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PARAGUAY END WINLESS RUN IN QUALIFIERS

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Paraguay are back to winning ways in their qualifying campaign for World Cup 2022 following the 2-1 win over Venezuela. The Paraguayans were able to end their run of six World Cup qualifying games without a win in the matchday eleven encounter with the home success over Venzeuela.

Paraguay had not won a game in the South American region of the World Cup 2022 qualifiers since the matchday two clash with Venezuela.Gaston Gimenez scored the only goal of the game in the colours of Paraguay for a 1-0 away win over the Venezuelans. The Paraguayans were able to make it a double victory when they met Venezuela again in their latest World Cup qualifieron Thursday night via a 2-1 win. Read more

RUSSIA SACK HEAD COACH FOLLOWING WOEFUL EUROS OUTING

While other countries have been, through their football federations, giving assurances to the head coaches of their national teams that they would be keeping their jobs despite the campaign they had at the Euros, Russia have acted differently.

The Russian Football Federation has confirmed that they have relieved head coach Stanislav Cherchesov of his duties and he has stepped down from his role with immediate effect following the disastrous campaign they had at the Euros. The Russian team performed really below par and did not meet up the expectations of a lot of people and the outcome of their Euros campaign has cost Cherchesov his job.

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https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EDyAG21WsAARzwC.jpg

Earlier this week, France, through their football federation, confirmed that their head coach Didier Deschamps will be continuing his tenure as the head coach of the French national team following reports that he could lose his job after failing to guide his side past Switzerland in the knockout round of the competition. France drew Switzerland 3-3 during normal time and after extra time to take the tie to penalties, but they were unable to be decisive enough from the spot and it cost them their further participation at the tournament.
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QATAR 2022 QUALIFIERS: ARGENTINA LOSE POINTS

Two-time world champions Argentina could only play a score draw as the South American qualifiers resume this week with matchday seven as far as the World Cup 2022 tournament in Qatar is concerned.

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https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E3AMJl8X0AE5SpC.jpg

Argentinacaptain Lionel Messi gave his teamthe lead from the penalty spot at the midway point of the first half but him and his teammates could not preserve their lead for long after Inter Milan forward Alexis Sanchez dragged his team back into the game with nine minutes left to play in the first half as both Argentina and Chile settled for a share of the spoils at the halftime interval.
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MARIO DIKS HOPED FOR MORE SUPPORT

Last month, Portugal played against Serbia in their World Cup Qualifying match and it proved to be not only entertaining but also controversial. The Portuguese national team captain Cristiano Ronaldo scored what could have been the match-winning goal for his side during stoppage time but saw his goal canceled after assistant referee Mario Diks legend that the ball did not cross the line.

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https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ey2twVOWEAU51ie.jpg

The result of that act meant that Portugal had to settle for a 2-2 draw against the Serbs and Ronaldo was also issued a yellow card after venting out his frustration on the match official. After getting booked, the Juventus forward then threw his armband to the ground angrily and walked off the pitch in annoyance afterward.
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MALAYSIA SEEK WORLD CUP SOLUTION

Malaysia are looking for a solution to their World Cup 2022 qualification schedule due to the dreaded virus known as Covid-19. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has advised countries to negotiate with one another to reach an amicable agreement on the dates for the remaining World Cup 2022 qualifiers.


According to the general secretary of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM)Stuart Ramalingam, the country wants to play the remaining three World Cup 2022 matches in the second round of theAFC qualifiers in June and at one venue. FAM officials are negotiating with their counterparts in Vietnam about the possibility of moving their qualifier from March to June as a result of Covid-19 since the AFC has given the go ahead for such to happen. Read more

AMIR SHEIKH AND INFANTINO DISCUSS 2022 WORLD CUP

 

With just a little over a year left until the next FIFA World Cup kicks off in Qatar, fans and lovers of football have been left drooling and can’t wait for the first official match of the tournament to hold. Some people have gone as far as setting reminders and marking their calendars even though it is still a lot of time before all the fun starts.


It has been a busy couple of months for host nation Qatar, as officials and organizers have been working tirelessly to provide the perfect atmosphere and create a great platform for not just the footballers and international stars, but also the fans and spectators that would be coming to experience the World Cup joy and adventure. Read more

Qatar Remains Safe for World Cup 2022, Says Organising Committee

 

Qatar World Cup does not have any security concerns and issues even as tensions in the Middle East have risen over the last few weeks. There has been a lot of military action over the last few weeks, as U.S.-led strikes have increased tension in the region. There is an increased risk of a direct war taking place between Iran and the United States for the first time. As a result, concerns have been raised about the upcoming World Cup 2022, which will be held in Qatar. However, World Cup organisers have reassured that Qatar remains as one of the safest regions in the region.


Interestingly, these statements come at a time when Qatar is still facing a lot of sanctions from the neighbouring countries over support to terrorism and related activities. Clubs have been trying to acclimatise to the surroundings with winter training camps and competitions. A lot of development has gone into the infrastructure and facilities to ensure that the competition is not affected by the intense heat that the region is known for. Qatar has been subject to intense scrutiny from neighbours like Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Egypt since 2017. The recent completion of the Club World Cup in a safe and a dignified manner showed that Qatar is capable of hosting the big events with little problem.
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OPINION: QATAR SHOULD GO ON TO HOST THE WORLD CUP 2022

Qatar has showed its readiness in hosting the world in 2022. They announced how much work had been done on the stadiums, the host cities and other preparations before the pandemic. Despite the fresh corruption claims against Qatar regarding the World Cup 2022, talks about the United States hosting is misplaced.


There is a worldwide pandemic that no one knows the extent of damage to the global economy, with the United States and Europe being some of the hardest hit nations. Mind you, these are the nations that can hastily put up an impressive showing if Qatar is stripped of the hosting right this late.
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STERLING UNDERWHELMING THIS SEASON?

Manchester City star Raheem Sterling had been underwhelming this term? Well many would agree, when compared to his stellar 2018/2019 season. Bringing in some facts, while the performances in both terms can seem wildly apart, Sterling’s individual contribution is 0.46 goals per 90 this season compared to 0.52 last season.


Looking at his stats for assists, he had a better 2019. This term it has dropped to 0.04 from 0.28 per 90. This might seem like a huge drop but then the assist metric also depends on if the other party converts the opportunity. For example, there were some games (like against Spurs) that his passes would have led to goals. So, assists should be tied to the team conversion rateespecially when the player keeps creating big chances. Sterling has the most touches in opposition penalty area with 7.6 per 90, showing how focused he is on being a threat.
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BOATENG CLASH WITH GORETZKA DURING TRAINING

Bayern Munich were treated to an odd morning on Wednesday when news broke that Leon Goretzka got punched by Jerome Boateng after the two got into a heated debate at the club’s training ground.


Goretzka has been having a fine season with the Bavarians so far while Boateng has been forced to watch from the sidelines.
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