IFFHS NEWS AND STATISTICS OF THE WEEK 47
Picture : Manuel Neuer and Germany against Sergio Ramos and Spain. A stunning 0 - 6 !
HISTORICAL !
Manuel Neuer, the Captain of the team, has beaten the Record of 96 international caps (the most caps in the History of Germany’s Goalkeepers) but has also conceeded for the first time 6 goals, the highest number in his career in club and national team !
Spain dealt Germany their worst defeat in 89 years on Tuesday as a stunning 6-0 victory in Seville sent them through to the Nations League semi-finals.
Germany have not been beaten so heavily since losing to Austria by the same scoreline in a friendly in 1931.
Spain were as sublime as Germany were abysmal in Seville, where Ferran Torres scored a brilliant hat-trick to justify his reputation as one of football's most exciting prospects.
It was Germany's second ever heaviest defeat, their worst a 9-0 loss at the hands of England Amateurs in 1909.
Joachim Loew oversaw Germany winning the World Cup in 2014 but even he, after 14 years in charge, will be under pressure after a humiliation like this.
Yet just as the result will spark a period of German introspection, Spain finally produced a performance under Luis Enrique to give them hope of being genuine contenders at next summer's European Championship.
They join France, Belgium and Italy in the Nations League final four !
A LIVERPOOL SQUAD DECIMATED
The Reds officially began life at their new training ground on Tuesday, with Jürgen Klopp , calling upon a small 13-man squad due to the majority of his players being injured (Van Dijk, Gomez, Trent Alexander, Robertson, Thiago Alcanrata , Fabinho, Henderson, Oxlade Chamberlain) , being Covid infected (Salah) or on international duty !
In fact, James Milner, Joel Matip (picture), Nat Phillips, Divock Origi and Adrian were the only senior players involved, with the manager including a number of youngsters in the session.
While Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain worked rehabilitation, no sign of Sadio Mane ,returned from Senegal, of Thiago Alcantara and Fabinho,
Thiago and Fabinho are not yet part of the squad suggests they may not be available against Leicester.
Klopp has previously stressed that he would not rush players back after injury, and with both spending weeks on the sidelines this could rule them out at the weekend. Fabinho would be the solution with Matip as Central Defender, because of the injuries of Virgil Van Dijk and Joe Gomez.
The manager could, of course, retain his 4-4-2 system from the 1-1 draw with Man City last time out, though with Mohamed Salah not yet cleared to take part on Sunday due to a positive COVID-19 test, his options are slimmer.
Origi’s availability in training throughout the international break could increase his chances of featuring.
REACTION
Less than 24 hours after being notified by the federation, FECAFOOT of the FIFA correspondence of November 16th which was their recommendation after the November 13th video conference involving feuding parties in Cameroon domestic football, the professional league, LFPC have predictably reacted and ultimately announced the resumption of play for November 21st following the launch of the new season by them on November 1st, 2020.
To reclaim their right to organize the leagues 1 & 2, LFPC highlighted a number of points insinuated in the FIFA correspondence: FIFA concluded that the LFPC were never dissolved, contrary to FECAFOOT allegations; FIFA consider that the inaugural match of the season effectively held on November 1st although FECAFOOT expressed reservations on its modus operandi; by asking for a continuation of the season, FIFA acknowledge that the season is already on; and by saying FECAFOOT supervise the continuation of the championship means LFPC should take off from where they left off under the supervision of FECAFOOT, FIFA’s technical organ in Cameroon.
LFPC have therefore bought FIFA suggestion for swift resumption of the professional leagues to enable Cameroon adequately prepare their team for the upcoming African Championships by fixing the resumption of play for November 21st, twenty four hours earlier than initially purported by FECAFOOT. LFPC also announce they have already reached out to the Court of arbitration for Sport, CAS, and tabled a motion for the annulment of FECAFOOT decisions taken on November 4th which went contrary to a CAS ruling of last September 14th.
AFRICA QUALIFICATIONS
Mali and Tunisia qualified for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations finals on Tuesday to follow in the footsteps of title holders Algeria, Senegal and hosts Cameroon.
Morocco and Hakim Ziyech
Another 19 places will be up for grabs during the final two matchdays between March 22 and 30 with record seven-time champions Egypt among those close to securing places.
SOUTH AMERICA QUALIFICATIONS
Brazil continued their perfect start to the qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup with a 2-0 win over Uruguay while rivals Argentina stayed in touch with an easy win in Peru.
First-half goals from Arthur and Richarlison helped Brazil to a 2-0 win over Uruguay, who had Manchester United striker Edinson Cavani sent off.
Argentina, with Lionel Messi pulling the strings, brushed aside a limited Peru 2-0 in Lima, with goals from Inter Milan's Lautaro Martinez and Nicholas Gonzalez in a game in which they were never troubled.
Richarlison and Brazil beat Uruguay
Ecuador, playing on their home turf in high-altitude Quito, hammered Colombia 6-1. Paraguay and Bolivia fought out a 2-2 draw while Venezuela -- the only South American team never to qualify for a World Cup finals -- picked up their first points in a 2-1 victory over Chile in Caracas.
Victory in Montevideo left Brazil on top of South America's qualifying standings on 12 points with four wins from four games. Argentina are second on 10 points after beating Peru, with surprise team Ecuador third on nine points.
Uruguay are fifth on six points, behind Paraguay on goal difference after four matches.
The first four teams in South America's round-robin competition qualify directly for the World Cup finals in Qatar, while the 5th placed nation faces a playoff against the country qualifying from Oceania.