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THE ANNUAL 352.COM.NG FOOTBALL REVIEW - ISSUE #2 - DECEMBER 2016

Tactics Talk

Back Threes: The Good, the Bad & the Ugly

Going East

Can China succeed where the USA has tried and failed?

Year of the Underdogs An exclusive look at how Leicester City and Portugal defied the odds in 2016

FOOTBALL NEWS FROM THE HEART OF AFRICA

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Review I

22 Cover Story: Year of the underdogs

07 2017 Predictions

24 Can China succeed where the MLS has tried and failed?

10 What next? Preparing for life in a post 27 The defensive midfielder Messi/Ronaldo world. 12 Back Threes: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly 16 The “World Class” debate

30 Road to Russia 34 2016 in numbers 35 Hot Prospects: The official 352 Under 21 XI

18 Super Eagles all-time XI

Peter Akinnusi Editor-in-chief

Team

Content

04 Editor’s note

Nteoniro Bertram Design/Layout Zubair Abdulahi Managing Editor Naseer Na’Allah Assistant Editor Ibrahim Olalekan Social Media

CONTRIBUTORS Adegun Shola Ayoola Kelechi Clinton Mcdubus Dapo Oyeowo Goodness Otemuyiwa Jibril Baba Tomiwa Yussuf Victor Okafor Yahaya Mohammed Yorisola Oduwobi

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Woof! 2016. What. A. Year. Apart from killing entire swathes and villages of people, New Year Issue - a product of hilarious debates & it was the year that taught us all a thing or two about brainstorming sessions to serve you great, community surprises. It also showed that what lot of people never oriented content - nestles safely in your possession. expect to happen can still occur nonetheless. From the sum up of the year’s biggest football stories to The year of the ‘underdog’ it was. I mean, we saw all saluting Nigeria’s greatest ever players, it was important sorts of unlikely events leave us with mouths agape; to make sure it was all about you, our top class readers. Trump. The Cleveland Cavaliers. FIFA. Leicester City. In this issue we made predictions for the year ahead, Portugal. (The jury is still out on what emotion to assign provided tactical insights to help you look and sound hip to the Super Eagles missing out on the African Nations when next you hang with the gang, and also served up Cup). some fun trivia for the road. Here at 352, we’re a fun group devoted to the fans of the Some of the biggest stories from the site, which you beautiful game. We just had to give you, our amazing should absolutely bookmark by the way, were included readers a great gift to close the year. Hence, this special as part of the package and boy, we can’t wait for you to 4

dive in and gobble up every single word. We salute our partners who have worked with us to ensure you get the best consistently and we’re excited for the treats we have in store for you. I believe we’re all set for a far better year ahead, so please enjoy our gift to you as 2017 serves us many more brilliant football moments. Let’s do this again in 12 months shall we? Cheers,

Peter

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2017 Predictions by Yahaya Mohammed

B I G C L U B D E P A RT U R E S Chelsea FC What a difference one summer can make, from world class talent and key player for both Chelsea and Spain to not being able to get game time for either. Closing in on the big 30, he could be looking to move on and would not lack suitors.

Transfers

The perception that he is a “lazy” player will hardly bother teams who would be honoured to have him don their colours. Alongside the Catalan in the potential “Out” tray at Cobham are John Mikel Obi who has lost his place on the bench and looks unlikely to get a game as well as John Terry who can barely get a look in these days even in Kurt Zouma’s enforced absence. Could the legendary Blue be on his way? He wants to stay but Antonio Conte could have a couple of new faces to keep David Luiz and the gang company at the back.

Manchester United The Red Devils have so many demons to expel, a few could be hiding within the playing staff at Old Trafford. Where to start from? Maybe Morgan Schneiderlin? The Frenchman seemed on course for a world class career after an enigmatic rise at Southampton but it’s all gone downhill. After another season playing second fiddle, surely he’s had enough. On the way out with him should be the Ronald Koeman “Save a fellow Dutchman” target, Memphis Depay. The ex-PSV winger has simply failed to justify the expectations of the United faithful and is sorely in need of a fresh start. He is still young but the same can’t be said of Bastian Schweinsteiger whose travails under Jose Mourinho have led to Bayern Chief, Uli Hesse sharing his revenge plans against the Manchester club with the public. For the German midfielder, interest from the MLS as well as Brazil should give a clue as to his next destination. However, his slow reintegration into first team affairs could muddle his exit plan up. Watch this space.

Arsenal: It may be extremely painful talk to consider for the Gunners but Alexis Sanchez has a good chance of leaving the Emirates, especially after contract talks have stalled in the past few weeks. The Chilean has less than 18 months remaining on his current deal. It actually comes as a surprise that the North London side only gave the former Udinese forward a 4-year contract considering his huge transfer fee in 2014. Perhaps, he never intended to stay this long and is holding on for a bigger slice of pie, or the club is biding its time. Either way it is a cause of concern. Additionally, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain may leave to find better prospects for first team football just like Jack Wilshere at Bournemouth.

Liverpool, Spurs

Transfers

Arsenal FC

There seems to be little to expect in terms of big names departing from both Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool. Perhaps, Sturridge might want to leave for a starting berth, but with his only competition being Firmino and Coutinho out for the beginning of the year, it seems his chances might improve.

Mammadou Sakho’s days as a red are surely numbered. Jurgen Klopp is not one for messing about and the culmination of the feud between the two could see Tony Pulis and West Brom reaping one ripe French defender. In London, Moussa Sissoko’s record transfer to the club has not stopped Mauricio Pochettino from criticising his work ethic. If there are no positive changes soon we could see the Frenchman leaving White Hart Lane in less than glorious circumstances. He ought to ask the likes of Bentaleb for counsel on this.

S M A L L E R C LU B D E PA RT U R E S Southampton, Leicester, Everton Romelu Lukaku is expected to leave Everton in 2017, although figuring out a definite buyer is a tall order especially if you consider the bales of cash being pumped into the Premiership these days. More teams are less susceptible to seeing their squads plundered by the bigger teams. That does not mean a Southampton Exodus is not to be expected. The annual tradition of the Saints squad being ripped apart is set to continue as they unsurprisingly continue buying/producing very good talent. It would be stunning if Dutch Man Mountain, Virgil van Dijk remains at St. Mary’s with his stellar performances. The Saints always find a way to cope anyway. Riyad Mahrez has to decide if his talent is worthy of bigger stages or if the King Power Stadium is his upper limit. Despite a new contract he signed off on, Leicester City’s frail attempt to defend the title could do the trick, convincing him his immediate future lies elsewhere.

TA C T I C A L T R E N D S Three at the back

The latest tactical itch seems to come from the three at the back bug which Louis van Gaal likes to think he first infected England with. More teams are catching this age old fever with the likes of Chelsea sold on its merits completely. Whenever unfamiliar tactical plans are introduced and prove to be successful, other teams tend to hop on the bandwagon hoping to produce similar results. Spurs used three at the back to nullify Arsenal during the North London derby with arguable levels of success, Pep “I do not coach tackles” Guardiola, not fully confident in his backline is shopping for a new defender but has deployed a back three several times and even Slaven Bilic has turned to the same tactic for help with West Ham’s underwhelming season too.

“Whenever unfamiliar tactical plans are introduced and prove to be successful, other teams tend to hop on the bandwagon hoping to produce similar results.”

Expect it to become the new “tiki-taka” or “pressing” for the foreseeable future.

The Vanishing Number 10 Mata, Christian Eriksen and Philippe Coutinho have been pushed out wide while others such as Silva and Barkley have had to adapt to more disciplined central or deep roles. And these are the lucky ones! Think of Fabregas who can’t get minutes anymore, he is simply not just needed.

“A lot of them such as Dmitri Payet, Juan Mata, Christian Eriksen and Philippe Coutinho have been pushed out wide while others such as Silva and Barkley have had to adapt to more disciplined central or deep roles”

The Premiership is gradually witnessing the decline of the number 10 as most teams no longer play with a fantastista or trequartista and have instead opted for more robust energy packed midfields.

However, this decline of number 10’s doesn’t end in the Premier League. In the La Liga, world class talents such as James Rodriguez and Isco can hardly get playing time despite a multitude of injuries. When they do, they are often inserted out wide or restricted to central lanes of play only. Same for the leading clubs in the Bundesliga or Serie A who rarely have use for the old fashioned, attacking midfielder types. Alternatively, most teams either use a Front three (Sometimes with a false nine who drops deep), or a system of a primary striker and secondary striker tasked with trying to create chances for his partner like other midfielders should.

A good example is the Ibrahimović – Rooney partnership where Mata carries a bigger creative burden but both strike partners fashion chances for each other regularly. There is the Kane – Alli variation where Dembélé/Eriksen are both expected to pitch in with key passes. This shows a clear tactical trend to formations where energy based players are employed in the centre. Numerous managers now feel the need to not allow more than one player (usually the striker) reA lot of them such as Dmitri Payet, Juan main ahead of the ball, without any defensive duties. Apart from Arsenal, and occasionally Man City, no other team in the top half consistently uses an advanced playmaker with a free role, roaming as they wish. Well, what has happened to all the creative midfielders then? So far they have had to adapt to different roles.

TA C T I C A L T R E N D S Return of the destroyers Consistent with the trend of energetic central players, more teams are starting to revert to the archetypal holding midfielders as opposed to deep lying playmakers which had become more popular recently.

Francois Coquelin who has been starting most games. Fernandinho is keeping a starting berth at Guardiola’s City and has been praised so many times by the Catalan.

This retro surge of midfield destroyers has coincided with the rise and rise of Ngolo Kante, he of the “covers more ground than water covers the earth” fame. The Frenchman was the heartbeat of an exciting title run from Leicester City last season and since he moved to join Conte’s blue revolution at Chelsea, his imperious performances have boosted a side from identity crisis and turmoil to the very summit of English football. We can expect more of Although, Arsenal signed Granit Xhaka his ilk to start popping up across several (a deep lying playmaker) during the teams in 2017. summer, surprisingly, it has been Since Guardiola’s Barcelona squad peaked in 2009, more squads were infused with the more glamorous defensive midfielders in the Xabi Alonso, Andrea Pirlo and Michael Carrick mould. The anchor man role did not disappear altogether, it just became less focused on. However, in recent times teams have started to appreciate the hard-working midfield anchor man again.

MANAGERS

Hull City remains an enigmatic club in terms of how the Tigers are handled. Managers like Alan Pardew who led Crystal Palace to the FA Cup final and Steven Bilic who led West Ham to the Europa League could make it till the summer but even that is not a given. Less expected managerial changes could include Tony Pulis who has sent subliminal messages saying West Brom could be his last job in football . This, shortly after vehemently defending himself against disgruntled Bagies fans exasperated by his distinct brand of football, is bemusing to say the least . Additionally, it is hard to imagine West Brom’s new Chinese owners took on the Birmingham club project to remain stagnant. Even with the team in the top half of the table, in this world of instant expectations, it is assumed they would probably go after something shinier than Pulis and his “solid” brand of football. Finally, a more expected managerial casualty that may occur is that of José Mourinho. It most likely won’t be solely because of his petulant displays (beware, errant water bottles) from the technical area or constant public feuds with players, it would likely be a brand issue for Manchester United. The Red Devils have a clause in their deal with Adidas, which asserts that they cannot fail to qualify for the Champions League in consecutive seasons or they risk a 30% cut in their record kit deal. For a club that just posted figures indicating a loss for the last fiscal year, that is a cut they cannot afford to entertain. The figure represents an estimated loss of £30m in the kit deal alone, excluding the estimated £28m of prize money they’ll miss out on for not making it to the group stage of Europe’s premier club competition.

In recent Premier League seasons, the number of managerial changes has remained phenomenally high. Hordes of changes at the helm always occur and 2017 might not be different in that regard. With new money comes new expectations. After Leicester’s fairy-tale, every club Chairman has this pipe dream of being able to achieve the same (probably even Hull City). The sky is now truly the limit. Mediocrity will not be accepted, even if a manager survives the season in a respectable position, the availability of another manager that will potentially improve the team massively will lead to their subsequent replacement. This was the case at Watford last season with Walter Mazzari coming for Quique Flores despite the latter’s Factor in another potential loss in matchday revenue impressive work. and it snowballs into a situation the Glazers-owned The obvious choice for getting the boot first? David club must be keen to avoid. If they fail to crack the Moyes, who oversees bottom club Sunderland and Top 4 once again could we see the axe fall at Old cannot just catch a break it seems. Who else? Mike Trafford for the 3rd time since Alex Ferguson retired? Phelan who barely managed to secure the job in the first place. 9

What Next? Preparing for life in a Post Messi & Ronaldo world

he thought of football without these 2 juggernauts is absurd and terrifying. Then again, my people say “body no be firewood.”At 29 and 31 respectively, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are steping into twilight territory. Very soon, the pair of otherworldly beings will call time on their careers and maybe, just maybe, normalcy can return. Naysayers have accused Ronaldo of being past his prime, of losing his touch. He routinely responds to these with a hat trick or two and a few camera daring poses to go with them. The same of course can be said of Messi who regularly shows the footballing community time and again he is still more than capable of deciding matches on his own. It may not be happening tomorrow, but it will happen eventually. So what do we do when it does? Where do we go? Who do we watch? Who will be the exalted footballing demi gods? Who will save us from mediocrity? Maybe these guys?

by Ayoola Kelechi

Antoine Griezmann

He has been Runner up to Ronaldo once in the Champions League, once at the European Championships and once in the UEFA Player of the Year awards. I think it is safe to say that nobody is more desperate for Ronaldo to retire than this man. He has been at Atletico Madrid since 2014 and was brilliant in their almost successful cup run in the Champions League in 2016. Grizou was also vital for France as they reached the final of Euro 2016 scoring 6 goals (the most by any player at a single tournament since 1984). He is a fox in the box and is generally difficult to mark or pin down. His sweet, precise left foot and remarkable adeptness for someone his size sets him apart. He is an excellent team player and links up well very well with other forwards. At this rate, either a bigger club comes calling or he does more to stake a claim as the world’s best player after the top dogs bow out.

Neymar Gareth Bale

Messi’s team mate at Barcelona, the pair often exchange romantic gestures on and off the pitch, assisting each other’s goals and lauding each other to the media. The perfect couple. Messi himself sees Neymar as his successor at Barça and in the world of football generally (high praise indeed).

The mercurial Welsh man has been team mates with Ronaldo for 3 seasons now. Since becoming the most expensive player in the world (he is now behind Paul Pogba in that regard), he’s become comfortable at the very top. 2 UCLs and 65 goals later and he has developed into one of the most feared forwards in the world today.

Such praise is not unwarranted though. Neymar has achieved so much in his career, the Copa Libetadores, UEFA Champions League, he is the current 4th highest goal scorer for the Brazilian National team (which he has, like Atlas, hauled on his shoulders for a while now) to name a few, and all this at the age of 24.

With Ronaldo, he has worked in tandem to create one of the most lethal attacks in modern football along with Karim Benzema. He has been Wales’ talisman, he had an unreal 63% of their goals in qualifying for Euro 2016 and was fantastic for the Dragons as they reached the semi-finals.

He has electrifying pace, an extensive gallery of skills and a keen eye for goal. Such is the stuff that world beaters are made of and Neymar is certainly one of them. Some have claimed he combines qualities in both Ronaldo and Messi but perhaps only time will tell.

He is one of the fastest players on the planet and has a ferocious left foot and an incredible leap too. He is a player moulded in the image of Ronaldo and could very well pick up the mantle from his Galactico colleague once Ronaldo decides to call time on his career.

Paulo Dybala If Bale is moulded in Ronaldo’s image, then Dybala is certainly moulded in Messi’s image. The fleet-footed forward has been arguably Juventus’ best player since he got there in 2015 after his 13 goals and 10 assists the previous season for Palermo persuaded the Bianconeri to part with €32m + add-ons. His skill on the ball is matched by his intelligence off it, and even though he may not score as frequently as his National team captain (who does really?) his impact in any team he plays for can never really be overestimated. His respectable return of 27 goals in 57 games for Juventus is one to sit up and notice. In the coming years his performances could just vault him to the heights both Ronaldo and Messi call home. Even though we dread the day Messi and Ronaldo will regress below the level that they currently play one, I believe that one of these guys could definitely step up. We’ll see someone other than the famous duo since 2008 not just pick up the FIFA Ballon d’Or but also continue the record shattering, mind boggling feats of 2 of the greatest players to ever bless our eyes with their magisterial football.

Eden Hazard So much quality packed into such a small body. This former PFA Player of The Year endured a torrid 2015/2016 season but is back to his blistering best. He has the ability to go past players as if they were mere cones on an obstacle course and is deadly in the box especially when cutting in from the left. Equally adept playing as a central attacking midfielder, he is very intelligent and has superb vision as has been seen several times since his rejuvenation under Antonio Conte. He also has a few trophies in his cabinet such as the Premiership title, Ligue 1, and the UEFA Europa league. He is uncharacteristically strong for a player of his stature and is almost impossible to dispossess. You can almost always count on him to contribute with a goal or assist in every game. The Belgian was once mentioned as a peer of Ronaldo’s by Jose Mourinho, prompting double takes and incredulous stares. Maybe the Portuguese gaffer was on to something?

Back Threes: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly Football has evolved, so have football managers. In their quest to find all conquering, winning formulas some of them have discovered plenty of life in an old idea: the back three. This setup has been around for a long time but has been sporadically used and is starting to receive worldwide recognition again. After so long in the

/ by Jibril Baba

tactical wilderness, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been brought back in from First, what is this back three thing one speaks of ? It features three centre-halves the cold again. spread out in a flat line flanked by a pair of wingBut how much do we really know about the back backs. Different tweaks in terms of personnel three formation? What is a formation without the are favoured by different managers but the most right balance and suitable players to execute it? common tactical choice is on the 3-5-2/3-4-3 spectrum. 12

three is failing to have stand-by players who can come in and blend directly with how the team plays. 9 times out of 10, such players are lacking in a team. Squad depth here becomes immensely important. For instance, Victor Moses. Who can replace him in the Chelsea squad if he eventually shatters his ankle? How about the cohesive bond that David Luiz, Gary Cahill and Cesar Azpilicueta have formed at the back; do you think bringing Zouma into the side won’t maybe disrupt that bond? Recently, Juventus wobbled a bit as the famous ‘BBC’ trio (Bonucci, Barzagli, Two Attacking Midfielders are the twins Chiellini) got broken up. without no defensive liabilities. Swift on the ball, swift in thought and swift in each transition of play. They are required to play as high up the field as possible with one notably in and around the striker. With the wing-backs providing extra width, these chaps help out with goals and chance creation. rarely ventures higher up the pitch and must be a good passer as he will break opposition play and ignite counter-attacks (think Ngolo Kante at present day Chelsea). The second central midfielder will be confronted with many duels in the centre of the park, so he obviously has to be great in the air. He also connects defense with offense with his brilliant ball-playing skills and thus, cannot shy away from taking on opponents.

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One midfielder often acts as a ‘destroyer’ and sits very close to the centre-halves. Another plays more centrally and is the link to attack from the middle. Top it off with two Attacking Midfielders and a striker and you are open for business. Ideally the centre-halves must be strong, great in the air and possess ball-playing abilities. The latter quality is paramount as this formation builds play from the back. For this reason, the defense line will be nearer to the midfield in this set-up (say 20 yards). Furthermore, the left and right sided centre-halves must be considerably fast as they will very often provide width for the overlapping wing-backs. The system also requires that marking be zonal and never man-to-man.

Now, why would anyone opt for a back three? The back three creates space for an offensively oriented style of play to occur. With two wing-backs pushing higher up the pitch, two Attacking Midfielders and one striker, the team has an average of 5 offensive players in the opposition half during attacks. Most times, it’s devastating for the opponents yet breathtaking to watch. Orchestrating counter attacks with this system can be absolutely devastating as seen in the Manchester City/ Chelsea game earlier this month or the Holland/ Spain game at the 2014 World Cup.

The back three formation is built for certain type of players and you would be blessed or just merely fortunate to have them in abundance in your team. Moreover, the high intensity football that accompanies the back three option often When the team loses the ball, the zonal marking requires meticulous medical management or the system battle stations are manned immediately: team flirts with burnout before the season elapses. the two wing-backs becomes full-backs, and the The wing-backs are the hardest workers in the destroyer a sweeper. That’s a six-man defensive In conclusion, here are a few suggestions before you venture into the world of a back three: team. The reason they were born is to provide shield against attacks! What’s not to love? width – higher up the pitch when the team is in 1. Pre-season should be gruesome! offensive mode – and then track back to defend What you should definitely avoid is poor Double training sessions should be put when the team is attacked. Defensive awareness is preparation (of course) and communication in place (if you have an idea of your key here and even more important is their ability (which is extremely important) or you run the first XI already, field them together to run and run and run and… I’m sure you get risk of looking like absolute clowns. You do not simply pick up this tactic as an afterthought as as much as possible). Educating them the teams that employ I so well are often drilled on positioning and areas of play with into using the system under the guidance of strict videos and the occasional shouting or disciplinarians (van Gaal, Conte, Sacchi anyone?) cooing sessions (your choice really) is The defense is the biggest casualty when the important. system falls apart. A lack of communication 2. Give yourself room to fail (in prebetween your centre-halves will definitely open season/training). Let your team focus the gates to an epic whacking. on mastering the tenets of the set-up. Here is a simple tip: DO NOT EVER resort to The learning curve is there for you to this formation without the proper conditioning to make adequate adjustments. make it succeed. 3. You’ll need at least two versatile players To give an illustration, let’s look at the case of in your squad (see Joshua Kimmich and Aston Villa In 2012. Injuries to the wingers and David Alaba of Bayern, Daley Blind the poor form of the centre-half pairing saw on some days as well). They will be the Paul Lambert turn to a back three for help. It ones who fill in some holes unforeseen the picture. may have improved their fortunes a little but not circumstances can punch in the squad. without the 8-0 mauling at the hands of Chelsea, The centre-halves will love the destroyer because Villa’s highest ever league defeat. 4. Have a Plan B. he will sit closer to them and promptly take on the sweeper role when the team is defending. He It gets worse, the apocalyptic side of the back You’re ready. 13

S T A R P L AY E R S A N D T E A M S

This season has seen many impressive standout performances from players already and the PFA award looks like there’ll be many disappointed figures when it is eventually announced. However, with the season so far, a prediction will be made to suggest how things may look at the end of the season. Obviously, many would disagree, but predictions are simply just that, predictions! TOP 4 OUTLOOK 1. Chelsea 2. Arsenal 3. Liverpool 4. Manchester City Chelsea have gone on a great run however, could Conte’s lack of rotation may end up costing the team? Senior players like Cesc Fábregas (linked with a move to China), Michy Batshuayi and John Terry have had to play for the Under 23s because they aren’t even able to scrape enough minutes in the first team squad. Think about it, Batshuayi is 2nd in the pecking order for strikers! Perhaps, when the time comes and they are needed, they will have to step up, as we have seen Willian do for Eden Hazard on occasion. The Blues

have strung together not just wins, but displays, it is just a cause of concern that clean sheets and they look increasingly at key moments they might struggle to deliver the goods. harder to beat. Guardiola’s team started very impressively but have gone down a gear, or two. After lacklustre performances against Spurs, Chelsea and Leicester City, one gets the feeling a few teams may have found a way round the Catalan’s intricate tactical setups. Additionally, his high press tactics are very unfavourable in the long term especially for a club with European commitments. Write them off at your own peril though. They’ll go far during the season, perhaps not just far enough. Liverpool, are yet another team without any European responsibilities and have a very good chance of winning the title especially with the energetic gegenpressing that is proving successful so far. Nonetheless, I feel that this type of football may also prove to be their downfall, as it simply unsustainable across a whole season. It is difficult to see Liverpool maintain such form in the absence of 3 or 4 key players. Injuries to Joel Matip and Philippe Coutinho have already caused a few hiccups. Same with the controversy around keeper, Loris Karius’ form as well as the Reds’ leaky defence. It is not hard to see Jurgen Klopp’s side keep up the exciting

The traditional top 4 has been smashed and with the introduction of the new TV deal, a lot of smaller teams have quality players. Players that can be very dangerous and will pounce on tired teams. Also, the energetic display is not extremely effective to teams who can remain disciplined and compact as Burnley and Southampton have shown this season. Many have prophesied that this is Arsenal’s year. After all, the last time Wenger was in the final year of his contract he won the FA Cup. Arsenal have not hit top form this season, they survived the dreaded November period but December has brought a few wobbles with niggling injuries here and there. Same old? Contract talks with the team’s biggest stars Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil are not so important but it would be wise to sort out their futures as quickly as possible. At the end of the day, every championship winning team needs a bit of luck, something Arsenal might have just found this season (if you ignore the Champions League draw pitting them against Bayern Munich despite topping their group!)

“Many have prophesied that this is Arsenal’s year. After all, the last time Wenger was in the final year of his contract he won the FA Cup.” 14

P O T E N T I A L P FA N O M I N E E S

Eden Hazard: He looks set for another tremendous season after Conte’s formation change has done wonders for his form. He has also shaken off last season’s nightmare and is back on track in the journey to world domination. Alexis Sanchez: The Chilean workhorse seems to have found his true calling as a lone centre forward. He drops deep, goes to the wing, always keeps opposition defenders guessing and has enabled Arsenal to be more fluid this season. Philippe Coutinho: He seems to have rectified most of his flaws and emerged as a new player this season. His decision making has improved, his dribbling is more effective and certainly shoots with more precision. A vital player for Klopp’s title charge. Despite his injury, he remains one of the reasons many would tune in to watch the Premier League. Sergio Aguëro: Regarded by some as the Premier League’s only true world-class player and has already bagged 16 goals in 17 appearances this season, he is certainly living up to his supernatural standards. Harry Kane: He hasn’t got up to speed this season yet. Injuries as well as Tottenham’s overall schizophrenic form contributing to that. However, the young Englishman is as lethal as the best strikers in the league and is certain to improve as he gets more games.

P O T E N T I A L S U R P R I S E PA C K A G E S Adam Forshaw Anyone that has had glimpse of a Middlesbrough game this season would have noticed a midfield maestro dictating their play and calmly putting in a shift. At 25, the former Everton academy graduate finally has his chance in the Premier League and he does not look out of place at all. Working under Aitor Karanka, who like his former boss Mourinho is not economical with his grip on the handbrakes, Forshaw’s graft has been commendable despite Boro’s lacklustre showings. Victor Moses How does one talk of surprises without mentioning Victor Moses? After journeying from Wigan to Crystal Palace, Liverpool and West Ham with mixed success, the Super Eagles forward has found a place as Conte’s wingback. At the rate at which he is going, he could easily pass as the most improved player in the league, but let’s keep that tag open for the other decent contenders. Idrissa Gueye Even though he was amongst the best tacklers last season, playing for bottom placed Aston Villa hardly provides any player with suitable recognition. He has since joined Everton and his performances might be finally given the credit that they deserve. From surviving horror tackles to keeping things moving at the heart of Ronald Koeman’s Everton, his Ngolo Kante impressions game after game have been a delight to watch this season. Expect a few big name enquiries for him in 2017. 15

THE WORLD CLASS DEBATE The term ‘World Class’ is one that is constantly bandied around, ironically, more often in this era of ‘Squawka Stats’ and ‘WhoScored Player Ratings’ and the rest. I have seen people try to prove a player is world class with stats like key passes, take-ons and pass completion percentages. Although some of these stats are sometimes useful, I feel they do not always tell the story of a player’s true quality. So how then do we determine whether a player is World Class or not since we cannot completely rely on statistics?

is always different. Being among the foremost in the world is one thing, being of an international standard of excellence is another. Would you say a player is World Class just because he is the best in the world in his position? The natural answer would be ‘yes’. That answer would probably apply to most fields or careers but this is football. This is football where we compare eras, match players against standards of excellence and decide who doesn’t match up and who does. Football makes its own rules.

I have found that most football enthusiasts have very diverse views on what it means to be world class. It does seem really hard to define. This The most important question is – what does should tell you all you need to know. How can it mean to be World Class? The dictionary you tell if a player is World Class? For the Lionel definition is, ‘being among the best or foremost Messis and Cristiano Ronaldos, we just know. in the world; of an international standard of No need to tick boxes with players like that. You excellence’. Ordinarily, this should make it easier don’t even have to look at their Ballon d’Or and more straightforward but this is football. It cabinets. You just know they are World Class. 16

/ by Clinton McDubus

For the Gundogans and Kokes, we have to look through boxes and tick accordingly. For them, it seems to be arguable. Not everybody will say they are. We will look for the boxes to tick and consequently find it arguable. Perhaps someone who thinks they are would have a rethink after going through these boxes while someone else who thinks they aren’t would probably have a rethink after the boxes. So, are they? You decide. Is Sadio Manè world class in the light of recent impressive performances? There are two categories of World Class players, in my opinion. First category comprises of players who would be World Class no matter the era you put them in because they have reached or surpassed a standard of excellence. The second category comprises of players who might be World Class in one era but most likely regular players in a different era. That is, they are

some of the best players in the world but they probably fall short of the standard of excellence. In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king, yadda yadda. I believe the era a player is born into can go a long way in determining whether or not he is considered World Class, for his era.

maintained a high level and consistently put in World Class displays for the entire season. But is he World Class? Is one season enough to become World Class if you consistently play at a level so good that you become top 10 in your position (on current form perhaps)? Would this mean that some of the above boxes can be exempted? I should also point out that a player can stop Before we go on to the boxes from earlier, I shall being World Class perhaps because of injuries or state a few postulates from what I observed. inexplicable loss of form over a sustained period. No matter how good you are, you will probably not be seen as World Class if you don’t play for one of the biggest teams in the world (or at least a big enough team consistently competing at a high level like Atletico or Dortmund). Ivan Rakitic, for instance, had two World Class seasons before joining Barcelona. He wasn’t quite world class to many until he joined Barcelona and again had a World Class season. It became a no-brainer.

Obvious examples are Radamel Falcao and Fernando Torres. The question now is, will their talents be questioned because they stopped being world class, when they retire? Does the fact they became quite poor make their being truly World Class on their day arguable? I don’t think so. Both players were devastating before the fall from grace.

purpose should be guide the debate/argument not conclude it. At this point, I would like to mention that the world class-ness of a player matters, at least to me. World class-ness, as used here, is defined as the true quality of a player. That is, just how good a player really is regardless of those around him or in his era. Juan Roman Riquelme, for instance, is a player I consider to be one of the best to ever grace a football field. A highly intelligent player in his prime, he was perhaps unlucky to have been born in an era where his genius went unheralded because of the number of great players in it. He also didn’t get to compete in enough Uefa Champions League campaigns. In spite of all this, his quality has never been in doubt and in this present era he would command a lot more respect and reverence for his talent. His world class-ness

Nobody can really define what it is to be World Class (where football is concerned). However, if we can imagine you in a different era & see you as top 10 there, you definitely are. If we ask 10 random people if a player is World Class and for any reason it becomes arguable, it is likely that the player wouldn’t be World Class in a different era. Now to those boxes. Shall we? 1. A World Class player must be impressive in the highest level of competition. 2. A World Class player must show consistency over a 5 year period. 3. A World Class player must be able to step up on the big occasions. Must be a big game player. 4. A World Class player must be able to influence the result of a lot of matches. He must sometimes be the difference between a defeat and a win or a draw. 5. A World Class player must be able to adapt even when the tactics don’t favour his style. He must find a way to stand out regardless. 6. A World Class player must be excellent for his country especially at major tournaments.

Is Arda Turan World Class? I think he ticks almost all the above boxes. He ticks box 1 for his Champions League performances during Atleti’s run to the final. He ticks box 6 because of his performances at Euro 2008. Now, even after ticking the boxes, is he? Is it possible that he ticks all these boxes and still isn’t world class? Again, you decide. Is De Gea World Class? Perhaps he is but he doesn’t tick the box that has to do with the national team, yet. Is that enough reason to say he isn’t World Class? I don’t think so. In the end, in spite of whether or not a player ticks the ‘is he World Class’ boxes, the perception of the football enthusiast should not be put aside.

would never be hidden by the kind of era he was born into.

Consequently, we have a player like Lionel Messi who is in an era where nobody is anywhere near his level, bar Cristiano Ronaldo perhaps. 7. A World Class player must be There is no way of knowing just how dominant consistently getting called up to play for he would be in a different era or how good he his country unless the reasons he isn’t is compared to the other greats from other eras. getting called up are not football-related. However, we have seen Messi play and we know one thing; his world class-ness will never ever be 8. A World Class player must have that in doubt. The fact that he is one of the greatest extra quality that makes him one of the to ever kick a ball will not be diminished just best even when he is off form. Form is because he is in an era where only Cristiano temporary, world class is permanent. Ronaldo can realistically wrestle a Ballon d’Or There are exceptions to all these rules we create off him, in his prime. 9. A World Class player should be getting the same way stats don’t always tell the full story. nominated for awards at one point or I believe that is what matters the most. For the In conclusion, the standard of excellence the other, for being one of the best in a ones we call World Class because we all just is directly related to the ‘world class-ness’ I competition or tournament. Making Team know and unanimously agree that they are, there mentioned earlier. I think it is important that we Of The Year/Competition/Tournament is no need for articles such as this. take world class-ness into consideration as well. also counts. Yes, this is important. This is because someday an era where a Danny However, for the ones whose World Class Welbeck would be Pele might come. If that Therefore, looking at these boxes, how many statuses are debatable/arguable or in question, happens, even when we consider a player to be of them does Ilkay Gundogan tick? How many the above parameters can help us decide who world class for his era, we also have to consider does Koke tick? Arda Turan? Otamendi? Arturo really is World Class and who isn’t. It should be his world class-ness; his true quality as a player, Vidal? You decide. Otamendi, for instance, noted that they do not completely tell us which just how good he is regardless of those around had a truly World Class season last year. He player is or isn’t World Class. Therefore, their him or in his era. 17

The Super Eagles of NigeriaAll Star Team As part of the 2016 Independence Represented the national team 42 times, and Celebrations, we look at the greatest XI to played for teams such as Internazionale and AC ever play for Nigeria. Milan winning the UEFA Cup in 1998. He is best known for his tough tackling, fancy hair-dos and 1. Vincent Enyeama stunning playboy looks.

cover for the back 4 and did so for Nigeria between 1993 and 2002, winning the 1994 AFCON and 1996 Olympic games. At club level, he played for powerhouses such as Ajax, Borrusia Dortmund and Juventus.

Made his competitive debut in 2002 against England in the FiIFA World cup and has gone on to represent the national team a joint record 101 times. Represented Nigeria at 3 World cups and kept 3 clean sheets in 8 matches, his best performance in a National team shirt would arguably be in Nigeria’s 1-0 loss to Argentina in 2006 where he was awarded the man of the match award for a string of saves to deny Messi, Aguero, Tevez and co. before eventually succumbing to a Heinze goal. He will also be remembered for keeping 11 consecutive clean sheets for LOSC Lille, just over a match shy of a Ligue 1 record.

7. Jay Jay Okocha

2. Celestine Babayaro The youngest player to compete in the UEFA Champiions League, he represented Nigeria at senior level at 2 world cups and has U17 and Olympic gold medals to show for his time in the national team. 3. Taribo West

4. Stephen Keshi (RIP) The big boss captained Nigeria to victory in 1994 AFCON and guided the national team to victory as coach in 2013. Only the second ever person in history to do so. He represented Nigeria with distinction over 60 times and is fondly remembered by football fans in Nigeria. Keshi passed away suddenly from a Heart attack in June 2016.

“So good they named him twice”. He was Nigeria’s erstwhile playmaker during our most successful era, representing Nigeria from 19932006, winning the Nation cup in 1994 and Olympics in 1996. Also appearing in the 1994, 1998 and 2002 World cups and was selected in the reserves for the Team of the tournament in 1994. The two-time BBC African Player of the year is arguably Nigeria’s greatest player. He played club 5. Joseph Yobo football for Fernabache, PSG, and spent his peak years in Bolton Wanderers winning the club’s He was a Key member of the national team from player of the year in 2005 and captained the side his debut in 2002 until retirement in 2014. A joint from 2004-2006. record holder in terms of appearance for the senior national team. He also enjoyed a long spell 8. Segun Odegbami in England with Everton football club. Nicknamed ‘Mathematical’ for his precise 6. Sunday Oliseh technical play. He played 46 times for the national team and scored 23 times playing primarily on the He is best remembered for his stunning winner wings. Praised for his speed, skill and intelligence against Spain in the 1998 world cup. The on the ball were, he was instrumental in Nigeria’s combative midfielder was excellent at providing maiden AFCON trophy in 1980. He spent his 18

entire playing career at ICC Shooting Stars (now known as 3SC Shooting stars) in Ibadan. 9. Muda Lawal (RIP) Mudashiru Lawal represented Nigeria on 86 occasions including 5 consecutive AFCON tournaments. He is another who can lay claim to being the best Nigeria has ever produced. He went from being a mechanic on the streets of Ibadan to being a Legend of the Nigerian national team; he was adept in every attacking position in the midfield. He represented IICC shooting stars with distinction and also played for Stationery Stores and Abiola babes. Known for his calmness and creativity, Muda’s life was cut short some weeks after his 37th birthday but he will forever be immortalized (amongst fans at least) as one of the greatest players to play for Nigeria if not the outright best 10. Nwankwo Kanu One of Nigeria’s most successful exports, Kanu played in a time when Nigerian players were some of the most coveted players. He won numerous laurels including the UEFA Champion’s league, Cup and Super cup as well as 3 FA Cups, The Eredivisie and the EPL. He helped Nigeria to Olympic Gold with a scintillating cameo against Brazil in 1996. He was mainly used as an impact sub and he distinguished himself in the role and will be fondly remembered by Arsenal for an even better cameo against Chelsea. He also played for Ajax, Internazionale, West brom and Portsmouth. Papillo’s career was a story of great comebacks as he battled back from a heart disorder in 1996 and when his career was thought to be over, he scored in the semi finals and final of the FA cup as Portsmouth claimed an unprecedented cup. (Fun fact: Despite being a legend, Kanu never scored for Nigeria in a major tournament weird huh) 11. Rashidi Yekini(RIP) He is Nigeria’s all time highest goal scorer with an incredible 37 goals in 58 appearances for the national team. Yekini was the highest goal scorer at Nigeria’s 1994 AFCON win and his legacy was cemented when he scored Nigeria’s first ever goal at a World cup, also in 1994 and crowned it with THAT celebration. Yekini sadly passed away in May 2012 after a protracted illness More Than Honourable Mentions Emmanuel Okala, Henry Nwosu, Ike Shorunmu, Christian Chukwu, Peter Rufai, Emmanuel Amunike, Garba Lawal, Daniel Amokachi, Osaze Odemwinge, Mikel Obi, Finidi George

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2016: The Year of The Underdog How Leicester City and Portugal beat the odds / by Dapo Oyeowo & Tomiwa Yussuf

At the time of writing this piece, 2016 had claimed the lives of 76 players is out of the running. When this happens, we jump on another horse. and staff of the Brazilian club side, Chapecoense AF. May their souls Every once in a while, a dark horse stuns the field. The unexpected happens, predictions all out on their heads, analyses rubbished. A rest in perfect peace. They were writing their underdog story. group of players decide not to follow the script and delay their role “Football is not just a game,” Bill Shankly said, “It is a matter of life as part of the scenery. They roar and demand to be heard. They are and death.” It incites passionate responses, both violent and non- the Underdogs and the year 2016, sprung so many surprises, it can be violent. The investment of time and love makes me question the idea of termed only as The Year of the Underdog. the football neutral. I think we only are neutral when our favourite team

The year began as usual with most seasons about halfway through. Some returning from winter breaks, some picking up where they left off. At this time, Leicester were sitting at the top of the log with everyone finally paying attention and more than half-expecting them to do a Hull City (2008/2009) and fall back down to their proper place on the table. This never happened. It turned out that the Foxes were more Phoenix than Icarus.

shielded the ball then indented his torso. That was before letting loose a low-flying curler into the right-bottom corner of the French goal.

Hugo Lloris ─ who’d had pretty little to do in the game compared to his Portuguese counterpart Rui Patricio ─ was at full stretch but couldn’t stop the 28 year old Portuguese striker’s 30 yard effort. Portugal 1 France 0. All in the final of a competition where the former had narrowly made it out of the group stage with 3 It would be unfair to the great effort expended by the players of Leicester City to draws from 3 games. Yes, you read that right. not put things in proper perspective; to not allow you, the reader, appreciate the Pitted against a potent Croatian side who had the likes of Luka Modric and an inenormity of the feat they achieved. form Ivan Perisic on display; many ruled out any possibility of the Portuguese team making it beyond the round of 16. Croatia’s domination of the game didn’t come as a surprise with Portugal sticking to their routine playing style oft described as ‘dull and boring’. Very little happened for Portugal significantly in the encounter and it was looking like the penalty spot was the destination of choice until the 117th minute. Ricardo Quaresma converted a free header from 2 yards and it would prove sufficient to usher Croatia home and out of the Euros. In the quarter-final tie, the odds were even higher against the ‘draw specialists’. The 18 year old Portuguese wunderkind, Renato Sanches scored in the 33rd minute to cancel out Lewandoski’s 2nd minute strike; hinging their semi-final qualification hopes on penalties against the Poles. Portugal’s foes that day had won 5-4 on penalties against the equally proficient Swiss in the round of 16 and many were sure the Iberians had no hope. However, against all odds; the gamble paid off and the underdogs survived yet again to fight another day. The dull and boring Portuguese were off to the semis! And it wasn’t just Portugal─ in what seemed like a fiesta of underdogs; Wales, who had not made it to the finals of any major tournament since 1958 overcame all odds to send Euro favourites Belgium, packing. Long-throw specialists, Iceland, (who were appearing at their first major international football competition) also swayed the football cosmos to their side with trademark thunderclaps in the crowd after No one rated Leicester City. Not the bookmakers who gave them odds of 5000/1, sending almighty England home in the Quarter-finals. not pundits with Gary Lineker going so far as to say he would present Match of the Day in the nude save for his briefs if his former team won the league. This of course It was easier to dream up an imminent upset in the final after Portugal trounced was not a case of disregard or lack of knowledge. There was just no way a team that Wales 2-0 in what was arguably their best showing at Euro 2016. Especially narrowly escaped relegation the season before was going to win the league. There considering coach, Fernando Santos had done it before with an obscure Greece side was no way a team with their budget and largely unknown players were going to do against the Seleccao 12 years earlier at Euro 2004. The Portuguese dogged style of play had the characteristic Santos Greek formula written all over it. better than their richer and more illustrious competitors. No way, sir. The English Premier League started in August with pundits giving their predictions showing the regular top 4 teams and Micheal Owen,(that fraud of frauds, as some have said, showing his steady Arsenal-hate by predicting a non-event: The Gunners falling out of the top four. LOL.)

I like to imagine that the players saw the comments and decided to knuckle down and just do it for the hell of it. With N’Golo Kante covering every inch of grass, Danny Drinkwater lobbing balls for Jamie Vardy to chase, a mean defence that turned the King Power Stadium into a fortress and an inspired Riyad Mahrez, they got to the top of the table and never left. Even Arsenal completing a league double over them did not deter them. They did so well, they won the league with a game to spare.

Coming on the back of a 2-0 win over World champions Germany, the French hosts found the dogged Portuguese spirit difficult to break even after the talismanic Ronaldo was taken out of the tie injured (thank you Dmitri Payet!) with signature tears. Eventually, Ederzito António Macedo Lopes with only 3 appearances (all from the bench) in the tournament placed the game beyond France in the 109th minute with a

In this story lies another underdog story of the rise to recognition of their first team players, especially Vardy who wasn’t, as at the last campaign, their first choice striker but ended up eclipsing Ruud van Nisterooy’s 11-game consecutive goal scoring record. He did this at the Theatre of Dreams itself, Old Trafford. Poetic. This script wrote itself people. To even the most casual football follower, it appeared 2016 wasn’t done dishing out underdog stories.

fitting finish to clinch Portugal’s first ever major international title. Watching Cristiano Ronaldo with tears in his eyes and joy in his heart, you could see that even the heavyweights could be seen as an underdog. It was safe to conclude that Elsewhere, the narrative of underdogs was repeated again. With jaws open and the patient dog had finally gotten its bone! bated breath, millions around the world watched in muted anticipation as Eder turned his marker (poor Laurent Koscielny, no pun intended) in the 109th minute; Honourable mentions go out to the Chicago Cubs and the Cleveland Cavaliers too, their place in underdog folklore is cemented. 23

Going East: Can China succeed where the USA has tried and failed?

by Yorisola Oduwobi

China wants to be a superpower in football too. Japan and South Korea have set the pace for the Far East but their bigger counterpart has always been left out and behind. Now, President Xi Jinping says it will change. It’s not just about the lavish outlay of money, neither is it a flamboyant show of wealth. It is a dream confidently backed up by a roadmap to make China a “soccer powerhouse.” For a country that has registered fewer goals in the World Cup than Wayne Rooney, this dream seems audacious and yes, it is indeed audacious but the World order has been changing in almost every area for the benefit of China. On April 12, 2016 The Chinese Economic planning committee unveiled the Asian nation’s blueprint for football development. The blueprint targeted 2050 as the year China became a top footballing nation. The plan sets out short, mid and long term goals which include the creation of 20,000 soccer schools and 70,000 pitches by the year 2020 targeting over 30 million primary and secondary children to play regularly. I mean, why not? They certainly do not lack the population. The long term plans involves creating one pitch for every 10,000 people and cementing both the male and female national teams as the best in the world.

However there still remains the issue of the reputation of Chinese football around the world. Dogged by poor performances on the pitch and corruption scandals off it, the professional Chinese game has been far from beautiful. In 2013, the Chinese Football Association, CFA, banned dozens of former and current football officials, referees and players following a crackdown on match-fixing -- two senior officials were actually jailed for taking bribes, Chinese state media reported at the time.

one substitute appearance for Manchester United this season. The clubs have actually chased and acquired targets such as Alex Teixeira, a 26 year old star heavily sought after by Europe’s elite clubs, a player in his prime. The league has also been able to attract Graziano Pelle and seems to be the next destination of 28 year old Super Eagles captain, John Mikel Obi.

China clearly has the youth capital and money to purchase players that will expose younger players to top notch football. In years to come, Chinese football could Shanghai Club side Shanghai Shenhua was stripped of be self-sufficient as they even have the population to the 2003 title, one of 12 clubs punished after the same ensure that little or zero talent is imported from Europe investigation. Shenhua, who once boasted the likes of and South America. former Chelsea superstars Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka on its playing roster, were found guilty of fixing The Super League stills lacks in terms of tactical a game against Shaanxi Guoli during the 2003 season. acumen. There still remains an obvious absence of Subsequently, CFA insisted its anti-corruption drive coaching talent. This is even with the recent spells of achieved “positive results” and in a statement claimed household names like Marcelo Lippi and Sven Goran that “public enthusiasm for football is gradually Eriksson at different clubs. The capture of former restored, with the audience and television viewers for Europa league Champion, Andre Vilas Boas signifies an intent to fix that part of the game. It would therefore the CSL at record highs.” seem that all is set! This only shows the length to which the footballing authorities and powers that be in China are willing to The year 2009 remains a year many Americans and go in order to make football enjoyable the world’s most economic analysts will not forget. It was the year it became clear that America would be knocked off her populous country. Chinese clubs have also been backed with big money perch by China as the Economic power. 2050 might just and have spent wisely. They haven’t sought the services be another dreaded year for not only America but for of spent talent like Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard Europe as well. If everything goes as planned, why not? and Bastian Schweinsteiger. The latter making only 24

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The Defensive Midfielder by Adegun Shola

Just Who is a Defensive Midfielder?

In the quote above, which is more often than not diagram below, the belief of the average football fan, lies the biggest This is a question an average football follower would misconception about the number 4, as it is an want to take lightly, but as football is constantly incomplete truth, which can be claimed to be no evolving, the generic definition of a defensive truth at all, as even though it makes some sense, the midfielder is no longer as accurate and complete as it statement in isolation is incorrect and misleading. need be for the modern game. As a result we want to The reason being that it has defined the DM in what look at who a defensive midfielder is and what he does I believe is an obsolete definition and understanding on the field of play. of the term; a definition of the term along the lines of the generic function of the player popularly known as A revaluation of the concept of the defensive the DM. midfielder is a necessary outcome of the modern changes occurring in the world of football, an It is very important in the analysis of players in the evolution that is redefining certain concepts and ideas, modern game to realize that a player can be defined discarding others in the meantime and giving birth to in terms of POSITION or/and in terms of TYPE/ new ones or even recycling old and forgotten ideas. ROLE/FUNCTION. For instance, Inzaghi, Totti, Eto and Crouch are all strikers but their manner of There usually is a huge amount of vagueness interpretation of the same position is different, so and ambiguity when referring to player roles or while in terms of position, they can all be considered positions with numbers as a number can mean two as strikers, in terms of type/role/function, they are different things in different footballing cultures. Take Poacher, False 9/Trequartista, Complete forward The player represented as X is the Striker (position), he for instance our topic of discourse, the defensive and target man respectively. So it is clear to see that could be Messi (false 9), Chicharito (Poacher), Rooney midfielder in certain cultures is traditionally regarded it is necessary to separate and independently define a (deep lying forward), Suarez (complete forward) or as the number 5, in others as the number 6, but player along his Mandzukic (target man), also the player Y is the Nigerians refer to it as the number 4. For all purposes Central Attacking Midfielder (position), he could be of this write up though, the defensive midfielder would (i) Position and then, an Enganche (Riquelme), Interiore (Iniesta), Inside be referred to as named, as the number 4 or the DM. forward (Ozil), Advanced Playmaker (Zidane) or (ii) Type. Shadow striker (Fellaini). â&#x20AC;&#x153;Pirlo is not a DM!â&#x20AC;? To further emphasize this point, we look at the In the same vein, if I were to ask you what type of 27

player is represented as Z in the diagrams above, your freedom than anchormen and are more ball and answer would be Defensive Midfielder, now that player player oriented than the otherwise spatially oriented can be Pirlo, that in fact is the position Pirlo played in anchormen. The ball winner would close down the opposition to win the ball in almost all areas of the 1. Ac Milan and, pitch, unlike the anchorman who stays very close to the centre backs. Examples of ball winners are Lassana 2. Juventus. Diarra, Roy Keane, De Jong, Wanyama, Lucas Leiva, Flamini, Behrami, Medel, Fernando etc. So when we say “Pirlo is NOT a DM”, we might be right in the sense that he is not an ‘archetypal DM’ but The Aggregate DM – I admit this sub type of the we are mostly wrong in the sense that in terms of his archetypal DM is of my own making but with due starting position Pirlo is actually a defensive midfielder. reason as I could not find any accurate technical term to describe this kind of player. The aggregate DM is In the situation of the striker, the position-type a player who combines all the qualities of all types of dichotomy is less confusing and easier to understand DM, from the anchorman, to the destroyer, to the boxthan in the situation of the number 4, reason being to-box DM to the deep lying playmaker. that the most popular type of a defensive midfielder (position); one I personally prefer to refer to as the They can interpret adequately the different roles and archetypal DM/destroyer/ball winning midfielder, would atimes in the same game be seen at different is generally known as the defensive midfielder points in time playing in different styles depending on (type), herein lies the confusion and the root of the the ebb and flow of the game. Examples of aggregate misconception. DMs are Patrick Vieira, Javi Martinez, Morgan Scneiderlin, Matic, Kondogbia, Schweinsteiger, In an attempt to clarify more and increase Guarin etc. understanding we take a brief look into the major types of the defensive midfielder, which are: All the various types of the archetypal DM are majorly defensively oriented and are not usually tasked with The Archetypal defensive midfielder majorly influencing the attacking phase of the game.

He is also expected to press the ball from high up the pitch, which if fails is expected to fall back and form a part of the defensive block. Examples of box-to-box defensive midfielders are Fernandinho, Henderson, Alex Song, Onazi, Andrea Poli, Yaya Toure, Marchisio, Essien etc. THE DEEP LYING PLAYMAKER The deep lying playmaker also called the Regista, just like the Box to box midfielder can positionally be a defensive midfielder or a central midfielder depending on how high up the pitch or deep the players average location is. For instance, both Xavi and Alonso are registas, Xavi is a CM while Alonso on the other hand is a DM. the Regista DM usually occupies the same positional space as the Anchorman, the hole between the defence and the rest of the midfield. He is tasked to function as the metronome of the side, like a wheel directing the team, strategically determining most of the attacking play from a deep position. Often referred to as the brain box or the orchestrator, he usually is a more offensive than defensive player despite functioning from a ‘defensive’ position. Usually armed with wonderful vision, first touch, range of

The Box-to-Box midfielder and The deep lying playmaker THE ARCHETYPAL DM Otherwise known as the Volante or more specifically, Volante de Contencion, is the most popular type of the number 4, and can be further sub divided into: (a) Anchorman (b) Destroyer (c) The aggregate DM. Anchorman – also known as the water carrier, is a defensive midfielder popularly found in point backwards 3 man midfields e.g. 4-3-3, 3-5-2 or centre based 4 man midfields e.g. 4-1-2-1-2, lopsided 3-2-23, who fills in the area between the midfielders and defenders i.e. sit in the hole between the defence and the midfield and whose major function is to intercept moves, delay opposition attacks, win the ball and laying off simple passes to his more creative teammates. Acting as an anchor to the defence, he doesn’t stray too far from his defence, maintains a very high level of positional discipline, is usually found very close to his centre backs and usually avoids getting dragged into wide areas. The anchorman like the deep lying playmaker is always willing to drop deep into the last line of defence during Salida Lavolpiana (translating in English as ‘the way out of La Volpe’); a popular tactical concept in the modern game where a midfielder drops deep between his 2 centre backs with the full backs pushing slightly forwards to create numerical superiority during the early phase of ball development. He is also on hand to replace centre backs that have been dragged wide. The anchorman is a bit more space oriented and defends more ‘zonally’ than the destroyer. Examples of Anchormen are Makelele, Busquets, Mikel, Iturrasspe, Coquelin, Gilberto Silva etc

THE BOX-TO-BOX DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDER The box-to-box midfielder, also known as shuttler, can be a defensive midfielder or central midfielder depending on how high up the pitch his average location is. The box-to- box DM is one who is positionally a defensive midfielder but is also expected to make major contributions to the offensive stage of play.

The Box to box DM possesses great mobility, Destroyer – also known as the ball winning midfielder, athleticism and non-stop dynamism. In defence he is another sub type of the archetypal DM, he is usually mostly acts as a ball winner but in attack he is expected an aggressive tackler and very athletic individual who to support the attacking players high up the pitch, make runs to arrive late into the box or even surging is tasked mostly with winning the ball and disrupting runs past forwards in order to get into goal scoring the flow of the opposition play. positions. He is expected to contribute well in the attack by getting goals and assists and is predominantly Their game is centred on physicality, strong tackling and a high work rate. They are given more positional more attacking than the archetypal DM.

passing the DM regista is the creative fulcrum of the teams attacking play, distributing the ball and setting the tempo of attacking. Whilst not as defensively astute in terms of physicality, tackling and athleticism as any other type of number 4, they atimes make up for it with excellent positioning, good anticipation and brilliant marking of space, they are also very adept at delaying opposition attacks. Examples of DM registas are Carrick, Pirlo, Alonso, Montolivo, Verratti etc. The regista and the box-to-box defensive midfielders are more modern tactical variations of the defensive midfielder and are the reason defining the DM only by its functions is no longer an entirely accurate or complete definition of the player. The more accurate and complete way to view the player, any player would be by defining first the position and consequently the function, role or type of the player, thereby conveying a complete and more accurate understanding of the player

Road to RUSSIA 2018 The road to Russia began March 12, 2015, and it’s been quite enthralling. As the journey continues, we’ll look at the FIFA World Cup 2018 qualification process and how the various teams from different confederations are faring.

fourth team participate in the play-offs. Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol, CONMEBOL, has 4 automatic qualification spots and a fifth team compete in the playoffs. The Oceania Football Confederation, OFC, only brings forward a team to fight for a spot in the play-offs. The Union of OVERVIEW European Football Associations, UEFA is allotted 13 World cup spots but will have 14 The process will decide 31 of the 32 teams representatives because of hosts Russia. to play in the tourney, with hosts Russia qualifying automatically. All 210 remaining The inter-confederation play-offs, scheduled FIFA member associations were eligible to for November 6-14, 2017 will feature enter the qualifying process. For the first CONCACAF v AFC and OFC v CONMEBOL. time in World Cup history, all national teams registered for the preliminary competition. 4 Let’s take a look at each continent’s teams (Bhutan, South Sudan, Gibraltar and proceedings properly. Kosovo) also made their FIFA World Cup CONFEDERATION QUALIFICATIONS qualification debuts. Matches were played in CONCACAF and AFC Qualifiers AFC’s qualification processes prior to the main draw that took place on July 25, 2015 at the Konstantinovsky Palace in Strelna, Saint Petersburg. The FIFA Executive Committee decided that the same allocation as 2014 would be kept for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments. While all FIFA members entered the tournament, not all competed. Zimbabwe, Indonesia and Kuwait got First round: A total of 12 teams (ranked 35– 46) played home-and-away over 2 legs. The expelled from the competition. 6 winners advanced to the second round. 4 teams qualify automatically from the Asian Football Confederation, AFC, with Second round: A total of 40 teams (ranked one last team qualifying for the inter- 1–34 and the 6 first round winners) were confederation play-offs. Confédération divided into 8 groups of 5 teams to play Africaine de Football, CAF, will produce home-and-away round-robin matches. The 8 5 representatives. The Confederation of group winners and the 4 best group runnersNorth, Central American and Caribbean up advanced to the third round of FIFA Association Football, CONCACAF, will World Cup qualification as well as qualified have 3 teams qualify automatically and a for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup finals.

by Goodness Otemuyiwa

Third round: The 12 teams which advanced from the second round were divided into 2 groups of 6 teams to play home-and-away round-robin matches. The top 2 teams of each group will qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and the 2 third-placed teams will advance to the fourth round. Fourth round: The 2 third-placed teams of each group from the third round will play home-and-away over 2 legs. The winner will advance to the inter-confederation play-offs.

The AFC qualification is presently at the third stage which consists of 2 groups. With only 5 games played, Iran tops Group A with 11 points (3 wins, 2 draws), closely followed by South Korea with 10 points (3 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss). Uzbekistan is third with 9 points (3 wins, 2 losses) while China find themselves at the bottom with only 2 points (2 draws, 3 losses). One could easily see Iran (led by 22-yearold attacker Sardar Azmun with 8 goals already) and Korea Republic qualifying from this group with Uzbekistan coming a close third. The other teams are barely putting up a fight.

Group B looks much tighter as Saudi Arabia edges Japan at the top of the table on goal difference. Both teams have 10 points each (3 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss) from 5 games played. They’re closely followed by Australia and UAE with 9 points apiece. Iraq is fifth with 3 points and Thailand is last on the log with just a point. Given their respective histories, Australia & Japan would almost certainly occupy 2 of the 3 spots atop this group. The real battle will be between Saudi Arabia & the UAE. Both teams have the two top scorers in the AFC qualifying region (Ahmed Khalil of The UAE & Muhammad Al Sahlawi of Saudi Arabia with 15 and 14 goals respectively) and it might well come down to which team can score the most goals.

way to Russia.

Third round: 12 teams (ranked 7 & 8 and 10 second round winners) played home-andGroup B: Nigeria leads with maximum away over 2 legs. The 6 winners advanced points from 2 games. Cameroon is second to the fourth round. on the log with 2 points while Zambia and Algeria have a point each and are third and Fourth round: 12 other teams (ranked 1–6 fourth respectively. As much as this group and 6 third round winners) were divided into has the potential for serious competition, a 3 groups of four teams to play home-andrejuvenated Super Eagles side under Rohr away round-robin matches. The top 2 teams can surely see this one out. If Solomon of each group advanced to the fifth round. Dalung & Amaju Pinnick don’t have other Fifth round: The 6 teams which advanced plans of course. from the fourth round will play home-andaway round-robin matches in a single group. The top 3 teams will qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and the fourth-placed team will advance to the inter-confederation play-offs.

This trio of Nigeria’s frontmen could prove to be the key to her progression and they’re certainly ones to watch out for.

CONCACAF is presently in the fourth round with just 2 games played. Costa Rica tops the group with 6 points followed by Panama and Mexico with 4 points each. Honduras has 3 points while Trinidad & Tobago and the United States are yet to register a point.

Group C: Cote D’Ivoire is at the summit with 4 points, Morocco and Gabon are joint second while Mali is rooted to the bottom with just a point. History will not be kind to a transitioning Cote D’Ivoire if they fail to pick the ticket from this group. It’s up to the likes In spite of their faltering, USA can certainly of Aubameyang to make sure this happens. CAF Qualifiers pick themselves up & grab an automatic Group D: Burkina Faso is top with 4 points. ticket or at least qualify for the play-offs. South Africa also have 4 points with an Mexico & Costa Rica will almost certainly inferior goal difference. Senegal is third with qualify while Honduras could just slightly 3 points while Cape Verde is yet to secure a edge Panama. USA’s Jozy Altidore might be point. Another tough group to call as form her top scorer but the player to watch out favours Burkina Faso & South Africa while for is certainly Borussia Dortmund’s Christian history favours Senegal. Whichever way it Pulisic. First round: A total of 26 teams (ranked 28– turns out, the real winners will surely be the 53) played home-and-away over 2 legs. The fans as the games promise much excitement. 13 winners advanced to the second round. Group E: Egypt rests on top with 6 points, Second round: A total of 40 teams (ranked Uganda is second placed with 4 points 1–27 and the 13 first round winners) played while surprisingly, Ghana has secured only a home-and-away over 2 legs. The 20 winners point. Congo is rooted to the bottom with no points. The Pharaohs are outscoring advanced to the third round. everyone & look they’ll take the group but Third round: The 20 teams which advanced no one can write off a Ghana team on its from the second round were divided into 5 day. There’s also Uganda with the joint top groups of 4 teams to play home-and-away scorer in the CAF qualifying rounds on 4 round-robin matches. The winners of each goals, 19-year-old Faruku Miya. group will qualify for the 2018 FIFA World CONCACAF Qualifiers Cup. Ahmed Khalil scored both goals as UAE inflicted a shock 2-1 home defeat to Japan in a highly controversial AFC FIFA world Cup qualifiers on September 1, 2016.

CAF qualification is at its final stage. Top teams like Ghana and Algeria both began with a wobble. Across all five groups, only four teams (DR Congo, Tunisia, Nigeria and Egypt) have registered maximum points. Group A: DR Congo edges Tunisia at the top with a better goal difference as both teams have 6 points each. Guinea and Libya are yet to register a point in the group. This is probably the hardest group to call but with Yannick Bolasie and Ndombe Mubele on 3 goals each, DR Congo might just shoot its

First round: 14 teams (ranked 22–35) played home-and-away over two legs. The 7 winners advanced to the second round. Second round: A total of 20 teams (ranked 9–21 and seven first round winners) played home-and-away over two legs. The 10 winners advanced to the third round. 31

On September 2, 2016, Pulisic became the youngest American to score a goal in World Cup Qualifying. The young midfielder certainly has many more roofs to break through.

CONMEBOL Qualifiers

The 10 CONMEBOL teams will play in a league of home-and-away round-robin matches. The top 4 teams will qualify for the World Cup, and the fifth-place team will advance to the inter-confederation play-offs. The fixtures were decided by a draw held on July 25, 2015 at the Konstantinovsky Palace in Strelna, Saint Petersburg, Russia. With 12 games played and just 6 more to go, it is astonishing to find the World number one team, Argentina, just shy of the play-off spot. Brazil top the log with 27 points after an incredible run of six consecutive wins under Coach Tite. Uruguay is second with 23 points. Ecuador is third with 20 points while Argentina is fourth with 19. Chile complete the top half with 18 points. In the bottom half we have Colombia on 18 points, Paraguay with 15 points while Peru has 14 points. Bolivia and Venezuela complete the bottom half with 7 and 5 points respectively. All the usual suspects will most certainly qualify this time again. The real, if not only, battle will be between Chile and Columbia for the play-off spot. Chile will probably edge Columbia because of their superior firepower. Amongst the plethora of stars to look out for, the brightest is probably Palmeiras & Seleção striker, Gabriel Jesus.

Samoa, and Tonga played a round-robin · With the admission of Gibraltar and Kosovo as FIFA members in May 2016, tournament at a single country. The winner both national teams were eligible advanced to the second round. to make their debuts in World Cup Second round (OFC Nations Cup): A total of qualifying. With 2 groups of only 5 teams 8 teams (Fiji, New Caledonia, New Zealand, in the first round, Kosovo was assigned Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tahiti, to group I as it was decided that Bosnia Vanuatu, and the first round winner) played & Herzegovina and Serbia should not the tournament. For the group stage, they play against Kosovo for security reasons. were divided into 2 groups of 4 teams. The Gibraltar was then added to group H. top 3 teams of each group advanced to the third round of World Cup qualifying. The With UEFA qualification currently in the first top 2 teams of each group also advanced round, 4 games have been played across all to the knockout stage (semi-finals and 9 groups. No real surprises yet except for final) to decide the 2016 OFC Nations Cup Azerbaijan that occupies third position in her winner the team that’ll play in the 2017 FIFA group having registered 2 wins already. Confederations Cup. Group A has France on top with 10 points Third round: The 6 teams which advanced while Netherlands and Sweden have 7 from the second round were divided into 2 points each. Bulgaria is fourth with 6 points, groups of 3 teams to play home-and-away Belarus has 2 points while Luxembourg has round-robin matches. The 2 group winners one. France will take this group given their will meet in a two-legged match with the current form & Netherlands will just about winner advancing to the inter-confederation beat Sweden to second place. play-offs. Group B features Switzerland as leaders racking maximum points followed by Portugal with 9. Hungary have 7 points, Faroe Islands have 5, Latvia has 4 and Andorra is yet to secure a point. As a team, Switzerland has played better than Portugal and this is probably why they’ll win the group. In spite of Ronaldo’s form No surprises yet in the third round of the (he’s the top scorer in European qualifiers OFC qualification as New Zealand leads with 7 goals), Portugal might just have to Group A having copped 4 points from their settle for the play-off spot. first two games. New Caledonia has a point while Fiji are still to play a game in the group. Group C: Germany is having a very smooth Group B has Tahiti and Solomon Islands tied ride with maximum points. Northern Ireland with 3 points each while Papua New Guinea and Azerbaijan are tied on 7 points each. is yet to play a game also. Czech Republic has 5 points so far, Norway only got 3 while San Marino is yet to register It is easy to see Tahiti and New Zealand a point. facing off for the sole play-off ticket. It is not so easy however, to separate both sides. There’s no seeing past Germany in this one. For the play-off spot however, Azerbaijan UEFA Qualifiers could just ruin the party for one of either Czech Republic or Northern Ireland. It probably wouldn’t be the case though.

The draw for the UEFA region took place on 25 July 2015 in St. Petersburg. Jesus is Brazil’s top scorer in World Cup Qualifying with 5 goals. At only 19, we’ll certainly see many more of his trademark goal celebrations in the years to come. OFC Qualifiers

First round: American Samoa, Cook Islands,

First round (group stage): The 52 UEFA teams affiliated with FIFA at the time of the draw were divided into 9 groups (7 groups of 6 teams and 2 groups of 5 teams) to play home-and-away round-robin matches. The winners of each group will qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and the 8 best runners-up will advance to the second round (play-offs). Second round (play-offs): The 8 best runnersup from the first round will play home-andaway over 2 legs. The 4 winners will qualify Manuel Neuer is probably the most for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. outstanding player in European qualifiers so 32

far. The recently appointed German Ccptain is the only goalie yet to concede a goal throughout the qualifiers. Group D has the Republic of Ireland topping with 10 points. Serbia occupies second place with eight points, Wales has 6 points while Austria has four. Georgia has two and Moldova has one. Martin O’Neill has woven together a band of brothers and the reward for their hard work will almost certainly be the automatic ticket to Russia. As for the play-off spot, it will come down to which team can inspire itself most between Serbia & Wales. The Welshmen will probably steal it. Group E: Poland is cruising with 10 points, Montenegro has 7 points, Denmark has managed 6 points while Romania has 5. Armenia has 3 and Kazakhstan has secured only 2. Here, Poland and Lewandowski will win the group and Denmark will edge Montenegro to the play-offs. Group F is tightly contested with the three lions at the summit amassing 10 points. Slovenia comes close with 8 points, Slovakia is third having got 6 points, Lithuania is in the fifth spot with 5 points and Scotland has 4. Malta is bottom without any point. England ought to see this group out comfortably while Slovenia and Slovakia will vie for the second place. There’s no writing Scotland off though, they could always throw in a surprise or two. Group G: Spain and Italy battle for supremacy, they are joint top with 10 points each closely followed by Israel on 9 points. Albania has 6 points while neither Macedonia nor Liechtenstein have secured a point yet. History & current form favours no side at the top of this group. It might come down to goal difference and Spain are favourites to win that battle. Group H: Belgium has maximum points while Greece has 10. Bosnia & Herzegovina has also put in a good performance with 7 points, Cyprus and Estonia are tied on 3 while Gibraltar has none yet. Belgium have been absolute monsters in qualifying. They have the healthiest goal difference of any team with +20 and will certainly clinch Group H. The only reward for Greece’s renaissance will be second place. Group I: The final group has Croatia on top with 10 points followed closely by Ukraine that has managed 8 points. Iceland has copped 7 points while Turkey has 5. Finland and Kosovo are rooted at the bottom with a point each. While Croatia & Ukraine battle for supremacy, little attention is being paid Iceland; a team that surprised many at the Euros in France. They could cause another upset and maybe even win the group!

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352 Numbers Game T WO

T H O U S A N D

A N D

S I X T E E N

by Victor Okafor

At 352, we regularly have debates over what the numbers in football mean, and what context they should be viewed in. We recognize that they don’t always tell the full story. We don’t ignore them though. Consequently, here are 11 numbers that meant so much for the global game in the past year.

I N

N U M B E R S

2008/2009 season, Mesut Ozil and Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the 2010-2011 and 2012-2013 respectively. Supply. 8 – French and Atletico Madrid forward, Antoine Griezmann was involved in more goals than anyone else at Euro 2016. He was the highest goalscorer with 6 goals and 2 assists. Clutch.

11- Jamie Vardy broke the record for the most consecutive goals scored in the Premier League. Fun fact, he surpassed the former record holder 2 – The highest amount of red cards received by a Premier League Ruud van Nistelroooy by scoring against the Dutchman’s former team, manager in 2016, have been given to Jose Mourinho. The Portuguese Manchester United! Full Circle. gaffer has been sent off against both Burnley and West Ham. Maybe he 13 – The Hosts of this year’s European Championship, France outscored just doesn’t like the sight of claret and blue? Feisty. 23 other teams hitting the back of the net 13 times. They however, did not 3 – Leicester City Captain Wes Morgan, became only the 3rd outfield win the trophy, losing to Portugal in the final. Short. player since 1992 to play in every minute of every game for a title-winning side in the Premier League. The other 2? Gary Pallister for Manchester 243 – Aston Villa were relegated after holding a lead in a cumulative period of just 243 minutes out of the 3,500 minutes played in the 2015/2016 United in 1993 & John Terry for Chelsea in 2015. Trifecta. season. This is the worst record in Premiership history. Behind 4 – Following their 2015/2016 Bundesliga triumph, Bayern Munich have become the first club to win 4 consecutive German top flight championship 15 – Chelsea went 15 games unbeaten after firing grouchy gaffer, Jose Mourinho in the 2015/2016. They still mounted a horrible title defense, trophies. Force. losing 12 games, 9 more than they did in the previous season. Bittersweet. 6- Paul Pogba made a return to the Premiership with Manchester United wielding their hefty cheque-book to smash the transfer fee record (previously 974 – Juventus keeper Gianluigi Buffon set a new Serie A record for the longest run without conceding a goal with 974 consecutive minutes on held by Bale) with his £89m price tag. #POGBACK. the clock. His massive effort dislodged AC Milan’s Sabastiano Rossi who 7 – Neymar equaled the tally previously set for most Champions League set a record of 929 minutes without conceding in the 1993/1994 season. assists. Players to have achieved that before him are Xavi Hernandez in the Shutout. 34

HOTTEST PROSPECTS:

The Official Under-21 All Star XI

In trying to rate some of the hottest prospects in world football, there were at least 57 names to sift through. From the players under 21, quite a few of the bunch already look like future Ballon D’or. Then again, 6 or more years is still some way off. There’s no way of telling how many of these players will actually go on to fulfil their full potential.

NIKLAS SULE: The 20-year-old central defender has been a mainstay in the heart of TSG Hoffenheim’s defence, lining up alongside long time Arsenal Swiss target, Fabian Schar. Julian Nagelsmann’s side are the only unbeaten team in the Bundesliga this season and Sule has contributed immensely to that record. His calm head belies his lack of experience and at this rate he should be in the national team very soon.

Nonetheless, here’s our exclusive All-star XI of the next ANDREAS CHRISTENSEN: The Chelsea loanee rated footballers from 2016. is already attracting interest from European giants like Barcelona and Bayern Munich. His current temporary GIANLUIGI DONNARUMMA: He looks like he’s employers, Borussia Moenchengladbach were willing to been on the scene for several seasons, but the shot- break their record transfer fee to sign him permanently stopper is still only 17. He broke into the AC Milan from Chelsea. They know how immense a talent he team in 2015 at the age 16 and he’s been ever present is. We can’t wait for him to come back to Chelsea and in the Rossoneri side. He then went on to make his full maybe form a Terry-Carvalho partnership with one Italy debut in September in a friendly against France, of the present Chelsea defenders (assuming Antonio coming on for the person he’s been touted to replace, Conte one day returns to a back four). Gianluigi Buffon. How poetic. Will he go on to have a career half as Buffon’s (who is a huge fan, by the way), THIAGO MAIA: The 19-year-old Santos midfielder who knows? has been linked with Chelsea, Juventus and PSG. A starter for Brazil’s U-23 team, he’s assured in possession BENJAMIN HENRICHS: One of the most and has the ability to read and also break up play when offensively minded fullbacks in the Bundesliga, required. The next Gilberto Silva? We would love Heinrichs broke into the Leverkusen team in 2015 and that wouldn’t we, the latest from the conveyor belt of has been ever present in Roger Schmidt’s side. A full Brazilian midfield fixtures. German International, he can also play in midfield. There is a feeling he could well become the next Jerome MAXIMILIAN MEYER: Germany’s captain at the Boateng (he also has Ghanaian heritage). Olympic Games in Rio, Meyer’s qualities are obvious. He has been in the first team since 2013 and has made KIERAN TIERNEY: The biggest story in Scotland over 95 appearances, scoring 16 goals too. Amongst his right now, Tierney has grown in leaps and bounds since suitors, there has been talk of swopping down to take breaking into the Celtic team at the age of 16. He is him from Schalke 04 but he is hardly fazed. strong, athletic and has a mean left foot and has been linked with a move to Arsenal. How soon a big move YOURI TIELEMANS: Tielemans has made so many like that will materialise, we cannot say. Nonetheless he football writers, including this one, drool for a number is one glimmer of hope for a country which has tailed of seasons now. We might only be able to tell if he has off in terms of producing remarkable football talent. what it takes to thrive at the top when he takes that bold

by Ayoola Kelechi

step away from current club, Anderlecht. His potential and talent are obvious, as those who have seen him play in the UEFA Champions League can testify. Now he just needs to show it every day in front of a wider television audience. OUSMANE DEMBELE: We raved about him when he was at Rennes, and we have not stopped raving about him now that he is at Dortmund. He can dribble, he can shoot, he can pass, he can score, he can run (and then some), he can play penalties, he is confident. He’s been tipped for a move to the Premier league in the near future. We’ll wait some more to see if that gives him the platform. Let us see if that will give me the platform to become a world star. ANDRE SILVA: 11 goals in 24 games and 4 goals in 5 games for Porto and Portugal respectively. At this this man could easily be the next Pauleta. With his form in front of goal, Portugal might not need to look so far for goals when Cristiano Ronaldo finally retires. Clearly one to watch out for in the coming months. KASPER DOLBERG: After watching him play, comparisons with the legendary Ruud Van Nistelrooy do not seem out of place. Playing at Dutch powerhouse, Ajax, he always seems to appear the right place at the right time to convert chances. He has been linked with Manchester United (who has not?) but the Danish striker who has also been compared to Zlatan Ibrahimovic can expect a few more knocks at his door. Honourable Mentions: Alban Lafont, Reece Oxford, Moise Kean, Riechedly Bazoer, Andrija Zivkovic, Giovani Lo Celso, Diogo Jota, Santi Mina, Pablo Fornals, Goncalo Guedes