Project Exclusives

Thomas Tuchel & What Went Wrong

99 Games – Won 62, Drew 18, Lost 19 (All Competitions)

So losing to the Croats, Dinamo Zagreb for the first time asking on the continental stage felt like the final nail on the coffin built and paid for by Thomas the son of Tuchel himself, and the sacking felt like a long time coming.

Lots have been quick to judge Boehly and his consortium’s decision to part way with the German gaffer, after winning international trophies and ‘contending’ for all available competitions in his wake. Off the field, Tuchel stepped into shoes no manager in the world would envy, following sanctions on the former club owner, Roman Abramovic, and a terrific take over by new owners, Thomas’ press conferences inevitably shifted from football-related questions to PowerPoint presentations on procurement and life after Roman.

Trust me when I say, it was a lot to ask, dealing with internal rebellion (Lukaku), disgruntled players who were deprived of playing time (Pulisic, Ziyech, Odoi, Abraham), and the height of it all, Marina Granovskia (ex Sporting Director), Peter Cech (ex Technical Adviser, Goalie Coach), Bruce Buck (ex former chairman), McCracken, and the rest of the backroom staff all vacating their posts. Sigh! How my guy wan take do?

Todd who’s the face of the consortium alongside Tuchel then joined forces to do an entire backroom staff job to peddle through the summer transfer market, the rest, they say, became history – Chelsea spent exactly £258m (league record) yet, Thomas struggled to make things work in the first 7 games (L3, D1, W3).

The Zagreb game in the UCL was his 99^th in charge in all competitions (W62, D19, L18), having 35 wins, 8 draws, and 7 losses in his first 50 games – do the maths for his second 49 games which came after the 4-nil win over Juventus in the first leg of the 2021-22 UCL group game on the 23^rd of November 2021.

It’s throwback Thursday, so why not strike a flashback to his appointment on Tuesday, the 26^th of January 2021, all he had with the squad, was a vigil training session, before the game against Wolves the following day, which ended in a goalless draw – Tuchel went on to revive the Blues’ season, losing just twice in 19 league games, winning 11, and drawing 6 of those; won the UCL and finished 4^th that season, then 3^rd the following campaign (2021-22), with trophies too (Super Cup and Fifa Club World Cup).

So where did the issues arise? What triggered the time bomb to wind down the timer? If you ask me, I’ll ask December 2021 the same, as that was the point of regression that subtly never got attention until now. A club-record fee statement in Romelu Lukaku flopped, only scoring 8 league goals, same as Havertz, and less than teammate and homegrown Mason Mount’s 11, noting that Jorginho also scored the most goals among Chelsea players in the 2020-21 season (7 penalties), it felt like another midfielder had done it again.

This season was a different episode of the Big Bang Theory, with the addition of Sterling and Aubemeyang to the fray, the tamed and toothless attacking approach continued to suffice, not leaving out the likes of Christian Pulisic (sulking) and Hakim Ziyech (who was called upon in the Zagreb game to wave his magic wand) still moping about, well, Timo Werner, Hudson Odoi, and Romelu Lukaku left when they could; which begs further questioning – What’s with Tuchel and his forwards?

£258 milla, yeah? Kalidou Koulibaly, Marc Cucurella, and Wesley Fofana were all added to an existing defense line of Thiago Silva, Cesar Azpilicueta, Reece James, and Trevor Chalobah – a system that conceded 10 goals in all 7 competitions played thus far, with no clear cut idea on how to shut out attempts of opponents at goal. If Kovacic and Kante were to fall short in fitness, Tuchel says the team has “no” midfielders to play, meaning Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Conor Gallagher, Jorginho, and Mason Mount are carpenters in Blue jerseys.

Thomas achieved feats, but lost touch with his dressing room, he fell victim to what he feared at PSG, becoming a political manager, rather than just coaching the team on the pitch. There were reports of players discussing his off-field issues; divorce, new girlfriend, and being erratic with his decisions on training grounds and when matters didn’t go as intended. Then, Tuchel honors a pitch-side post-match reaction and says “I don’t know why we play the way we did, it’s the same old story…” and Todd couldn’t take it anymore – “From Croatia, baba mi, dey go Germany” the club owners insinuated.

The only fault of this decision would be the timing. Under Roman Abramovic, Tuchel wouldn’t have started pre-season with the team if the owner was convinced of lapses in the effective use of the squad and planned to go all out in the summer. Pierre-Emerick Aubemeyang’s 11th-hour signing had Tuchel’s handwriting all over, yet friction within camp endured – Chelsea fans bemoaned “God when?”

Graham Potter’s swift inclusion for appointment would not be as impromptu as insinuated, the 47-year-old Englishman who went abroad to bag a UEFA Pro license came back home with prospects and seeming results that couldn’t be snubbed, and a resurging Brighton side that culminated all that was needed to be known – culture, discipline, compatibility, and a well-refined game approach with finesse. Some would cook up conspiracy theories sighting Cucurella’s move from Brighton to Chelsea as a front-running chess move to prepare the way for the Messiah.

Others would make certain that having a squad in-depth as Chelsea’s with the ample resources to work with, would be an upgrade to his CV, so why not? But Hol’up Potter, you’d need a Sporting Director, Technical Advisor, and expert scout managers to compliment your grace. Thomas Tuchel was the last knight on Roman Abramovic’s round table to face the exit door, hopefully, this new phase proves worthy of note moving forward.

Sports Round-Off – The Football Derbies & Rivalries (Italy & England)

Autumn came with the fall, as teams clashed in their respective match centers for vital points and prestige, with the 2022-23 season steadily living up to its billing following premium transfer deals signed over the course of the Summer window.

Italian top-flight featured the Derby Della Madonnina with the Rossoneri attempting to defend the Scudetto by clashing with city rivals Internazionale at the San Siro.

In England, Merseyside and London featured their share of derbies as Liverpool faced Everton at Anfield, while Chelsea hosted West Ham at Stamford Bridge. Manchester would see league leaders Arsenal try to maintain their 100% record to the start of the Premier League, but proceedings went awry.

Derby Della Madonnina (AC Milan versus Internazionale)

Derby Della Madonnina (AC Milan 3 vs 2 Internazionale)

It was a derby worthy of note to ignite the September series of games on MatchDay 5 in the Italian Serié Á, as the epic San Siro stadium had all the experience to encounter following a 5-goal thriller that saw Milan edge arch rivals Inter 3 goals to 2 in what would be a home game for the Rossoneri.

The Milan Derby is more of a tradition than a mere fixture, just like the Spanish El Classico, the Manchester or London derbies, or the Le Classique in the French top-tier – a rivalry with a unique complexity, and the 3^rd of September lived up to its billing.

Marcelo Brozovic opened the scoring for the away side in the 21st when set up by Joaquin Correa, as Inter looked to get back to consecutive winning ways in the league, but that wasn’t to be as Milan sealed all 3 points at the end of proceedings despite a late strike from substitute, Edin Dzeko in the 67^th.

Rafael Leao would further seal his elite status in Italy’s top-flight, complimenting on his 10 league goals and 11 assists last term, with 3 goals and 2 assists in 5 league games so far. The 23-year-old Portuguese bagged a Brace in both halves and assisted Olivier Giroud with the 3^rd, with the Frenchman now scoring thrice in two Milan Derbies to earn the home side back-to-back wins over Inter for the first time since 2011.

Other Serie A Results

MatchDay 5 saw Juventus share the spoils away from home with Florentina at the Stadio Artemio Franchi with a 1-all draw, while Napoli remained unbeaten as they defeated Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico 2 goals to 1.

Cremonese and Sassuolo strug out a stalemate at Cremona, as Spezia versus Bologna and Salernitana versus Empoli both ended in a 2-all draw.

Udinese ended Roma’s unbeaten run with a 4 nil thumping at the Dacia Arena, Verona defeated Sampdoria at home with 2 goals to 1, Monza lost to Atalanta who remain unbeaten and top of the log, then Torino defeated Lecce by a slim margin at home with 1 goal to nil.

Merseyside, London Derbies & an Old Time Rivalry at Old Trafford

The English Premier League gave an array of rivalries with Merseyside and London both featuring Derbies and the home sides coming up tops, as Manchester United welcomed Arsenal to Old Trafford.

Old Trafford

The Red Devils and the Gunners have had each other at the jugular in head-to-head stats with both teams now having two wins and two losses apiece, with a draw, in their last 5 league encounters including Sunday’s Super clash at Old Trafford.

Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored thrice home and away for the Red Devils last term, started from the bench, with Anthony marking his premium debut by scoring the opener before getting substituted by the 38-year-old Portuguese international in the 58th minute.

Arsenal would get on the scoresheet through Bukayo Saka right on the hour mark to draw level and stage a comeback, but Marcos Rashford, who got the nod to spearhead United’s attack, repaid the gesture with a brace in the 2^nd 45, sealing a victory some will tag as against the run of play, with Arsenal dominating possession and attempts on goal, but not the most important stats which were shots on target and the scoreline.

The loss was inconsequential to Arsenal’s position at the top of the log with the Gunners already bagging a 100% record in August with 5 wins in 5, albeit, now sit one point above defending champions, Manchester City who are on 14 points from 6 games.

Manchester United enters the top 5 with the win as they go into the European week prepping to welcome Real Sociedad to Old Trafford for their Europa League clash on Thursday, while Arsenal traveled to Letzigrund in Switzerland to face FC Zurich for theirs.

London

The London derbies featured Chelsea welcoming West Ham to Stamford Bridge as East clashed with West at SW6, while Tottenham hosted Fulham at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium, with both home teams stealing a win over their opponents in dramatic fashion.

The last time Spurs lost a league game was back in April against Brighton on home ground, which takes their current unbeaten run to 12, and Antonio Conte’s side continued in like fashion with a spirited win over Fulham on Saturday.

Tottenham becomes the 3^rd team to scrap 100 Premier League London derby wins after Chelsea and Arsenal, which was made possible by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s 40th-minute strike, and Harry Kane’s 75^th-minute tap-in. Aleksandar Mitrovic’s 86^th-minute curler from the left wing into the top right corner, could only half the deficit but resulted in nil points for the Cottagers after regulation plus added-on time.

The Blues needed VAR intervention at the death to hold on to a 2-nil win at home, leaving the Hammers battling in the relegation zone after game week 6.

The first 45 ended on equal terms, with the home side dominating possession but having none of their 4 attempts target the goal, to West Ham’s 1 attempt, also off target. Michail Antonio opened the scoring minutes after the hour mark, to further heap more pressure on Thomas Tuchel’s boys, but 71’ substitute, Ben Chilwell restored parity 12 minutes later.

Chilwell then went on to set up fellow substitute Kai Havertz for the second in the 88’, as Thomas Tuchel’s changes did the Lord’s work as intended. Maxwell Cornet’s 90’ equalizer was agonizingly chucked off by VAR for a foul on Mendy during the build-up, as Chelsea returned to winning ways but sit outside the European spots afterward.

The Blues travel to the Stadion Maksimir in Croatia to ignite their Champions League campaign away at Dynamo Zagreb’s home ground.

Merseyside

The Merseyside derby ended in a stalemate at Goodison Park, as the Toffees held the Reds at bay for 90+ minutes. Liverpool utilized all 5 of their available substitutions with Fabio Carvalho, Konstantinos Tsimikas, and Alexander-Arnold all making way for Roberto Firmino, Andrew Robertson, and James Milner respectively.

Joel Matip made a return since MatchDay 1 after being out of the squad to replace Harvey Elliot, while Diogo Jota marked his first appearance in the new campaign by replacing new signing, Darwin Nunez in the 80^th.

Liverpool travels to the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona to face Italian counterpart Napoli on Wednesday in an attempt to strive for continental glory following their reach to the final last time out.

UEFA Champions League Fixtures (Tuesday)

World’s Most Valuable XI in Football- 2021/22

The curtains fall on the 2021/2022 football season going into the summer with the flood gates of transfers, deals, and signings opened sublimely for clubs to negotiate, as players whose contracts run out sooner rather than later would begin to bid their time, while the clubs they represent are poised to deal based on their exclusive and respective valuations.

A visible surge in player value and net worth over time has seemed to affect negotiations immensely during transfers (summer & winter), bearing in mind the quality each possesses, therefore opening the conversation regarding which set of players are most valued in their position based on current standings in world football.

According to Transfermarkt, a German-based player profile website, we draw up a standing formation of the World’s most valuable players based on the position of play.

Los Blancos of the Spanish La Liga and the Reds who both made the UCL final have two players each in the squad
Three Manchester City players are reflected on the team, considering Erling Haaland’s latest signing
Meaning six players make the cut from the English Premier League including 1 from West Ham
While the French Ligue 1, German Bundesliga, and Italia Serie A each have one representative from PSG, Bayern, and Juventus respectively

Team Elite (4-4-2) Diamond formation

GK – Thibaut Courtois, Belgium & Real Madrid (€60 million)

RB – Trent Alexander-Arnold, England & Liverpool (€80 million)

CB – Rúben Dias, Portugal & Manchester City (€75 million)

CB – Matthijs De Ligt, Netherlands & Juventus (€70 million)

LB – Alphonso Davies, Canada & Bayern Munich (€70 million)

CDM – Declan Rice, England & West Ham (€80 million)

LM – Mohamed Salah, Egypt & Liverpool (€90 million)

CAM – Phil Foden, England & Manchester City (€90 million)

RM – Vinicius Junior, Brazil & Real Madrid (€100 million)

ST – Erling Haaland, Norway & Manchester City (€150 million)

ST – Kylian Mbappe, France & Paris Saint-Germain (€160 million)

Statistics (2021/2022)

Goal Keeper – Thibaut Courtois

Born on the 11th of May, 1992 (30 years)

Made 36 appearances in the Spanish La Liga, conceded 29 goals, and kept 16 clean sheets with 93 saves.

Appeared in all UEFA Champions League games (13), conceded 14 goals, and kept 5 clean sheets with 57 saves.

For the Belgian national team, Courtois made 5 appearances, and conceded 10 goals, keeping 1 clean sheet.

Right Back – Trent Alexander-Arnold

Born on the 7th of October, 1998 (23 years)

Made 32 appearances in the English Premier League, scored 2 goals and assisted 12.

Made 9 appearances in the UEFA Champions League, with no goals scored, and assisted 4.

For the English national team, Trent made 4 appearances, scoring no goals, and assisting 3.

Center Back – Rúben Dias

Born on the 14th of May, 1997 (25 years)

Made 29 appearances in the English Premier League, with 2 goals, and 4 assists.

Made 8 appearances in the UEFA Champions League, with no goals scored, but 1 assist.

For Portugal, Dias made 5 appearances, with neither goals nor assists.

Center Back – Matthijs De Ligt

Born on the 12th of August, 1999 (22 years)

De Ligt made 31 appearances in the Italian Serié Á, and scored 3 goals, with 1 assist.

In the UEFA Champions League, Matthijs made 7 appearances but had no goals or assists.

For the Dutch team, he made 8 appearances, also having no goals or assists.

Left Back – Alphonso Davies

Born on the 2nd of November, 2000 (21 years)

In the German Bundesliga, Alphonso made 22 appearances, with no goals scored, but assisted 4.

In the UEFA Champions League, he made 7 appearances, with no goals scored, yet assisted 2.

For the Canadian national team, Davies made 9 appearances, scored 3 goals, and assisted 3.

Central Defensive Midfielder – Declan Rice

Born on the 14th of January, 1999 (23years)

Rice made 36 appearances in the English Premier League, scoring once, and assisting 4 times.

In the UEFA Europa League, Declan made 10 appearances, and scored 3 goals, with no assist.

He made 8 appearances for the English national team, and scored 1 goal, but had no assist.

Left Midfielder – Mohamed Salah

Born on the 15th of June, 1992 (30 years)

In the English Premier League, Salah scored 23 goals with 14 assists in 35 appearances.

In the UEFA Champions League, he scored 8 goals and assisted 2 in all 13 appearances.

For the Pharaohs of Egypt, Salah scored 2 goals and assisted 4 in 15 appearances.

Central Attacking Midfielder – Phil Foden

Born on the 28th of May, 2000 (22 years)

In the English Premier League, Foden made 28 appearances, scored 9 goals, and assisted 5.

In the UEFA Champions League, he made 11 appearances, scored 3 goals, and assisted 2.

Phil scored no goals but assisted 4 in 7 appearances for the English national team.

Real Madrid – Vinicius Junior

Born on the 12th of July, 2000 (21 years)

In the Spanish La Liga, Vinicius made 30 appearances, scored 17 goals, and assisted 13.

In the UEFA Champions League, he made 13 appearances, scored 4 goals, and assisted 7.

For the Brazilian national team, Junior made 8 appearances, and scored 1 goal, but had no assist.

Striker – Erling Haaland

Born on the 21st of July, 2000 (21 years)

In the German Bundesliga, Haaland made 23 appearances, scored 20 goals, and assisted 5.

He made 3 appearances, scored 3 goals, and had no assist in the UEFA Champions League.

For the Norwegian national team, Erling scored 13 goals and assisted 2 in 9 appearances.

Striker – Kylian Mbappé

Born on the 20th of December, 1998 (23 years)

In the French Ligue 1, Kylian made 35 appearances, scored 28 goals, and assisted 19.

In the UEFA Champions League, he made 8 appearances, scored 6 goals, and assisted 6.

For the French national side, Mbappe made 9 appearances, scored 10 goals, and assisted 5

Zinedine Zidane, born on the 23rd of June, 1972 aged 49 years, worth €115 million stands as the most valuable club coach in world football according to current standings according to Transfermarkt and would be poised to hold the forte of team elite.

Do you think this current most valuable starting eleven in global club football, would stand a chance against the very best of team selections?

Share your thoughts.

A European Trilogy of the 2021/22 UEFA Finals – UCL, UEL, UECL

Despite the European pedigree of the UEFA Super Cup – an annual mashup contest between Champions League and Europa League winners, the one-legged final game of the just-concluded season that went down back in August 2021, and was won by Chelsea (21′ UCL winners) against Villareal (21′ UEL winners) had its moments, but none close to the conversation of Europe’s elite continental tournaments.

Once upon a time, the Intercontinental, Intertoto, and Cup winners’ Cup competitions debuted in 1960, 1962, & 1961 respectively, also having their moments, with Spanish team Real Madrid, Dutch side Ajax Amsterdam, and Italian club Florentina turning inaugural winners of those. Albeit, decades down the line, the Champions League and Europa League now have a third sibling, the Conference League.

UEFA successfully commenced installments of its third tier continental competition 3 decades after the Champions League rebranded
Football clubs across Europe qualify for continental places based on their respective league standings, and coefficient
Teams who finish 3rd best in UEFA’s 1st tier group stages, drop to its 2nd tier knockout stages replicating so from 2nd to 3rd
Winners of the Champions League, qualify to play on the global stage in the FIFA Club World Cup and get to face off with Europa League champions in the Super Cup finals
For the 21/22′ UEFA season, the 2nd tier final match played out before the 3rd, then the 1st surprisingly so
It is left to be seen what the inaugural winners of UEFA’s 3rd tier, AS Roma, jostle for in the summer with their Conference League triumph

2021/22 UEFA Europa League Final

German side Eintracht Frankfurt faced off with Scottish giants Glasgow Rangers at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán, in Seville with a sitting capacity of 43,883.

This was the 3^rd major European final hosted at Seville in Spain, with the first coming in the 1986 European Cup final featuring Steaua Bucuresti and Barcelona at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán, seeing the former beat the latter on penalties; while the second instance was the UEFA Cup in 2003 featuring Porto and Celtic with the former coming up tops at the Estadio La Cartuja.

This was Eintracht Frankfurt’s 3^rd final in major European competitions, having lost in the final of the European Cup in 1960 against Real Madrid, before defeating Borussia Monchengladbach to lift the UEFA Cup in 1980.

Before now, Rangers last featured in a major European competition in 2007/08′ UEFA Cup, being the only Scottish side to reach another final this term since that time. They have featured in 5 European finals, as much as all other Scottish sides combined.

Both teams have met in Europe twice before, in a European Cup semi-final clash in 1960, producing a combined 16-goal haul on aggregate over two legs (Eintracht Frankfurt 12 to 4 for Rangers).

En route to the final, Rangers lost their first two group games to Lyon and Sparta Prague without scoring a single goal, and have become the first team in UEFA Cup/Europa League history to lose their first two games and still make the final.

The final match at Seville saw the first 45 ending in a stalemate despite a couple of chances created by both sides. A blistering run from Joe Aribo following a header pass from the center, sees him beat two Frankfurt defenders to strike a sublime shot past Kelvin Trapp, as he fired Rangers into the lead in the 57^th minute of the second half.

Rafael Borré draws level for the German side in the 69^th minute, also blistering through two Rangers’ central defenders to slot in from close range, and force the tie into extra time. The game ended the same after 120 minutes of game time.

The penalty shootout was opened by Rangers’ skipper, James Tavernier, who slotted home just nicely, as well as 3 others who took the spot, asides from former Arsenal player Aaron Ramsey whose only miss from the spot dashed any hopes of clinching the Cup, as Eintracht Frankfurt took advantage, scored all theirs, with Rafael Borré hitting the final nail on the coffin by scoring the winning spot-kick.

The 2021/22 UEFA Europa league headed to Germany after proceedings.

2021/22 UEFA Europa Conference League Final

The first installment of UEFA’s 3^rd tier continental club competition wrapped up in style as 6th place AS Roma on the Italian Serié Á log battled with third-best Feyenoord in the Dutch Eredivisie at the Air Albania Stadium, also known as Arena kombëtare, in Tirana, Albania with a 21,690 sitting capacity.

AS Roma had not won and European cup since their victory in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup back in 1960/61’ and endured a trophy drought since they won the Italian Cup and Super Cup domestic double in 07/08’ while still noting the void of the Scudetto in their trophy cabinet till this moment.

José Mourinho became the first manager to win all European Cup Competitions (UCL, UEL, UECL), making him only the second manager behind Italian maestro Giovanni Trapattoni to win five (5) major European titles (UCL 2x in 04’ vs Monaco, and in 10’ vs Bayern; UEL 2x in 03’ vs Celtic, and in 17’ vs Ajax; UECL 1x in 22’ vs Feyenoord), and still maintains a 100% record in European Cup finals with FC Porto, Inter Milan, Manchester United and now Roma since 2003.

Mourinho set a record to have led different clubs to 4 consecutive clean-sheets in a European final since 2003 and is also one of three managers to win top tier titles in 3 different decades, alongside Sir Alex Ferguson and Giovanni Trapattoni.

Feyenoord also possessed European pedigree coming into the final, as they’ve had successes in the Champions League against Celtic at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Intercontinental Cup against Estudiantes (La Plata) in 1970, and the Europa League in 1974 and 2002 against Tottenham and Borussia Dortmund respectively. The Dutch side hoped to set a record of being the first team to win all existing European Cup tournaments but couldn’t at the end of proceedings.

Two English men started in upfront and behind for Roma, as Tammy Abraham and Chris Smalling took charge of their games in front of 50,000 Romalista fans. Feyenoord came armed with a lethal attacking system with Cyriel Dessers on 10 goals in the competition, and the team amassing 86 goals collectively in the Dutch Eredivisie in the season.

It took only 32 minutes on the clock to break the deadlock as a sublime through pass from Gianluca Mancini located Nicoló Zaniolo in the 18-yard box, whose initial touch on the chest proved vital in the build-up and a follow-through flick of a strike over the onrushing Feyenoord goalkeeper, taking Zaniolo’s tally to 5 goals in 10 matches in the Conference League.

It was unfamiliar of a Mourinho side to concede a sum of 43 goals this Serie Á season, and 17 in the Conference League, taking nothing away from a decent campaign by goalie Rui Patricio, and Chris Smalling’s defence partnership with Gianluca Mancini and Roger Ibanez. So keeping a clean sheet in yet another European final was finesse.

Roma’s frontline paid off with 18 goals in the group stages, with Abraham scoring 9 through the competition finishing as second best behind Cyriel Dessers with 10 strikes. Club skipper Lorenzo Pellegrini was also instrumental with his decisive passes, interceptions, winning 50/50 duels, and solidity in the middle of the park. Roma triumphed.

2021/22 Uefa Champions League final

It was a revenge mission for English Premier League’s 2nd best team Liverpool against Spanish La Liga’s champions Real Madrid at the Stade de France, Europe’s 7th Largest stadium with 80,698 sitting capacity in North Paris, built on the 2nd of May 95.

It was poised to be a battle between the Reds and Los Blancos, FSG (Fenway Sports Group) vs Florentino Perez featuring the Socios, with Madrid being the most successful club in the competition’s history with 13 while Liverpool possesses 4 titles.

Real Madrid had an equal home and away win record in the league this season (13 games apiece) equaling 26, losing once at home and thrice away, drawing 8 games in 38 La Liga matches. Don Carlo’s side managed to score 3 or more goals 20 times out of their 45 games in all competitions, winning 38 of those, to mark a good showing in the season.

Thibaut Courtois was as instrumental between the sticks behind the likes of David Alaba and Dani Carvajal as Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior did upfront for Real, with Luka Modriç forming a pivot in the middle of the park alongside a mixture of an ace in Tony Kroos and steel in Eduardo Carmavinga, as the team scored 29 goals, conceded 14, with 61 saves, 5 clean sheets, and 0 Red cards, winning 9 and losing 4 in 13 games Champions League matches.

Liverpool scored 30 goals and conceded 13 in 12 games, winning 10, drawing 1, and losing 1, with 0 Red cards, 15 saves, and 4 clean sheets in the Champions League. The Reds managed to score 3 or more goals in 27 of 52 games in all competitions this season, winning 28 of 38 EPL games while losing only twice, making it 4 losses all season considering the final loss to Madrid on the last day of the UCL.

Vinicius Junior scored the decider in the 59th minute of the final game pouncing on a low yet inch-perfect cross from Frederico Valverde, a result of their first and only shot on target from 3 attempts in total, following a counter-attack orchestrated by midfield pivot Luka Modriç. In contrast, Liverpool mustered 23 attempts in total with 9 finding the target but missing the entire point.

Thibaut Courtois mustered 9 saves of his from 24 shots on the night summing up a total of 61 saves in 13 UCL games. In the end, only one stat truly mattered – the scoreline, as it favored Los Blancos representing Spain in Spain over the Reds flying the English flag away from home.

The Invasion – My 5 Cents

It’s the end times, or is it not? Several devastating conundrums have befallen the existence and threatened the sustenance of mankind in recent times, from natural disasters to contagious diseases, outbreaks, a pandemic, or in these moments, scores of war.

In light of these, while collateral damages pile up, causing emotions to erupt, and clouding opinions in their residue, a background understanding would seem profitable to direct before leaping to conclusions as to which came before the other, the egg or the chick? I’ll say, the Word.

Scores of wars have befallen a part of the world, leaving lasting effects on victims, sympathizers, and protagonists alike, however, this is not the world’s first war story if history is anything to go by. With recent occurrences leading to distraught expressions globally, it is advisable to refrain from ill-informed assumptions and gain relevant insight.

History is golden, so are the accounts embedded therein, and who are we not to sink our teeth into its chronicles? as the holy scriptures would be our reference point.

History

Remember the famous Israel and Egypt saga at a time of intense famine as recorded in the closing stages of Genesis transcending into Exodus? A Hebrew and a once-beloved young lad of Jacob turned ex-convict, Joseph, had become Prime minister from being a prison inmate, owing to his bill passed at the house of commons in Pharaoh’s court, which helped the Egyptians scale through the hurdle of drought that came afterward.

The home of Pyramids became a fortress of solitude as refugees from neighboring states and cities flocked in, sorting for daily mana, with the Hebrew at the helm of affairs. At the time, Joseph plundered the Egyptians of their farm proceeds and flocks in exchange for food while the stock of famine lasted. He also imposed a law in Egypt which still stands to this day, that sees a 5^th of the proceeds to go to the Pharaoh’s bosom.

“So Joseph bought all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh. The Egyptians, one and all, sold their fields because the famine was too severe for them. The land became Pharaoh’s, and Joseph reduced the people to servitude, from one end of Egypt to the other.” – vs 20-21

“So Joseph established it as a law concerning land in Egypt—still in force today—that a fifth of the produce belongs to Pharaoh. It was only the land of the priests that did not become Pharaoh’s” – vs 46
Genesis 47 (NIV)

An Invasion

Joseph invited and accommodated his stepbrothers (the 12 tribes which is now Israel) in a semi-arid isolated land of Egypt, named Goshen, giving them Shepherd identities to fend off interference from the Egyptians who detested Hebrew cattle rearers, leaving them to settle in peace in a land flowing with milk and honey, for so long as he lived.

“Now the Israelites settled in Egypt in the region of Goshen. They acquired property there and were fruitful and increased greatly in number.” – vs 27
Genesis 47

Down history lane, through generations, the Israelites grew in leaps and bounds, in flocks and cattle, in offsprings and human resources, albeit in another man’s land far away from home. Then it came to pass that Joseph the beloved died, and Pharaoh the stranger ascended the throne, leaving the destinies of a certain covenanted people hanging on the balance.

The Egyptians felt threatened by the increase of the Hebrews and resorted to harshly making slaves of them. To take the ‘invasion’ of Goshen a nudge further, Pharaoh instructed his people to mutilate all Hebrew male newborns to stifle the sustenance of the Israelites while they gnashed their teeth in slavery, as this affliction was recorded to last on for 430 years before the emergence of Moses.

“Now the length of time the Israelite people lived in Egypt was 430 years” – vs 40
Exodus 12

The background to how the Israelites became slaves, due to their settlement back in time as fostered by their ancestors, and their spread in a foreign land through clans leading to more assault, give a clinical view to the realities of threat and infringement posed by a neighboring state to one’s heritage and economic security.

The Insight

As an Egyptian, having Joseph a Hebrew as Prime Minister, plundering my ancestors at a time of famine, including an establishment of his brethren who were foreigners in one of the richest lands on home soil, would prove enough cause to transfer aggression to Hebrew descendants in form of slavery and disdain.

To the Hebrews, their ancestor’s advice saved the day and made Egypt a fortress to all at a time of intense famine, and the migration of the 12 brethren turn tribes to Goshen from Cannan, lead to a turn in fortune for the Hebrews at the time.

L-R President of Russia and France; Vladimir Putin, Emmanuel Macron

To the Russians, having a bordering State initiate an alliance with rival unions would seemingly pose a threat to international security and foster unfounded conflicts.

To the Ukrainians, a move to ally with the Northern treaty alongside the European Union and the Americas, provide better leverage to national interests and secure economic assets on an equal basis, as opposed to existing as a franchise State.

Therefore, as neutrals, it is incumbent on us to utilize the insight garnered, to refrain from taking sides but indulge in proffering solutions that keep hopes alive towards the return of a saner clime and a peaceful globe.

Excerpts from Antonio Conte’s Presser for Super Saturday Clash – Mancity vs Tottenham

Antonio Conte’s Spurs’ side travel to the Etihad Stadium on Saturday evening, coming off the back of three (3) successive defeats and would be looking to hold off against league leaders Manchester City who have won four out of their last 5 games in the league.

The Italian gaffer heaped praises on Pep Guardiola’s team, brandishing them a “near-perfect team” and one of the “best in the world”, as he looks to stop the Citizens in sky blue and whites in their tracks.

There were rumored reports of statements made by Conte in his interview with an Italian media outlet after the winter transfer window wound down, and he has come to clear the air in his press conference as he prepares for the Super Saturday clash with City by 6:30pm NGN time.

When asked about Spurs’ chances to make it to the Champions League places at the end of proceedings come May, and if the club had this as a mission going into the last four months in the season, Conte stated his target coming into the club was more ambitious than the top 4 places but has now understood what is obtainable.

“When I go to Inter Milan, in my first interview, they ask me my target, and I say that I need to feel 1% possibility to win, in that case with Inter Milan, we were talking about the League, to win the league. And in this case, they ask me about the UCL, and I say that I needed to see 1% of possibility to fight for a UCL place. For sure this is not my target, but when I decide to come here, I understood that the only target we can fight could be this”
Antonio Conte on his target

His target coming into Tottenham back in November 2021, after replacing Nuno Espirito Santos, was to compete for the title, as has been in his previous appointments with London rivals Chelsea, and Italian club Internazionale, where he reigned supreme in both stints. However, a rather lethargic display by the Spurs hierarchy in the winter transfer window drew stern comments from Antonio when quizzed about the club’s dealings.

“The Club did the best they can do. I said that we lost 4 players, and I said important players, important players for Tottenham. Because these players we sent on loan, Tottenham paid a lot of money, when you pay a lot of money it means we are talking about important players for the club, to pay attention to the future, because we need the players to be used to play this league”
Antonio Conte on Club dealings

Players like Matt Doherty, Joe Rodon, Steven Bergwijn, and Dele Alli were linked out of the club, while transfers in saw Dejan Kulusevski, the right-wing Swedish international coming in on loan from Juventus, and Rodrigo Bentacur, the Uruguayan international midfielder coming in for £20m.

Numerically, numerically, when you lose four (4) players, important players for Tottenham, I repeat, because they spent a lot of money, and you buy, you sign two players, even before I have my disposition of twenty players, twenty fit players, now I have 18 players, and numerically, you could be a bit weaker, numerically. Then I said also with Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentacur, we are as a squad more complete.
Antonio Conte on Squad depth

The Italian gaffer then expressed his displeasure to how the media go about their business in reporting ambiguous and outrageous comments that tend to soil coach and chairman relationships in a club, using Spurs as a case study.

But I repeat, I think I was very very clear about, I don’t understand why someone wants to try to create problem with me, and not only with me and also in the past, because I read the story in the past of this club, and they create a lot of problems between the coach and chairman of the club. It’s not important for me to go to the media, to speak to the media, if I have to tell him something, he knows very well, that I go and speak with him
Antonio Conte on rumored comments

He went on to state that he is enjoying his time at Tottenham and working with the players. With four months to the end of the season, there’s time to put in the work to finish in the best place possible in the league.

Regarding the Super Saturday clash between the League leaders, Mancity, and 8th place Tottenham, Conte anticipates an interesting but difficult match, as he aims to change the trend of three successive defeats by picking vital points at the Etihad.

Yeah, for sure it will be an interesting game for us, but I don’t think it’s right to consider it a special game because there’s the best coach in the world, but it’s a game between two teams.If you want to beat Mancity at this moment, you have to be perfect without the ball, and you have to know that you have to suffer with the whole team. But, when you have the ball, you have to find a situation where you have to hurt them
Antonio Conte on Mancity’s game

The Substance, The Athlete, and The Ban – Blessing Okagbare-Otegheri

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced on Friday, 18^th of February 2022, that a 10-year ban has been issued to Nigerian Sprinter Blessing Okagbare, for separate disciplinary matters; testing positive for traces of two banned substances – Human Growth Hormone (hGH) and Recombinant Human Erythropoietin (EPO), and her refusal to cooperate with the AIU’s investigation into her case.

The Athletics Integrity Unit has banned Blessing Okagbare for 10 years
The Nigerian Sprinter was charged for doping malpractices and refusal to cooperate with the investigative panel
The Tribunal initiated a provisional suspension for the Sprinter on the 31st of July 2021, days before her Semi Final particpation in the Tokyo Olympics Women’s 100m
Ms Blessing was later charged in October for refusing to cooperate with ongoing investigation
The US Attorney’s office has filed a criminal complaint in January 2022, indicting a US-based Naturopathic therapist, Eric Lira, for supplying performance based drugs to athletes.
Blessing is allowed to file for an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sports in the next 30 days

The Women’s 100m Athlete received 5 years for taking a banned substance ahead of the Tokyo Olympics in July 2021, and another 5 years for not cooperating with the AIU’s investigation.

Blessing Okagbare Olympics and World Championship medalist

Blessing Okagbare was handed a provisional suspension on the 31^st of July 2021, days before her participation in the Semi-finals of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Women’s 100m race, for traces of prohibited substances in her blood samples. Later that year, on the 7^th of October, the AIU pressed charges against Ms. Okagbare for separate disciplinary matters, which was believed to be her refusal to cooperate with the investigative panel

The Recombinant Human Erythropoietin EPO is an artificial clone of erythropoietin, a hormone secreted by the kidney which aids the mutation of Red Blood cells in the body to improve the flow of oxygen in blood tissues.

In cases of Anemia (a deficiency in the red blood cells that affects the flow of oxygen into blood tissues), or other critical Kidney-related issues, where the patient refuses or is unable to receive a blood transfusion, the Recombinant Erythropoietin drug can be administered. The drug usually comes in syringe forms and can be ordered online, with various suppliers available to be contacted.

The Disciplinary Tribunal has banned Nigerian Sprinter Blessing Okagbare for a total of 10 years, five years for the presence and use of prohibited substances and five years for her refusal to cooperation with the AIU’s investigation into her case.
Athletics Integrity Unit’s statement

The one-page press release from the Disciplinary Tribunal emphasized the fact that the additional years of ineligibility added to the standard four-year sanction for doping offenses was due to an organized doping regimen, and traces of multiple prohibited substances found in her samples. Also, her refusal to cooperate hampered more discovery into the extent of violation committed by her and others, hence frustrating the duty of the AIU to protect the integrity of the sport, and establish a mandate of sanity and fairness in the sport.

We welcome the decision of the Disciplinary Tribunal; a ban of 10 years, is a strong message against intentional and co-ordinated attempts to cheat at the very highest level of our sport. This is an outcome that was driven by our intelligence-led target testing as well as our commitment to investigate the circumstances behind a positive test.
Head of the AIU, Brett Clothier

The head of the AIU, Brett Clothier reiterated the unit’s stance against malpractices by embracing the decision made by the Tribunal to further enforce the rules against intentional and coordinated attempts to cheat at the highest levels.

On the 12^th of January 2022, the US Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of New York announced the unsealing of a first criminal charge under the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act against Eric Lira, a US-based Naturopathic therapist, who is alleged to have supplied performance-enhancing drugs to athletes before the Tokyo Olympic Games. In the criminal complaint, the sole arbitrator concluded that Athlete 1 was believed to be Blessing Okagbare.

The Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act gives prosecutors the ability to seek fines of up to $1 million (£745,000/€825,000) and prison sentences of up to 10 years for doping conspirators.

Blessing Okagbare was a track and field athlete who specialized in sprint and long jump, where she has received Olympics and World Championship medals. She currently holds the record for Women’s 100m Common Wealth games for the fastest time at 10.85 seconds, and an African record in 200m with her run of 22.04 seconds in 2018.

The unit has stated that the Athlete has the right to appeal against the Disciplinary Tribunal’s decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) within 30 days, as Okagbare’s ban if maintained, is expected to expire on the 30^th of July 2031.

The Roman Abramoviç Era – Chelsea & their array of Top-Flight Trophies

It took two attempts in 22 years for the West London Club from Fulham Road, Chelsea FC to clinch their first-ever Club World Cup, with their first participation back in 2012, which was, at the time, 12 years from when the International Men’s Association Football’s competition, the Fifa Club World Cup first took center stage, in Brazil.

Chelsea have now won all the Top-Flight trophies available for club football
The West London club clinch their first ever FIFA Club World Cup title in 22 years
Thomas Tuchel has led Chelsea to three finals since his appointment in January 2021, and has won all
The German gaffer was full of praise for his Russian Billionaire boss, Roman Abramoviç for his part in his team’s recent successes
Chelsea are still contending in all four competitions available in the season after clinching the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup titles already
The Blues return to domestic duties after a month away on global participations

Chelsea FC, Winners of 2021 FIFA Club World Cup

The current world winners in club football would cast their mind back to the first goal ever scored in the tournament on that night, back in January 2000, as it was from a familiar player who did also ply his trade with the London Club between 2008 and 2011, the retired French international, Nicolas Anelka. Albeit, at the time, it was Spanish giants Real Madrid who implored his services.

In 2012, the Blues had just won the UEFA Champions League in an enthralling fashion at the heart of Munich and were poised to take it a nudge further on the World stage later that year. Their opponents in the final turned out to be SC Corinthians, the Brazilian Club who first tasted glory at the competition 12 years earlier (in 2000), in an all-Brazil affair in the final, against CR Vasco da Gama. Chelsea eventually lost to SC Corinthians by one goal to nil and would live to fight another day, which came on the 12^th of February, 2022 in Abu Dhabi.

Thomas Tuchel with the Club World Cup Trophy

Roman Abramovic was ecstatic at the blow of the final whistle after traveling all the way to the Middle-East, as he joined his team on the pitch to share in all the grin and cheer, notably so with his employ, the German gaffer, Thomas Tuchel, who later dedicated the Club World Cup trophy to his Billionaire boss in his post-match presser.

Chelsea FC has now won five (5) English Premier League titles, four (4) FA Cups, three (3) English Football League (Carabao) trophies, two (2) UEFA Champions Leagues & UEFA Europa Leagues apiece, and now, the long-eluded FIFA Club World Cup title, equalling 16 trophies in the space of nineteen (19) years since the start of the Roman Abramovic era back in July 2003.
The Roman Abramoviç Era

Kai Havertz remains a cult hero for the Blues yet again in a flash, as it was his spot-kick five minutes from full-time in extra-time which ensured victory at the end of 120 minutes at the Mohamed Bin Zayed Stadium, in Abu Dhabi. Record-signing Romelu Lukaku gave the European champions the lead in the 55^th minute, but the Copa Libertadores Champions, Palmeiras, equalized from the spot ten minutes later through Raphael Veiga, following a handball by Thiago Silva, who went on to clinch the Player of the Tournament award at the end of proceedings.

The Skipper of the side, César Azpilicueta was particularly elated, as he’s the only standing player who appeared in Chelsea’s first stint 10 years ago, but saw the global title elude him, but not at this time of asking. Edouard Mendy also shares part of the limelight as he has now won all the cup finals (4 for both club and country) he has participated in since Thomas Tuchel took over in January 2021 – the UCL, Super Cup, and Club World Cup with Chelsea, and the AFCON with Senegal.

Attention will now tilt to duties in the English Premier League, English Football League Cup Final, FA Cup 5^th round, and the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, all of which they remain full contenders, as the second half of top-flight football continues to wind down interestingly.

It’s A Wrap up of the AFCON21 Group Stages – Here Are Interesting Highlights to note

Following the round-off of games from the group stages in the AFCON for 2021 taking place in 2022, there are interesting stakes and talking points to highlight, with the biggest table toppers, highest goal scorers, exciting goals, worst exiting teams, and so much more coming to the fur.

Group Stage Highlights

Group C emerge as the highest goal scoring group with 15 goals from the first round of games
Host nation Cameroon have the highest goal tally so far with seven (7)
The captain of the Indomitable Lions Vincent Aboubakar tops the goal scorers chart with five (5) strikes
A total of six (6) Red card incidents were recorded with Ghana having two players as victims
The Teranga Lions finish as table toppers with the least point accrued (5) and just one goal
Worst exiting team lost all 3 group games out of 3, scoring nil, and racking up zero points
The Super Eagles emerge Group Stage elites with all maximum points (9) ganered, following 3 wins out of 3, and having the best goal difference tally (5)

It’s a wrap of the group stages of the Africa Cup of Nations tournament for 2021 in 2022, and there are scintillating features that transpired in about 72 games from 24 teams in 6 groups. The round of 16 knockout stages is upon us featuring the best of the rest in the pack, with the defending champions Algeria, and 4-time winners Ghana, amongst shocking exits from the competition.

Goals

Group C came up tops in terms of goal scoring amongst others, with Morocco and Gabon contributing 9 of those as they managed a total of 15 goals. Group A came second with 14 goals having the host nation Cameroon in their ranks, while Groups E & F take third place with 11 goals apiece. Group D have 9, while Group E managed 8 strikes – bringing the tally of goals scored so far to 68.

The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon lived up to the billing as they scored the most goals of the round (7), while the Super Eagles of Nigeria & the Elephants of Cöte d’Ivoire have 6 goals each. The Atlas Lions from Morocco managed 5 strikes, as the Panthers from Gabon, the Eagles from Mali, and the Carthage Eagles from Tunisia all had 4 goals each.

The captain of the host nation’s team, Vincent Aboubakar who plays for Saudi club Al-Nassr Riad, currently tops the goal scorers chart with 5 goals, while the Malian forward Ibrahima Koné who plays for Norwegian side Sarpsborg 08 comes second with 3 goals. A score of other players takes third place with 2 goals respectively, with Arsenal’s Nicolas Pepe of Cöte d’Ivoire as a notable mention in that rank.

Cautions

All 24 teams have seen at least a caution from the center referee, with the Super Eagles of Nigeria and the Pharaohs of Egypt having the least (2 each).

About six (6) Red cards were issued, with the Black Stars of Ghana having 2 of their players sent off, while Ethiopia, Mali, Sierra Leone, and Tunisia all record one dismissal each.

A total of 118 yellow cards have been recorded so far, and no team is left out of the fray with Equatorial Guineans, Guineans, and Zimbabweans all racking up 8 cautions apiece.

Table Toppers

The round of 16 features gives a glance of teams that qualified from the groups alongside the top 4 best third-place teams.

The Teranga Lions from Senegal are amongst the table toppers, but with the least point accrued – 5 points from 1 win and 2 draws with a goal and none conceded.

Host nation Cameroon from Group A, 2019 finalists Senegal from Group B, one-time winners Morocco from Group C, two-time champions Cöte d’Ivoire from Group E, alongside Mali and The Gambia from Group F, all finished with 7 points, with Mali topping their group based on greater goal difference than The Gambia.

The Super Eagles emerge as arguably the best table toppers of the groups so far, clinching all maximum points (9) from winning all 3 games out of 3, scoring 6 and conceding once, which gives the Nigerian national team the best goal difference score of all the teams (5).

Flops & Offsets

The Fennec Foxes of Algeria exit the competition in a shocking manner after an abysmal attempt to defend the AFCON title, after failing to win a match – drawing once and losing twice, as they finish bottom of Group E with just one point and one goal scored.

An offset pulled by debutants saw 4-time champions dealt a huge blow to their attempt for a 5th title, as the Ghanian national team was shockingly defeated by Comoros, leading to the former exiting from the first round, and the latter qualifying for the next.

Of all 24 teams, only one team failed to register a goal (0) and any point (0) from the group stages, as they lost 3 games out of 3 and finished bottom of Group F.
Ladies and gentlemen, we present to you the worst team exiting from the tournament – The Lions of Chinguetti from Mauritania also known as the Almoravids.

Next UP! The Round of 16!

Which teams make it to the final come the 6th of February?

AFCON Teams and their Aliases – The Untold Story of Nicks (with images)

It’s the National Teams within the African Confederation who do battle for continental glory at the 33rd time of asking, but, away from the facts, stats, and analysis, let us get familiar with the fascinating nicknames of the 24 countries currently on display.

The names or aliases of the African teams are quite symbolic and tend to reflect the identity, heritage, and culture of the land that possesses them, some of which can be dated far back in history. Here’s some composition to help highlight each National team and their famous nicks as well as illustrations.

Highlights

The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon host the AFCON21′ in 2022
The Fennec Foxes of Algeria come into the frey as defending champions from 2019
The Super Eagles of Nigeria would be looking to clinch a 4th title in 19 appearances
The Black Stars of Ghana and the Pharaohs of Egypt are amongst biggest winners in AFCON’s history
The Coelacanths of Comoros make history as debutants in the competition
The Teranga Lions of Senegal are still eager to have a bit at the cherry yet…

Brief History (facts)

The host nation, Cameroon, were formerly known only as Lions, until former President Ahmadou Ahidjo tweaked things a bit in 1972 to tag them as Indomitables, with the aim of giving the national team more recognition and fierce impression on the continent. They went on to win the AFCON title five (5) times after that, with their most recent feat coming in 2017, following a 2 – 1 win over the Pharoahs of Egypt who would derive their own alias from one of their most historic heritage – the ancient monarchs. Egypt, in their rights, will boast of the most wins of the tournament (7).

The Algerians incline to their national heritage with cuteness and furry, as the Fennec Foxes prove a more authentic alias to their identity. The endangered subspecies of fox native are scarcely sighted in the sahara deserts and treasured highly by the defending champions national team.

Nigeria, known as the Giant of Africa have the Eagle firmly stationed in their Coat-Of-Arms, and that would signify strength and fortitude for the Super team and 3-time AFCON champions. Another big winner in the competiton’s history are the Black Stars national team, who symbolise Africa in general and Ghana in particular through a five angle pointed Black Star on the Ghanian flag.

Comoros are a small Island of about a handful of population approximating hundreds of thousands, between Mozambique and Madagascar, with a nickname sighting a six-foot 200-pounds fish initially feared to have gone extinct, only to be discovered years later off the coast of Southern Africa – the Coelacanth (pronounced as Seel-uh-kanth).

The Senegalese national team will embrace their lifestyle of hospitality termed as “Teranga” in the country’s lingua franca, alongside their native heritage in Lions, as they are yet to suffice as AFCON winners in their history.

Narration (fictional)

Deep in the semi-arid northern parts of Cameroon would live the Lions, who pride themselves on their immunity to defeat, and avid invincibility, making them Indomitable. It’s at their den that this year’s continental fest will go down. They roar in honor as they make welcome their clan, showcasing the Teranga Lions, the Atlas Lions, and the Chinguetti Lions, representing Senegal, Morocco, and Mauritania respectively.

Hovering above the center stage would be birds of familiar feathers, featuring the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia, the Super Eagles of Naija (Nigeria), and the sole Eagles from Mali.

However, one would be wary of stings from the Scorpions of Gambia, and bites from the Nile Crocodiles of Sudan laying wait along the coastlines. But would bask in the euphoria of other sea creatures such as the Cape Verdean Blue Sharks, and the Comorian Coelacanths.

Wagging their tails as they stroll into the conversation would be the Stallions of Burkina Faso, the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire, and the National representatives of the Elephants from Guinea, accompanied by the National Thunder from Equatorial Guinea to give spark to the day, and the Flames of Malawi to ignite the night. The Walias Ibex of Ethiopia are reportedly registered as seers and sages adorned with beards of wits.

Lurking around the nook and cranny are the Fennec Foxes of Algeria, brewing with profound confidence from their last triumph appearing as defending champions, with the Pharaohs of Egypt taking their royal stand on the podium.

One thing is certain, this fest isn’t for the fainthearted, as brawns, brilliance and bravery are viable qualities required to go the distance.
AFCON 21′ in 2022

The Zimbabwean Warriors, alongside the African Wild Dogs of Guinea, with the Panthers of Gabon, are delicately poised to possess their fair share of solidity, albeit such a fairy-tale it would be, under the galaxies of the Ghanian Black Stars, and the Leones Stars of Sierra Leonian descent, as the 33rd installment of Africa’s elite tournament gears on.

Now that you are familiar with the AFCON teams and their aliases, how about sharing this inspirational piece with friends and famz? Also, feel free to react in the comment section below.