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AFRICAN FOOTBALL POTY GOES TO HAKIMI; SALAH $\&$ OSIMHEN LEFT EMPTY-HANDED

Morocco's football rise is celebrated as Achraf Hakimi wins CAF Player of the Year. Meanwhile, Salah's form slump sparks a Liverpool selection dilemma, with pressure on Slot to fix a fragile team core ahead of AFCON.

African Football POTY Goes to Hakimi; Salah $\&$ Osimhen Left Empty-Handed
Achraf Hakimi African Player of the Year

Hakimi, obviously moved, praised everyone who had helped shape his career, including his family, PSG colleagues, and Morocco manager Walid Regragui.

Hakimi remarked, "I am honoured to be here today and I am pleased to earn such a famous award."

He is now recuperating from a major ankle injury, so a harsh reality tempers his joy. Morocco is optimistic that he will be well enough to captain the host country at the Africa Cup of Nations, which gets underway on December 21. If healthy, he will lead their quest to win the competition for the first time since 1976.

The event became a demonstration of the expanding impact of Moroccan football. Ghizlane Chebbak defeated colleague Sanaa Mssoudy and Rasheedat Ajibade of Nigeria to win the women's African Player of the Year award. Even though Morocco lost to Nigeria in the final, Chebbak was the top scorer in this year's Africa Women's Cup of Nations.

The men's Best Goalkeeper award went to goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, a crucial character in Saudi Arabia and hero of Morocco's incredible World Cup run. Morocco's talent pipeline was further highlighted when the country's under-20 World Cup-winning squad was chosen as the best national men's team on the continent. Othmane Maamma, a 20-year-old midfielder for Watford, was crowned Africa's Best Young Male Player, and Doha El Madani continues to hold the title of best young women's player.

After leading the island nation of Cape Verde, which has a population of just over 500,000, to an incredible qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, manager Bubista was named Men's Coach of the Year. Chiamaka Nnadozie, a Nigerian goalkeeper, finished her own hat-trick by winning Women's Goalkeeper of the Year for the third time in a row.


As Liverpool struggles, Salah's performance is being examined.


Salah's club form had significantly declined at the time of the awards disappointment. His impact at Liverpool has diminished, and the team's offensive problems have been exposed. Because he is taking fewer shots and entering the penalty area much less frequently than he used to, his productivity has drastically decreased. The Egyptian forward is by no means the only one under duress. Despite being signed as a creative focal point, Florian Wirtz has not yet scored a goal or provided an assist in the Premier League. He is still getting used to the roughness and speed of English football, by all accounts. Another player who has had a difficult start is Alexander Isak, who was bought from Newcastle for a club-high price. His participation has been limited by injury setbacks, which have reduced the possibility of rhythm or consistency. Despite having a strong start, Hugo Ekitike has not been able to put together a consistent run of excellent performances. Liverpool is currently in eighth place with eighteen points due to the overall decline.

Is Salah supposed to move aside?


Don Hutchison, a former Liverpool midfielder, thinks it might be time for a daring attack reorganisation, which could include removing Salah from the starting lineup.

"There is a way to bring Ekitike, Isak, and Wirtz into the same team, but that means there is no place for Salah," Hutchison stated, referring to the awkward discussion about players like Mo Salah. As wing-backs, you can use [Conor] Bradley on the right and [Milos] Kerkez on the left. Then there are [Ryan] Gravenberch and [Dominik] Szoboszlai in midfield. Every Premier League team would adore Wirtz, Isak, and Salah if you wanted to put a positive gloss on it. Since you can not spend all that money on Wirtz, Isak, and Ekitike and tell them to compete for their spot on the side, Slot's task now is to figure out a way to get all those three into the same 11 with Ekitike."

"They have to be starters now," he continued. From now until the conclusion of the season, I would be quite tempted to play all three of them to help them develop their form, goals, chemistry, and league standing. I am aware that there is a significant gap between now and the end of the season, but that is what Liverpool's team and players will do moving ahead. That is what I would consider. The awkward topic of discussion is why and how Mo Salah is no longer a member of the team. The Africa Cup of Nations would be a good opportunity to give it a try.
Slot is under increasing pressure to strengthen Liverpool's weak core.

Slot has equally pressing problems in midfield and defence before settling the attacking line selection conundrum. In ways that would have been unimaginable under Jurgen Klopp at his best, Liverpool has become unsettlingly easy to play through. With recent additions still finding it difficult to fit in, the midfield balance feels uneasy. Depending on how the squad performs without Salah, his impending departure for the Africa Cup of Nations next month could either clarify things or make them more complicated.

WHY DID CRISTIANO RONALDO CRY? LUKA MODRIC EXPOSES JOSE MOURINHO’S HARSHEST LECTURE

Luka Modric reveals Jose Mourinho once reduced Cristiano Ronaldo to tears at Real Madrid for failing to track back defensively.

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Modric and Balague confirm the 2013 Valencia clash that shattered Real’s locker room

Luka Modric says that Jose Mourinho once gave Cristiano Ronaldo such a harsh lecture that the guy was in tears.

Ronaldo, who's 40 now, played really well under Mourinho, who's 62. They were together at Real Madrid for three seasons, but apparently, they didn't always get along off the field.

Even though things got off to a slow start, the Portuguese superstar still managed to score 168 goals in 164 games while playing for Mourinho. He also helped Mourinho win three trophies in his first two seasons.

But get this: even with superstars like Karim Benzema and Angel Di Maria on his team, Mourinho was still super critical of Ronaldo's effort on defense.

Modric, who Mourinho signed from Tottenham back in 2013, told a story about one argument that made Ronaldo cry. Apparently, it was because he didn't chase after his assigned player.

"I saw him make Cristiano Ronaldo cry in the locker room," Modric told Corriere della Sera, an Italian news outlet. Can you believe it? A guy who always gives it his all on the field, and he's getting yelled at because he didn't chase some defender.

Modric moved to Real Madrid in 2013 and only played under Mourinho for a year.

Modric, who played alongside Kaka and Mesut Ozil in the midfield after arriving for a big £33 million, didn't say which game the argument happened in.

Guillem Balague, a Spanish soccer journalist, wrote in Ronaldo's biography that Ronaldo and Mourinho almost fought after Mourinho yelled at him in the locker room following a 2-0 win against Valencia in January 2013.

Mourinho was mad because Ronaldo didn't seem willing to help out on defense during the game. And Ronaldo supposedly replied, After everything I've done for you, this is how you treat me? How dare you say that to me!

Later that season, which turned out to be Mourinho's last with the team, Ronaldo was constantly asked about Mourinho's future. "I don't care," he said once. What I care about is my own future and the club.

This was a big change from earlier that year, when Mourinho said before the 2012 Ballon d'Or race, If Messi is the best on the planet, Ronaldo is the best in the universe!

After Mourinho left Real Madrid, he went on Spanish TV to talk about what caused the problems between him and Ronaldo.

"I only had one problem with him," he said. It was simple. When a coach gives a player feedback on tactics, they are trying to help them get better, in my opinion. He didn't take it well because he probably thinks he knows everything, and the coach can't help him.

Mourinho also said that they didn't really have a relationship. But time seemed to fix things, as he later said that coaching Ronaldo was the best thing that ever happened in his career.

Ronaldo also seemed to warm up to Mourinho later on, even saying that he was the best coach he ever had, even better than Sir Alex Ferguson. "I'd put him at the top; I always say that," Ronaldo said.

Ronaldo scored 168 goals in 164 games while playing for Mourinho during their three years together.

Even though Modric didn't win any trophies in his first season at Madrid, he was so impressed by Mourinho that he repeated something Mourinho famously said about himself.

He's special, as a coach and as a person, Modric said. He was the one who wanted me at Real Madrid. I wouldn't have come without him. I'm sad I only had him for one season.

Modric spent 13 years at Real Madrid, mostly managed by Carlo Ancelotti. Now he's at AC Milan and managed by Massimiliano Allegri. But he says Mourinho is the toughest of the three.

He added, "Mourinho is really direct with the players, but he's honest." He treated Sergio Ramos and new players the same way. If he had something to say, he'd say it. Max is the same way. He tells you what's right and wrong to your face. Honesty is key.

Modric also shared his opinion on the never-ending debate of who's better, Lionel Messi or Ronaldo, but said he doesn't really like talking about it.

"I don't like that question," he said. They both defined an era. I'm closer to Cristiano because I played with him; he was my teammate at Madrid, and I can tell you he's not just a great player, he's an amazing person. People don't know it, but he has a big heart and is always ready to help others. He's just a simple, normal guy.

He added, "I don't know Messi personally, but I'm sure he's great too." As a player, he's incredible.

CELTIC FANS DEMAND BOARD SACK WILFRIED NANCY AFTER SHOCK MOTHERWELL DEFEAT TONIGHT

Wilfried Nancy dismisses sack talk after Celtic's 2-0 loss at Motherwell. With Rangers closing in, the Old Firm looms large.

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Wilfried Nancy’s future on the line after fifth loss in seven

After Celtic's fifth loss in seven games under his leadership, Wilfried Nancy brushed off ideas that Saturday's Old Firm game would decide his future.

Tuesday's match at Fir Park, called 'El Passico' due to both teams' open play styles, saw Motherwell outperform the Frenchman's team. Ibrahim Said and Elliot Watt scored on either side of halftime.

The 2-0 defeat, Celtic's 17th this year, meant Hearts stayed three points ahead in the league, while Rangers closed in, now just three points behind Nancy's squad after a 2-1 victory over St Mirren.

At the end of the game, visiting fans chanted for the board to be sacked, and some even demanded the manager's immediate dismissal. When asked if his first derby was a make-or-break moment, Nancy responded, No, not really. Every game matters to me and the team.

I'm not focused on my future. I'm focusing on what I'm doing now, what I need to do to help the team get better, and what we need to do as a team to improve. That's how I see it.

When asked if he understood the fans' deep worry about the lack of progress during his time, Nancy was indignant.

Progress? "There is progress," he insisted. But tonight, the situation and the opponent were tough.

This is a fact. Now, we need to figure out how to get better, and that's what we've been working on from the start. Tonight was rough. That's the truth.

When questioned about feeling the pressure after such a bad start as the champion's manager, Nancy added, As a manager, I don't want this, obviously.

Pressure doesn't change how I think. We know we have to perform well.

But right now, this is how it is. I knew it could be like this. We've had good games at times. Tonight was a hard one.

Regarding whether he was sure he could turn things around, Nancy said, Yes, I'm sure. I had to make some choices about the team tonight. I believe in what we're trying to do and where we're going. This was a hard game, difficult for us, but I think we'll improve.

Motherwell's manager, Jens Berthel Askou, praised his team, saying it was probably their best game of the season.

"We knew we'd probably need our best, most solid, and most complete performance, both with and without the ball, to win," he said.

We've had really big and good performances, but they haven't led to wins against Rangers or Celtic. So, that's what we got, and that's what we needed. It was amazing to see.

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