), Kane (Wilson 76), Sterling (Grealish 71). IRAN Beyranvand (H. Hosseini 20); Moharrami, Pouraliganji, Cheshmi (Kanaanizadegan 46), M. Hosseini, Mohammadi (Torabi 63); Jahanbakhsh (Gholizadeh 46), Noorollahi (Azmoun 77), Karimi (Ezatolahi 46), Hajisafi; Taremi. Jahanbakhsh, Pouraliganji GOALS 1-0 Bellingham heads in Luke Shaw’s cross. 2-0 Saka nets a brilliant controlled half-volley. 3-0 Sterling stabs in Kane’s hard, low centre. 4-0 Saka steps across the defence and slots in. 4-1 Mehdi Taremi blasts home a rifled finish. 5-1 Marcus Rashford shows quick feet…

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1PM GERMANY (1) 1 (Gundogan 33 pen) JAPAN (0) 2 (Doan 75, Asano 83) Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan Att: 42,608 Ref: Barton (Slv) GERMANY Neuer; Sule, Rudiger, Schlotterbeck, Raum; Kimmich, Gundogan (Goretzka 67); Gnabry (Moukoko 90), Muller (Hofmann 67), Musiala (Gotze 79); Havertz (Fullkrug 79). JAPAN Gonda; Sakai (Minamino 74), Itakura, Yoshida, Nagatomo (Mitoma 57); Endo, Tanaka (Doan 71); J. Ito, Kamada, Kubo (Tomiyasu 46); Maeda (Asano 57). GOALS 1-0 Shuichi Gonda clumsily brings down David Raum, and Gundogan slots home the penalty. 1-1 Neuer pushes Minamino’s effort back into the red zone, and Ritsu Doan nets the rebound. 1-2 Takuma Asano wonderfully controls a high long ball, accelerates away from the defender and sensationally finishes from a tight angle. JAPANESE SUBS STUN GERMANS As pro-active and…

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1PM URUGUAY (0) 0 SOUTH KOREA (0) 0 Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan Att: 41,663 Ref: Turpin (Fra) URUGUAY Rochet; Caceres, Godin, Gimenez, Olivera (Vina 79); Valverde, Bentancur, Vecino (De la Cruz 78); Pellistri (Varela 88), Suarez (Cavani 64), Nunez. Caceres SOUTH KOREA Kim Seung-gyu; Kim Moon-hwan, Kim Min-jae, Kim Young-gwon, Kim Jin-su; Hwang In-beom, Jung Woo-young; Na Sang-ho (Lee Kang-in 75), Lee Jae-sung (Son Jun-ho 75), Son Heung-min; Hwang Ui-jo (Cho Gue-sung 75). Cho Gue-sung KOREA AND URUGUAY ENDS IN STALEMATE Underdogs South Korea asserted themselves in the early stages with Na Sang-ho looking bright down the right. Having helped repel the Asian outfit’s advances, Jose Maria Gimenez took a key role in moving Uruguay forward, playing sweeping passes that found Federico Valverde and Facundo Pellistri…

Portuguese coach Abel Ferreira was little known when he swapped PAOK in Greece for Palmeiras towards the end of 2020. His profile is much higher now, but at the start of this season there was still one doubt hanging over him. He had won two versions of the Copa Libertadores and one Brazilian Cup. But was he best suited to knockout competitions? Notoriously risk averse in the big matches, was he too cautious for a successful league campaign? He has now successfully silenced that doubt. Because the race for the 2022 Brazilian league title was not even close. In 2021, a “big three” had appeared to consolidate themselves at the top of the Brazilian game. Big-spending Atletico Mineiro had emerged to complete the domestic double, while Rio giants Flamengo are…

It wasn’t that long ago that Singapore were top dogs in Southeast Asia, the football-loving part of the continent that is home to 650 million and has India to the west and China to the east. The Lions won the AFF Championship, the region’s biennial tournament, three times between 2004 and 2012, but they have failed to reach a final in the four editions since, getting out of their group just once. To make matters worse, their main ASEAN rivals have all qualified for the 2023 Asian Cup that will be played in Qatar in January 2024. Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand have all made it to the continental tournament to give Southeast Asia its biggest representation since 2007 when those four countries co-hosted. Singapore, however, missed out. Their qualification…

Tributes from players, federations and colleagues poured in for American sports writer Grant Wahl after he passed away while covering the World Cup. The former Sports Illustrated journalist was in Qatar covering the quarter-final clash between Argentina and the Netherlands when he collapsed in the press box. Paramedics at the stadium were unable to revive him. With the United States set to co-host the next World Cup in 2026, Wahl has been widely praised for his role in driving the popularity of football across the country, and is widely considered to be the single most influential journalist in the sport across North America. “The entire US soccer family is heartbroken to learn that we have lost Grant Wahl,” said the United States’ Soccer Federation in a statement. “Here in the…

GROUNDWORK By Ryan Hills (Pitch Publishing, £22.99) When Jim Smith took charge of Derby County in the summer of1995, he joined a club needing to balance the books after several seasons of failing to reach the Premier League. Little was expected of him. Yet alongside Steve McClaren he oversaw a transformation that took Derby to a new home, a new division and to the brink of European competition for the first time since the days of Dave Mackay. This is the comprehensive and previously untold story of the resurgence of the Rams under “the Bald Eagle’s” tutelage. THE IMMORTALS By Phillip Vine (Pitch Publishing, £19.99) This is a passionate love letter to Celtic FC. After the disappointment in 2021 of failing to complete the fabled ten-in-a-row league titles, it takes…

1 32 TEAMS IS THE PERFECT SIZE The last-ever 32-team World Cup highlighted why it is the perfect format for a World Cup. Almost every group had drama and jeopardy right up to the final minutes, neatly resulting in the16 best sides heading to the knockouts. Quite how the 48-team tournament will work in four years is still to be decided, but talk of penalty shootouts in the first round show just how flawed the format could be. 2 BRIGHTON CAN SCOUT Alexis Mac Allister made history by becoming the first-ever Brighton & Hove Albion player to appear in a World Cup final, yet he was just one of many Seagulls superstars to feature in Qatar. Pervis Estupinan, Moises Caicedo, Jeremy Sarmiento (all Ecuador), Leandro Trossard (Belgium), Kaoru Mitoma (Japan),…

BRAZIL Even defeat in the final group game against Cameroon didn’t dampen enthusiasm around this Brazil side. A 4-1 thrashing of South Korea in the round of16 reinforced the idea that Tite’s team could turn on the style when they wanted, and a brilliant Neymar goal in the quarter-final felt like a significant moment for the star player and his nation. But it was to be their last, as the spirited, talented Croatia took the game to a penalty shootout and won. It will feel disastrous now, but an exciting young group provides massive encouragement for the future. NETHERLANDS Cody Gakpo’s headline goals – three in three group games – opened up the real possibility of a fitting send-off for coach Louis van Gaal. After outmanoeuvring the United States in…

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17, 3PM CROATIA (2) 2 7, Orsic 42) MOROCCO (1) 1 (Dari 9) Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan Att: 44,137 Ref: Al Jassim (Qat) CROATIA Livakovic; Stanisic, Sutalo, Gvardiol, Perisic; Modric, Kovacic; Majer (Pasalic 66), Kramaric (Vlasic 61), Orsic (Jakic 90+5); Livaja (Petkovic 66). MOROCCO Bounou; Hakimi, El Yamiq (Amallah 67), Dari (Benoun 64), Attiat Allah; El Khannouss (Ounahi 56), Amrabat, Sabiri (Chair 46); Ziyech, En-Nesyri, Boufal (Zaroury 64). Ounahi, Amallah GOALS 1-0 Lovro Majer floats a free-kick into the box for Ivan Perisic, who twists in mid-air to head it back for Josko Gvardiol to score with an emphatic diving header. 1-1 Hakim Ziyech’s inswinging free-kick flicks off the top of Majer’s head. While Croatia doze, Achraf Dari heads in from close range. 2-1 Morocco lose the ball…

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 3PM NETHERLANDS (2) 3 (Depay10, Blind 45+1, Dumfries 81) UNITED STATES (0) 1 (Wright 76) Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan Att: 44,846 Ref: Sampaio NETHERLANDS Noppert; Dumfries, Timber, Van Dijk, Ake (De Ligt 90+3), Blind; De Roon (Bergwijn 46), F. De Jong, Klaassen (Koopmeiners 46); Gakpo (Weghorst 90+3), Depay (Simons 83). Koopmeiners, F. De Jong UNITED STATES Turner; Dest (Yedlin 75), Zimmerman, Ream, Robinson (Morris 90+2); Musah, Adams, McKennie (Wright 67); Weah (Aaronson 67), Ferreira (Reyna 46), Pulisic. GOALS 1-0 The Dutch patiently and precisely construct a sweeping move of 20 passes. The ball is worked to the right flank, where Denzel Dumfries cuts it back for Memphis Depay to thump home. 2-0 In a carbon-copy of his assist for the first goal, Dumfries puts in another…

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 10AM ARGENTINA (1) 1 SAUDI ARABIA (0) 2 (Al Shehri 48, S. Al Dawsari 53) Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail Att: 88,012 Ref: Vincic (Svn) ARGENTINA E. Martinez; Molina, Romero (Li. Martinez 59), Otamendi, Tagliafico (Acuna 71); De Paul, Paredes (Fernandez 59); Di Maria, Messi, Gomez (Alvarez 59); La. Martinez. SAUDI ARABIA Al Owais; Abdulhamid, Al Tambakti, Al Bulayhi, Al Shahrani (Al Burayk 90+9); Al Malki, Kanno; Al Buraikan (Asiri 89), Al Faraj (Al Abed 45+4, Al Amri 88), S. Al Dawsari; Al Shehri (Al Ghannam 78). Al Malki, Al Bulayhi, S. Al Dawsari, Abdulhamid, Al Abed, Al Owais GOALS 1-0 Messi coolly nets his penalty after Saud Abdulhamid is penalised for grabbing Paredes. 1-1 Saleh Al Shehri capitalises on some poor Argentine defending from a ball straight through…

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 10AM MOROCCO (0) 0 CROATIA (0) 0 Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor Att: 59,407 Ref: Rapallini MOROCCO Bounou; Hakimi, Aguerd, Saiss, Mazraoui (Attiat Allah 60); Ounahi (Sabiri 82), Amrabat, Amallah; Ziyech, En-Nesyri (Hamdallah 82), Boufal (Ezzalzouli 65). Amrabat CROATIA Livakovic; Juranovic, Lovren, Gvardiol, Sosa; Modric, Brozovic, Kovacic (Majer 79); Vlasic (Pasalic 46), Kramaric (Livaja 71), Perisic (Orsic 90). ENGAGING BUT GOALLESS AFFAIR In their first-ever competitive meeting, 2018 World Cup runners-up Croatia and the Atlas Lions of Morocco proved that goalless draws need not be dull, even if the outcome was never in doubt. Both sides lacked a cutting edge in the final third and excelled in obdurate and physical defending. Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou kept out Nikola Vlasic’s closerange attempt from Borna Sosa’s cross in the…

1 Azzedine OUNAHI MOROCCO During the 2020-21 campaign, Azzedine Ounahi was playing his football in the French third tier with Avranches after not being offered a professional contract by Strasbourg. His impressive displays saw him jump up to Ligue1 outfit Angers in 2021, with appearances at an Africa Cup of Nations and now the World Cup following. After helping to fire Morocco to the World Cup finals with two goals against DR Congo in the play-offs, the midfielder thrived in Qatar, starting every game as the Atlas Lions made history as Africa’s greatest-ever World Cup side. Ounahi has caught the eye with his ability and composure on the ball, with Luis Enrique left in awe after Morocco beat Spain on penalties, asking: “Oh my God, where does this guy come…

As well as looking back over the past year, we also look forward, highlighting the big stories of 2023 before they happen and previewing the African Champions League group stage and Asian Champions League west region knockout phase. Plus, don’t miss an interview with ESM Golden Shoe winner Robert Lewandowski, a special club profile on European high-flyers Napoli, eye witness reports from Georgia and Lithuania, and much more. Print £5.99 | Digital £3.99 ORDER NOW shop.kelsey.co.uk / WSC23 Or Call: 01959 543 747 You may have missed… SAVE 10% when you spend £25 or more VOUCHERCODE: WSCSHOP23 shop.kelsey.co.uk / WSC23 +44 (0) 1959 543 747 Offers subject to availability. Prices for goods delivered to destinations outside of the UK may be higher Also from the publishers of History of the…

Preview The African Nations Championship (CHAN) will get underway in Algeria in January 2023, one year behind schedule because of the knock-on effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and with its future up in the air. It will be the seventh edition of the tournament first introduced in 2009 and competed for by quasi-national teams, restricted to home-based players only, but could be consigned to the scrap heap if Africa’s Super League ever gets underway. It was created to give more opportunity to African-based players, given the proliferation, and in some cases total dominance, of overseasbased players in Africa’s national teams. It was also going to provide a test of which were the continent’s more competitive leagues, but that has now been rendered meaningless by the fact that all the qualifying…

Not many national team coaches are forced to operate without almost their entire pool of domestic players, but Michael Weiss is making the best of having to rebuild the Laos team. As the German coach was taking over in January 2022, 45 of the country’s leading players – including 30 national team players – were banned for match-fixing. Weiss has had to focus on the youth sides and produced some surprising results. At the 2022 Asian Football Federation U19 Championship, Laos won their group and then shocked neighbours Thailand 2-0 in the semi-final before losing to Malaysia in the final. The subsequent U20 tournament was less successful, but Laos still beat Guam and ran Yemen and Palestine close. “People love football here,” says Weiss. “The players are very focused on…

• Arsenal v Newcastle United, January 3 Prior to the World Cup, these were two of the Premier League’s most in-form teams. This will be a stern test for both sides, with Arsenal hoping to remain in the title fight and Newcastle putting their top-four credentials to the test. • Atletico Madrid v Barcelona, January 8 A poor start to the season left Atletico Madrid outside La Liga’s top four and Diego Simeone facing questions over his future. How they fare against the league leaders will indicate whether there is life in the Argentine yet. • Real Sociedad v Athletic Bilbao, January 14 These days, the Basque derby is more than just a local rivalry – it’s a battle for Champions League football. The two sides returned to league action…

SEASON RANKINGS Cumulative votes through the season GOALKEEPERS Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid) 12 Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG) 3 Yann Sommer (B. M’Gladbach) 3 Kepa Arrizabalaga (Chelsea) 2 David de Gea (Manchester United) 2 Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Barcelona) 2 Diogo Costa (Porto) 1 Ederson (Manchester City) 1 Rafal Gikiewicz (Augsburg) 1 Gregor Kobel (Borussia Dortmund) 1 Mike Maignan (Milan) 1 Simon Mignolet (Club Brugge) 1 Juan Musso (Atalanta) 1 Rui Patricio (Roma) 1 Nick Pope (Newcastle United) 1 Geronimo Rulli (Villarreal) 1 Brice Samba (Lens) 1 Kevin Trapp (Eintracht Frankfurt) 1 DEFENDERS Kim Min-jae (Napoli) 12 Joao Cancelo (Manchester City) 11 David Alaba (Real Madrid) 10 Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid) 7 Ruben Dias (Manchester City) 6 Gabriel (Arsenal) 6 Benjamin Pavard (Bayern Munich) 6 Eder Militao (Real Madrid) 5 Antonio Rudiger (Real…