StadiumPosts Logo
Stay upto date with notifications from Stadiumposts
Notifications can be managed in browser preferences

UNDER PRESSURE: EMERSE FAE EXPLAINS SHOCK AFCON SNUBS AMIDST TITLE DEFENCE GOALS

Emerse Fae defended his shock AFCON squad selections, stating Nicolas Pepe's omission was due to "many factors, both on and off the field," despite his strong La Liga form.

Under Pressure: Emerse Fae Explains Shock AFCON Snubs Amidst Title Defence Goals
But Why Did Fae Drop In-Form Nicolas Pepe?

Coach Emerse Fae has been defending some of his squad choices as Ivory Coast tries to do what Egypt did 15 years ago: win back-to-back Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) titles.

Since Egypt's win over Ghana in 2010, there have been eight AFCON tournaments with seven different champs.

The one exception? Ivory Coast, who won in 2015 after a penalty shootout against Ghana. They also won last year, beating Nigeria at home.

The Elephants, who first won AFCON in 1992, kick off their title defense against Mozambique on December 24 in Group F. Then, they'll go up against five-time champions Cameroon and Gabon.

All group winners and runners-up will move on to the round of 16 in Morocco, plus the four best third-place teams.

It's hard to believe Ivory Coast won't make it to the knockout stage, and Fae seems positive, even with some criticism about his selections.

The biggest complaints from the media? Leaving out Villarreal forward Nicolas Pepe and Sunderland winger Simon Adingra.

Fae, a former Ivory Coast midfielder, said that if it was just about sports, Pepe would be with them.

He said that making the list means looking at a lot of things, both on and off the field, and that's why Nico didn't make the cut.

Fae didn't say what those reasons were for leaving out Pepe, even though he's been doing well in La Liga and even won a player of the month award.

As for Adingra, Fae said that Simon is having a hard time getting a starting spot at Sunderland, so they had to make the selection without him.

Former Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha is back after three years, thanks to his performance for Charlotte in Major League Soccer.

Fae said his ability to beat defenders and his current form helped him get back on the team. He's scored 10 goals and created six more this season.

Fae added that Ivory Coast can use his experience and ability to create chances for his teammates.

Fae became a hero in Ivory Coast after the team bounced back from a bad start in 2024 to beat Senegal, Mali, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Nigeria to win the AFCON trophy.

He started as an assistant to Jean-Louis Gasset but took over when the coach was fired after losses to Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea.

They barely made it to the knockout stage and became the first team to lose twice and still win AFCON.

Despite the drama, Cameroon is probably Ivory Coast's biggest threat in Group F. Gabon's defense isn't great, and Mozambique has never won an AFCON match.

Samuel Eto'o, the re-elected president of Cameroon's football federation, sacked Belgian coach Marc Brys after the team didn't qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

They had been fighting since the government picked Brys, a decision usually made by football officials.

David Pagou, who has coached local clubs, took over, and his squad announcement had some surprises: Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana (currently on loan at Trabzonspor) and veteran forward Vincent Aboubakar were left out.

Pagou said they wanted to do things differently. They're good players, but they chose others to create a different vibe.

Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is calling the group the group of death, saying that if you make it through, you can win AFCON.

If 42-year-old Mozambique midfielder Elias 'Domingues' Pelembe plays, he'll be the second-oldest player to compete at AFCON, after Egypt goalkeeper Essam El Hadary.

El Hadary was 44 when he played in the 2017 final, which Cameroon won.

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.

top-news
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.

top-news
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.

Premier League Standings

WhatsApp Read More News