AFCON BRACKET UPDATE NOW: NIGERIA’S ROUND OF 16 DATE IS SET, SEE THE POTENTIAL OPPONENTS
Nigeria prepares for the AFCON Last 16 on January 5. The Super Eagles will face a third-place team, likely Cameroon or Mozambique.
Coach Chelle switched things up for the Uganda game, resting some important players since their group standing was locked. Stanley Nwabali, Semi Ajayi, Wilfred Ndidi, and Ademola Lookman were all close to getting a one-game suspension, which they would have had to sit out of the next round since yellow cards are cleared after group play.
Victor Osimhen was in the same situation but still started for Nigeria, even captaining the team for 87 minutes in their 3-1 win against Uganda without getting a card.
A much-changed Nigeria team made sure they ended their time in Morocco with a perfect record. Paul Onuachu, the big ex-Southampton striker, slid in to score from Fisayo Dele-Bashiru's cross before halftime.
Raphael Onyedika, who plays midfield for Club Brugge, scored twice in five minutes in the second half to make the lead bigger, thanks to two assists from Samuel Chukwueze. Uganda's goalie, Salim Magoola, who came in at halftime for the injured captain Denis Onyango, got a red card for handling an Osimhen shot way outside the box.
Uganda did manage to get one goal back late in the game when Rogers Mato scored from a nice pass by Allan Okello with 15 minutes left. Still, it wasn't enough to stop the Cranes, who had lost to Tunisia 3-1 and drawn with Tanzania 1-1, from finishing last in the group and going home early with just one point.
In Rabat, Ismael Gharbi scored a penalty for Tunisia in the first half, but Feisal Salum evened it up for Tanzania after halftime. This 1-1 draw sent Tanzania to the AFCON knockout stage for the first time in their fourth try.
The Taifa Stars, who have never won a game in the competition, ended up with the same points and goal difference as Angola in Group B. They got the edge as one of the best third-place teams because they had scored one more goal.
Next, they will face the tough task of playing the host team, Morocco, in Rabat on Sunday night.
Tunisia, meanwhile, took second place in Group C behind Nigeria and will play Mali, who finished second in Group A, in Casablanca on Saturday night.
Who will Nigeria play in the AFCON last 16
Since Angola is out, Nigeria will play one of the third-place teams from Group F in the next round of AFCON, back at the Fez Stadium on Monday night (January 5).
It's probably going to be either Cameroon or Mozambique, who will play each other in Agadir on Wednesday night.
Mozambique is currently in third place after their big 3-2 win over Gabon on Sunday, one point ahead of Cameroon, though Cameroon's goal difference is one goal better.
The current champions, Ivory Coast, are leading Group F before their game against Gabon in Marrakesh, who are already out. It's still possible for them to end up in third place, but it doesn't look likely.
Mozambique will finish third if they draw with or lose to Cameroon, who were beaten 2-0 by Nigeria in the last 16.
If Nigeria wins their first knockout game, it could face Algeria, the 2019 winners, in the quarter-finals.
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.
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.
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.