Feature: The curious case of replacing Arsene Wenger

The football world was blown away when Arsene Wenger stepped out to the public and stated that he would be leaving the club at the end of this season. This was quite shocking considering that Arsene has claimed to have respected all his contracts as a coach and he is currently on a 2-year contract that expires next season. This leaves us with a lot of questions as to why the legend just decides to go at the end of this season. Could it be that he faced the reality that the club was ailing in his hands instead of progressing like he thought he could make them? But this was just one of the stories that were in the headlines on this day. Many people had their thoughts on Wenger’s decision as well as his legacy and replacements.

Mesut Ozil was the first player to share his sentiment on Arsene Wenger. It is well known that the former Real Madrid star swapped the tremendous Spanish club for Arsene in a £42.5m move. He has since claimed that Wenger was a significant influence in him moving to the English side ahead of other big offers from clubs such Bayern Munich in Germany and the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United who were interested in his services. The player has said that he is proud to have made that decision and come to Arsenal and play against a manager of Wenger’s stature. The coach believes in an attacking team that allows the midfielders to dominate the game in possession and splitting the opposition with some timely passes.

Another player who played Wenger shared his thoughts on Wenger’s imminent departure. Lukas Podolski acknowledges that 22 years at the helm of one club is quite a feat but leaves a lot of marks now that he is going. The German played for Arsenal for 2-and-a-half years before moving to Galatasaray. He is also curious to find out which direction the club will take after his former boss’ decision. He is quoted as having said, “It's a question of whether they want someone with experience like Arsene Wenger, a guy like Carlo Ancelotti, or maybe a young, hungry coach.” This is something that is on everyone’s mind because this is the first time the club is on the market after 22 years.

Arsenal Chairman, Ivan Gazidis, had a lot to say about Wenger’s legacy. He is obviously grateful to the manager for the legacy that he leaves at the club. He also took the opportunity to reassure the fans that the club will be on the hunt for a manager who will take Arsenal to the next level. Gazidis said, “The process begins today. I want to keep that process in-house. This club has to rise to the challenge. You don't find a replacement for Arsene Wenger. You find a new path forward.” The club has to be bold in making that decision when they eventually have to choose from a pool of options because they have made a lot of mistakes in the past when other great managers like Klopp and Guardiola were available. Could they go for the experienced Ancelotti like Podolski mentioned?

We also looked at what Ancelotti thought about the idea of joining Arsenal. The Italian has been out of a job since last September when Bayern Munich sacked him. The manager refused to rule himself out of a job saying, “I can say I would like to work again, but that depends on me. If I find the right possibility, the right project I would be delighted to continue.” We take hints from his message that he is referring to Arsenal because they are a club who have been well run and have a great crop of talent that lack motivation. He is known for bringing the best out of a player and it would be interesting if the club decides to go for him.

Spanish football expert, Guillem Balague also had this opinion on who should come to the Emirates Stadium and replace Wenger. He looked at the prospect of former Barcelona coach Enrique leading the Gooners with his attacking mentality which suits the way the club has been playing under the current coach. Balague believes that Luis Enrique is interested in the job after having a season out of football waiting for the right job to appear. It is quite sad that everyone is now focused on who will be leading the club next season while the Frenchman is still left with less than two months.  

Jamie Redknapp has come out and stated that no one should feel sorry for the Frenchman. This is because the manager has had an opportunity that lasted for 22 years. What is sad is seeing a coach being sacked after one year and never having another opportunity to coach another top club ever again. Everyone should instead respect the Frenchman and celebrate his legacy which leaves fond memories for the Arsenal faithful. Redknapp thinks that the club is now ready for someone who has a connection with the club like Thierry Henry. He believes the former Arsenal captain has the hunger that the club needs if they are to maintain their status as a top club in Europe.

What next for Wenger you may ask? Some believe he still has a lot to offer in football but not at Arsenal. Arsene has had control at Arsenal for so many years and probably should not be appointed as the Director of Football as it might bring conflict with whoever comes in to replace him as a coach and fails to agree with him on certain things. Instead, Wenger can lead a club like PSG who are on the lookout for a top manager, and he is undeniably that and more. With the right players, he can deliver.  

Feature: Why are people so crazy about football?

The "Crazed" Fan

Citizens of the earth who are outside of the football fraternity look on the players of the game and the fans that back them with bewilderment, amazement and more often than not, with a little bit of envy. They ask; how could a grown-up man cry over a loss of a team which does not even know they exist or shares bit of the income when they triumph? Some ponder on whether these fans do not have anything better to do with their time instead of committing emotions, money and everything else to brave the cold winter nights to sit in the stands and shout “You will never walk alone!” in Merseyside, “Ka bo Yellow Masandawana!” in Pretoria or “DeMbare bhora” in neighboring Zimbabwe. Perhaps sharing the way I see the game could go along way in answering some of those questions. So here goes!

We see ourselves in the character of the teams we support

Have you ever wondered why someone would consider themselves die-hard Arsenal fans since 2005 and yet they have never the chance to witness their Gooner heroes lift any major trophy or accolades since then? At times the passion and zeal to commit to a certain team transcend just the obvious reasons of saying for instance, “I like Messi and henceforth I am a Barca fan” or that my favorite color is blue, so I support Zimbabwe’s Dynamos football club. Football clubs all around the world have characters and ‘personalities’ which radiate to the fans of the game. These fans are able to somehow discern these characters and end up subconsciously liking and choosing to support particular teams. It’s like falling in love where at times it goes deeper rather than liking someone for their physical attributes. So yes, its much more than who wins the biggest trophies or attracts the most talented footballers - the connection is engraved deep in the souls of those who love the game and are stewards of it.

Let me make it a bit more concrete. If you take a poll, you will probably realize that Manchester City fans are generally less outspoken than Manchester United fans; Arsenal fans may be more conservative and detail oriented than Chelsea fans who could generally be adventurous while maintaining that the end will always justify the means. The contrasting football philosophies could, for example, help to identify the undertones. Arsenal, more so under Arsene Wenger, cares more about keeping their attractive style of play and can keep a single manager for more than twenty years. On the other hand, most recently, Chelsea tend to have a new manager in every two seasons with different styles of play being employed and it doesn’t really matter if it helps them win trophies (the end justifies the means). Even in different parts of the world, the same construct still applies. The Soweto giants, Kaizer Chiefs, and Orlando Pirates are loved by their faithfuls for their strong culture of community and giving power to the people as is the case in the townships they come from. For some Soweto derbies, fans were given the chance to vote for how their teams would line up. Even the excessive showboating these two teams usually show is never despised irrespective of the match results. Its because the fans also grew up playing Kasi football (almost literally more about dribbling than goals) in the streets whilst listening to loud house music. There were never 4-4-2 tactics, or any mechanical formations to grind results when they played on the streets but just fun and nutmeg contests. Henceforth when they showboat, fans get more than just entertainment but identify themselves with the team. Clubs like England’s Everton have been dubbed a “working class” club showing just how much the love of a team by a fan goes beyond the colors but deep into their core values and lifestyle.

It’s simply fun

Living life on the edge can be thrilling especially if the adverse effects are less deteriorating. For every match that is played, football offers ninety minutes of uncertainty, adrenaline rush, laughter tears and a whole lot more. For every goal woodwork that is rattled, seats are deserted, jaws dropped and the near joy of what could have been, is revered and anticipated. For every goal that is scored, nations are united in celebrations and fans temporarily forget their religion, race, gender or creed and celebrate together as human beings without restrictions.

There are also those who assume the roles of artists on the pitch, picking out teammates intuitively like Mesut Ozil, riding invisible bicycles in scoring wonder goals like Cristiano Ronaldo, nutmegging opponents at will as Messi does and supermaning effortlessly to stop shots as is the case Marc-Andre Ter Stergen. Even the bizarre incidents of the likes of Luis Suarez turning out to be Vampire diaries actors or Asamoah Gyan and his Black Stars teammates switching from professional football to showbiz with funky haircuts and moves like Michael Jackson’s to celebrate goals.

And it is more than a football game

When fans gather to commute for long hours to back their heroes, wear cabbage leaves on their heads to support the green machine, CAPS United of Zimbabwe or obscure themselves by painting their bodies in national colors as West Africans do - it’s more than just supporting a team. It is an opportunity for friends to relax having a couple of drinks and catching up on life, a chance to pause from the stresses of everyday life, the privilege to influence the destiny of a people by cheering on the national team and more often than not, a golden chance to bag bragging rights. Most people really enjoy it when they are right about anything, there is no better way to show your friend that they are wrong other than having your team crush theirs.

Why are you still not watching football? What are you waiting for?

Mamelodi Sundowns - The Sky Is The Limit

Sundowns' Brief History

The Sundowns were birthed in 1960 by youngsters in and around Marabastad in Pretoria, South Africa. They joined the Federation of Professional League Soccer in 1967, reaching the finals of the Coca-Cola cup in their debut year which they lost to Berea United. Sundowns were relegated to the lower soccer division in 1980 before Mr. Cool, Zola Mahobe, bought and rescued the club in 1985. The ensuing years were the lavish years when the controversial Mr. Cool invested heavily in the club, seeing them win a few major titles. When Zola was arrested, Standard Bank seized the club which was later acquired by the Krok brothers who steered the club to seven league titles in the post-independence era (1994). Billionaire, Patrice Motsepe bought into the club in 2003 before increasing his stake from 51-100% in 2004, renaming the club to Mamelodi Sundowns  as “a nod to its heritage in Atteridgeville, Eersterus and Laudium and the club’s home in Mamelodi.” His goal became continental glory for the club and appointed Pitso Mosimane as head coach, to steer the boys to success.

Locally, the Mamelodi boys are also known as the Brazilians because of their uniform colors, Ka Bo Yellow (with yellowness), Masandawana or Bafana BaStyle.

Championships and Records

Masandawana are the most successful South African club in the Premier Soccer League era dating back to 1996, having won a record of seven league titles, four Nedbank cups - an equivalent of the English FA Cup, National Football League Championships thrice and most recently, the continental crown (CAF Champions League trophy) and the 2016 CAF Club of The Year Award. Downs are infamous for annihilating Powerlines FC, 24 - 0, yes they won by 24 goals to nothing! It was a Nedbank cup tie in 2012 in which their long-range sniper, Hlompo Kekana found the back of the net seven times together with Zimbabwean striker, Nyasha Mushekwi getting half a dozen of goals as well. They are the only team from South Africa to ever participate in the FIFA Club World Cup though they finished winless in that particular tournament.

“Bafana ba Style”

The club is increasingly cementing their place in the fans’ hearts as the most attractive to watch in the PSL. They were dubbed, Bafana ba Style which literally means, boys with style. Their game is ever becoming more technical, full of flair, precision, and quick short passes -  some locals call it ‘shoe shine and piano.’ In other parts of the world, this would be tiki-taka as is/was the case with the Catalans, Barcelona. Some would highlight that what sets them apart from the rest is their style mixed with purpose, unlike some PSL teams who showboat once in a while but have limited results to show for it. Their thrashing of Powerlines FC may act as evidence to suggest their ruthlessness even in winning positions.

Ubuthu-Botho - Living the Dream

You would be perfectly justified if you say that Ubuthu-Botho is perhaps their mantra. It is an African world-view which literally means humanness or personhood embodying socio-moral significance. The phrase is inscribed on their yellow and blue uniforms and more importantly - they seem to be intentional about living the inscription. Sundowns now have over 300 registered branches of supporters associations in Zambia, Swaziland, Botswana, Zimbabwe and even abroad

in the Cincinnati, USA.  One of the supporters associations in Atteridgeville, South Africa contributed some money to buy materials and built a shack house for one of their own, on her birthday. They expressed their interest in helping a fellow Masandawana achieve her dreams. A shack house might not necessarily be a big deal some eyes but it was good enough to let tears free flow from the lady’s eyes. That’s how much it meant to her. From time to time, the fans also gather in small communities to enjoy some time together, grilling meat and drinking beverages. Social initiatives by the club include the Miss Mamelodi Sundowns beauty pageant, birthed in 2010 to empower women throughout the country. The coveted beauty pageant has the largest prize in South Africa and prides itself in paralleling with other prestigious awards such as Miss South Africa. They also participate in the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup tournament, the biggest schools football tournament with a prize money of over (USD) $250 000. This tournament acts as an avenue for football aspirants to showcase themselves and at times get scouted by professional teams.

The Sky is the Limit

Backed by a strong sense of community, competitive spirit and a billionaire in the form of Patrice Motsepe, there is no telling how far they can go. We have recently seen them establish a football philosophy, acquire foreign players to camp in South Africa, not just fellow Africans but from as far as New Zealand, Uruguay and quite interestingly having the football aspirant/Olympics Champion, Usain Bolt join their ranks for training  - I would guess that global conquest is in their sights and may possibly play a major role in taking African football to the world or bringing the world to Africa. The sky is indeed the limit.

Champions League Quarter-Finals: Juventus vs Real Madrid

• All the second leg games, except for Sevilla vs Bayern, feature teams attempting to turn the first leg defeats around. Juventus will attempt to mount a comeback against arguably one the most potent counterattacking sides in all of Europe. An unfortunate red card for Dybala in this last game means that Juventus will be without their star man, who scored a hattrick at the weekend against Benevento. Madrid meanwhile will look to wrap up this tie after a 1-1 draw in the Madrid derby at the weekend. Zidane rested Isco, Casemiro, Modric and removed Cristiano midway into the second half with an eye on this return leg in Turin. Cristiano scored perhaps the best goal of his career in the last game and has had an incredible return to form in 2018. Bale, however, looks set to return to the bench after starting against Atletico in the Madrid Derby assuming Zidane’s pattern of rotations is anything to go by. Allegri will no doubt create a plan to give his side their best chance, and he will hope Higuain can make the difference against one of his former sides. Juventus will come into this game knowing that they have won the last four two-legged knockout ties when these two teams have met. However, Madrid will feel confident that they have one foot in what could be their eighth successive semi-finals appearance.

Key Match Points

• Cristiano may have had his struggles early on this season, but they never affected his Champions League form. He is the first player to have scored in all six group games, with the 9 goals he contributed, and he scored in both games last round. Scoring in this second leg will continue this impressive streak he is on.
• Sergio Ramos will be suspended for this second leg and it will be interesting to see how Zidane shapes up his starting XI, but Ramos’s leadership and experience will be a big loss for Madrid.
• Madrid’s form in 2018 has coincidentally or not so coincidentally coincided with Cristiano’s return to his magnificent form. The draw at the weekend against Atletico Madrid ended a streak of six consecutive victories in all competitions.
• Dybala is suspended but both Pjanic and Benatia will be available for this second leg. Both players were sorely missed in the first legs if the current aggregate score is anything to go by.
• Juventus will be playing to keep their treble hopes alive. After mounting a comeback against Napoli in Serie A to reassume first place, and booking a spot in the Coppa Italia final against AC Milan, a comeback victory would prolong their hope of winning a treble.

Champions League Quarter-Final Overview: Bayern vs Sevilla

• After a rough start in the first leg, Bayern assumed control of the tie with a 2-1 victory in Seville. They will be fully expecting to advance to the semi-finals but Sevilla have consistently surprised their opponents in this competition this season. A 3-3 draw in Liverpool during the group stage and a dramatic 2-1 victory in Old Trafford last round to knock out Manchester United means that Jupp Heynckes will be fully aware of how dangerous Sevilla can be, especially away from home. Bayern won their sixth consecutive league title at the weekend with a come from behind victory against Augsburg. Meanwhile, Sevilla suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat against Celta Vigo at the weekend, although Montella played a heavily rotated side. Experience will be an interesting differentiator in this second leg, and although Sevilla will most certainly attempt to mount a comeback, Bayern will look to seal the tie at home. With only one quarterfinal appearance in the last 60 years, in contrast with this being Bayern’s seventh consecutive quarterfinal, Heynckes will have confidence in doing what Mourinho could not do last round. Bayern’s last two home games ended in 6-0 victories. However, with their history against Spanish sides, and Sevilla’s form away from home in this competition, this tie is far from over.

Key Match Points:

• Interestingly enough, Bayern historically has typically struggled against Spanish sides in this competition. Their record is 9 wins to 10 losses, and they were knocked out by Real Madrid at this stage of the competition last season.
• Jupp Heynckes has only ever been involved in 2 other Champions League campaigns and he won both of them. Bayern, like Barcelona, Juventus, and Manchester City, is still playing for a treble and last won one under Heynckes.
• Sevilla has a strong record against German competition, with five wins from nine visits. They will be hoping that a now available Ever Banega can pull the strings for their comeback.
• A rested Lewandowski will look to continue his wonderful season and goal scoring form. He has netted hat tricks in the last two home games for Bayern.

Champions League Quarter-Final Overview: Manchester City vs Liverpool

The second game featuring a team with optimistic comeback hopes will feature a recently shaken Manchester City side against an offensively potent Liverpool side looking to continue their wonderful Champions League campaign into the semi-finals. Liverpool played on the front foot magnificently and took the game to Manchester City in the first leg. With the famous Anfield crowd behind them, Klopp saw his team score 3 first-half goals to now take to Manchester. Salah and Firmino were among some of the key men rested at the weekend during the 0-0 Merseyside Derby. Pep will be expecting his side to bounce back after two consecutive defeats. At halftime of the Manchester Derby at the weekend, after having rested some key players, Pep would have felt good about his side’s chances of overturning their first-leg deficit. Manchester United had other plans, however, and losing 3-2 from a 2-0 position could not have helped Manchester City players’ confidence. Pep will know that one away goal from Liverpool will mean that his side will need 5 goals to win and go through. It is a tall order, but expect to see Manchester City take the game to Liverpool in this second leg.

Key Match Points

• Liverpool historically have experience in Champions League, but will be hoping to make the most of their first quarterfinal appearance since 2008-09. Interestingly enough, Liverpool have never won an away European game against an English club.
• The Liverpool and Manchester United games were the first time in Pep’s career that his side have conceded three goals in consecutive matches.
• Pep has won only 5 of his last 24 Champions League games away from home. 9 defeats and 10 draws. 27 goals for and 32 against.
• Scoring will most likely not be a problem for City, however, keeping a clean sheet will be paramount to any comeback hopes, although last season Barcelona did the impossible and defeated PSG even after conceding an away goal.
• Liverpool
  have failed to score in only four of their 23 away matches this season. Salah will hope to have recovered from a groin injury and rejoin Firmino in the starting XI.

Champions League Quarter-Final Overview: AS Roma vs Barcelona

The first game featuring a team with optimistic comeback hopes will feature a battered Roma side against a Barcelona side that has continued to maintain their consistently good form into the business end of the season. After a comprehensive 4-1 first leg victory in the Camp Nou, Barcelona have one foot in the semi-finals. Barring a complete collapse in Rome, Valverde will keep their treble hopes alive. Messi will come into this second leg in scintillating form after scoring a hattrick at the weekend in a 3-1 victory against Leganes. Roma, on the other hand, will be looking to bounce back from consecutive defeats after losing 2-0 to Fiorentina at the weekend in Serie A. History will not be on Roma’s side, however, with the Italians having lost their last four matches in the quarterfinals. Barcelona, meanwhile, will be looking to advance to the semi-finals after having lost last season to Juventus at this stage of the competition.

Key Match Points

• Barcelona are the only team still unbeaten in La Liga. Messi looks to be slowly regaining his fitness after sitting out both Argentina games during the international break.
• Suarez scored his first Champions League goal in one year in the first leg. With Coutinho cup-tied, Suarez and Messi will again be the key attacking players in this second leg.
• Dzeko will hope to inspire a comeback for his Roma side, but they have been quite shaky at home this season with seven defeats being suffered in the Stadio Olympico.
• Cengiz Ünder is in Roma's roster for the second leg, as he did not feature in the first. Can he provide a spark for the Romans?

Champions League Quarter-Final Overview: Liverpool vs Manchester City

Key Points

• Arguably the best game of the Premier League season will now be a two-legged affair in Champions League Quater-Final.

• Klopp vs Pep. Historically, Klopp’s teams have always caused Pep’s teams problems and this tie will be no different. Both teams come into this game in wonderful form and full of confidence.

• Mohammed Salah and Kevin De Bruyne have been standout players this season for both of their clubs, but Firmino and Silva will most certainly also play key roles
  over both legs.

The African connection of Mane and Salah brushed aside their opposite numbers in Porto’s colors. Algeria’s Brahimi and Cameroon’s Aboubakar were not too happy after Mane scored a hat-trick with Mohamed Salah also getting on the scoresheet in their 5-0 aggregate win for a place in the Quarter-Finals.

Liverpool is the only club remaining in the last eight with a flourishing African partnership. The Reds have had to largely bank on EPL leading scorer’s goals, Mohamed Salah, who has done nothing but smash records. They currently sit third in the English Premier League standings and will be keenly looking out for Salah and his side-kick Mane to show up and finish the team’ chances. Liverpool knows a lot about their Quarter-Final opposition, Manchester City, being the only team to have inflicted a defeat on them in the EPL title race with Mane and Salah both scoring in that encounter.

They did it once, can they do it again and give Liverpool fans some long forgotten silverware? I honestly love my African brothers, but I do not see Pep Guardiola losing this one.

Champions League Quarter-Final Overview: Barcelona vs Roma

Key Points

• Messi is indispensable as he proved again over the weekend. Although he clearly is not 100% fit, Roma could have difficulties in the first leg in the Camp Nou.

• Dzeko has been the standout performer for Roma, also proving himself vital over the weekend helping his team to a 1-1 draw against Bologna. He will need to play well if Roma have any chance to advance in this tie.

• With Dembele slowly growing in confidence, and Busquets returning from injury, Barcelona will feel confident ahead of this first leg at home.

The Italians are one of the introverts of this tie. To be fair, they have not been really convincing but got the job done. The She-Wolf scarcely got past Shakhtar Donetsk on away goals rule after a disciplined 1-0 victory in the second leg. What matters now at this stage of the competition is experience and boy do they have plenty. Boasting of a line-up with the likes of Edin Dzeko, Stephan El Shaarawy, Kolarov, De Rossi, Radja Nainggolan only to mention but a few - Roma can frustrate anyone on a good day. Let us not forget how their 3-0 thrashing of Chelsea in the group stages, topping a group also occupied by Atletico Madrid.

But will they really prevent Messi from giving us another plat du jour? Goalkeeper Alisson Becker should better keep his legs closed at all times.

Champions League Quarter-Final Overview: Real Madrid vs Juventus

Key Points

• Will Bale or Isco start? Based on the pattern of Zidane’s choices for starting XI’s in Champions League games, it looks like Isco is set to start for Madrid in what will certainly be a tense affair in Turin.

• Despite losing in last season’s final, Juventus did defeat Real Madrid the last time these two sides met over two legs.

• Cristiano was rested at the weekend and will most surely be a decisive player if Madrid are to take away a good result for the second leg in Madrid.

• Juventus will be feeling confident after defeating AC Milan in the league 3-1 at the weekend. Dybala looks to be back to his decisive best after a bit of an injury spell earlier in the year.

• Allegri vs Zidane will be an interesting tactical battle. Zidane did well to out guise Emery last round, but Allegri also did well in his tactical battle with Pochettino.

Firstly, I was wrong. I wrote about how the Real Madrid train was going to be stopped dead by the tie’s initial favorites, PSG. The Neymar-led Parisians had blown all of us away in the 2017/18 UEFA champions league group stages, finishing top of the group they shared with Bayern Munich and scoring a record number of goals. But the round of 16 came and the Los Blancos who had a difficult start to their La Liga campaign completely annihilated the Parisians. In fact, they seemed to have effortlessly blew away the PSG smoke, beating them 5-2 on aggregate. The champions league spirit of Ronaldo who bagged a total of three goals in both legs reminded us that the most successful club in Europe cannot be judged on their league form alone.

Next, they face the challenge of the increasingly unpredictable Juventus. The Old Lady produced a miracle at Wembley. They maturely responded to a first leg bullying by Tottenham taking the game to Spurs in the final 45 minutes of the match. Sitting pretty at the top of the Serie A league table right now, Allegri’s men will be confident of avenging last year’s 4-1 humiliation by Madrid in the final. Both Spanish sides Real Madrid and Barcelona may be the prohibitive favorites, but this will be Spain’s best against Italy’s best.

Champions League Quarter-Final Overview: Sevilla vs Bayern Munich

Key Points

• Bayern will be brimming with confidence after demolishing Dortmund in Der Klassiker over the weekend.

• Sevilla may feel hard done by their result against Barcelona after conceding two late goals from a winning position of 2-0.

• Heynckes will have seen what happened to Mourinho and Manchester United last round after leaving Seville with what was seen as a cautiously optimistic 0-0 draw.

Fortune favors the bold they say. But whether or not the Bavarians have been bold, it’s debatable. What’s not debatable is that they have been favored somehow, perhaps by the gods of the UCL draw. Bayern Munich played Turkish side Besiktas which they embarrassed 8-0 on aggregate and now they play Manchester United's hangman, Sevilla, who have looked inconsistent at best this season. In truth, they can actually beat anyone on their day. The Manchester club had to force a 0-0 draw at Sevilla after some superb shot stops by goalkeeper David De Gea and two late strikes by Ben Yedder at Old Trafford ensured the red devils would fall again at the hands of a Spanish opposition.

Over the weekend, Sevilla almost humbled UCL and La Liga title favorites to their first defeat of the Spanish League only to make some mistakes in the final 4 minutes and walk away with a point. I am tipping Bayern Munich to walk away with this one but it won’t be as easy as most people anticipate.

Colombia: Footballs are worth more than rifles; a case of the reintegration of ex-rebels.

After over 50 years of civil conflict between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC in Spanish) and the Colombian government, a peace agreement was signed in November 2016. Wounds inflicted over decades, marked by bloody massacres, kidnappings, extortions and intense fighting are now being slowly healed by the power of sport through football. A lot of young people recruited into the FARC at ages of 17-20 who had their dreams of playing professional football dashed at the time are believing again. In fact, even during the period of the huge turmoil, they would still sacrifice to play football.

““We would carry 70 kilos [154 pounds] on our backs and walk up to 30 km [19 miles] a day upon the mountains. The first thing we would do before camping would be to clear a field with our machetes so we could play soccer. Sports have always been part of our guerrilla way of life.””

— An interviewee who has always been a soccer aspirant

After the peace agreement, close to 7, 000 former rebels are now organized into 26 transitional settlements who are run by the former commanders. Both men and women’s football teams have been neatly set up. From time to time, they play friendly matches with other villages, both civilian and other former rebels’ villages. As the ex-rebels await approval from Dimayor (Colombia's professional soccer authority) to include two B division teams, one for men and the other for women to make their footballing dreams a reality; they remain self-sustained.

The former rebels sell rifles to cover tournament travel costs and buy soccer equipment. At times they still travel for kilometers in metal boats for matches in distant villages, players, and supporters alike. The feared former FARC commander sees sports as well to reintegrate into civilian life and win hearts again as talks of forming a democratic political party continue.

““We’ve started to see an increase in local communities participating in sports events. Soccer is a way for us to win hearts and minds. For example, women’s soccer teams’ participation has increased. The fact they see our [FARC] women play has empowered women in these remote communities to organize and play.” ”

— The Former FARC Commander

The transitional residences are a hive of activity ranging from late night briefings on the peace process, internal issues, world global news; tutoring and jobs to maintain the living conditions. The close to 7, 000 demobilized rebels receive monthly food rations and 700, 000 Colombian pesos(around USD $250) payment each, from the government to purchase essentials.

During the time of the visit by ESPN journalists, one ex-rebels team were in an ecstatic mood after beating 94th Infantry Battalion of the Colombian Armed Forces, 11 - 5. They once met on the battlefield but now go toe to toe on the soccer pitch. The former rebels continue to wait for more support from the government and integration into civilian life is not slowing down for the beloved sons and daughters of Colombia.

FIFA drops racism investigation on Batshuayi’s claims

The cases of racism continue. This time, UEFA has decided to drop their investigation into the claims of racial abuse directed towards Michy Batshuayi in a match between Dortmund and Atalanta in the Europa League last month. UEFA have done so without giving any reason why they were dropping the case which brings suspicion to the way they handle issues of racism. Many players have been racially abused in the past and these include Mario Balotelli, Samuel Eto’o, Muntari, Roberto Carlos, and Everton Luiz among others. UEFA are clearly not doing enough to end racism because many players are being affected by it and the abusers know that little action will be taken against them. In this instance, Batshuayi’s case has been dropped for no reason and the player has responded to that decision by posting, “LOL. It was probably in my imagination,” on his Twitter account. The Belgian striker on-loan at Dortmund from Chelsea laughs it off because of disappointment. This is the second time in less than a month that UEFA have decided to close the investigation on claims of racial discrimination after a black player publicly drew attention. Hefty fines and bans are placed on the players that take matters into their own hands when racially abused and leave the pitch like Kevin Prince-Boateng did. What is UEFA waiting to be done so that they could take serious measures against these inhumane characters who discriminate against other human beings of different race, religion, gender, sex etc?

The Football Governing board to probe allegations of racism between France and Russia’s recent friendly match

The match between France and Russia showcased a fine performance from Paul Pogba, however the 90 minutes were overshadowed by the ugly side of the game. It has since been reported that monkey chants could be heard from the crowd and these were obviously directed at the black players in the France national team. The Russians do not seem to be learning from their mistakes and this probed the intervention of FIFA. Evidence from the pitch-side photographer’s testimony and the audible abuse on a television broadcast after Pogba’s goal are to be considered before any decision is to be made. FIFA have also contacted the anti-discrimination Fare Network to help them investigate the racism case. No comment will be released until they have reached a conclusion on that investigation. This incident is one of the many that has been raised against Russian teams and FIFA’s punishment does not seem to work. Football is becoming toxic to the victims and this needs to be stopped. What does this mean for the World Cup which is going to be hosted in Russia? If racism is failing to be curbed in these friendlies, what more when thousands of black people tour the country during football’s premier tournament?

Russia 2018: Africa’s world cup five out to cap off friendlies in style on Tuesday

Nigeria: After snatching a 1-0 win against Poland (sixth-ranked team in the world), away from home, courtesy of a Victor Moses penalty, the Super Eagles will be out to prove their doubters wrong by putting up a more convincing performance against Serbia.

Morocco: The Atlas of the Lions have been a great revelation under Herve Renard and they continued that streak by dominating Serbia in a 2-1 win at home. With their recent performances and the backing of legend, El Hadji Diouf to write history for Africa in Russia, Morocco will be expected to come out on top against Uzbekistan.

Egypt: The Pharaoh's performances against Portugal were not too bad. They fell out by two goals to one, thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo’ stoppage time brace after Mohamed Salah had opened the scoring. Anyone would tip them to bounce back against Greece.

Tunisia: The Carthage Eagles won hearts with their 1-0 victory over Asia’s surprise package, Iran, who will also face North Africans, Morocco in the June world cup finals. Whether or not they are not they will do the same against the challenge of Costa Rica tomorrow, one would be brave to pick a winner there.

Senegal: The Lions of Teranga shared the spoils with Uzbekistan in 1 -1 draw on Friday in Casablanca. With at least three key players expected to be on sidelines through injury, the Senegal camp will be desperate to show that they have enough depth in their squad to overcome any opponent as they face Edin Dzeko’s Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Messi plat du jour yet again

“We are all so blessed to get to watch Lionel Messi play every week”. This is a statement that I am almost forced to repeat week in and week out. It’s very similar to that of a LeBron James. For writers, it is a pleasure to talk about these generational talents. Every week is a new chance to attempt to describe the almost extraterrestrial- like skill we get to witness every single time they both lace up their shoes. Tonight was merely another example that Messi is playing a different game than the rest of us, as he lit up the Camp Nou with another vintage Champions League performance.“

Messi is now the fastest to 100 UEFA Champions League goals after a two-goal display against Chelsea in the second leg of their Round of 16 fixture. The Argentinian forward scored his 99th goal within the first three minutes of the competition; a nearly impossible goal with his right foot through the legs of Courtois. No manners from Lionel, as he seems to keep inventing new ways to disgrace goalkeepers. Even though it may have appeared a fortunate goal, I have believed for a while now that Messi is so inhuman, that the concept of luck is foreign to him. I remember the exact date when he convinced me that even his most fortunate looking piece of skill was executed intentionally, almost as if to prove he could do it. It was 16 January 2014, where, after dribbling around a set of defenders, then passed it forward into the box in front of him. I could have sworn he was giving a through ball to Cristian Tello. Rather it was to himself, before rounding the keeper and slotting it home, giving Barcelona its second goal of the game that evening, which you can relive for yourself here.

I think that his best and most vintage moment during the second leg against Chelsea came 19 minutes and 29 seconds in when Messi jumped on a mistake from Fabregas in midfield before quickly exing out two Chelsea defenders then continuing on to set up Barcelona’s second of the night through Dembele. That burst that he showed to shift the ball once around Christiansen, and then a second time around Azpilicueta, before he found himself in Chelsea’s eighteen-yard box assisting Dembele. I honestly haven’t seen this burst every week in La Liga this season. Not because he is declining physically, but rather it seems most of the time, his game is now at a level where he doesn’t need to hit top gear to impose his will on matches. 

Ray Hudson’s muse rounded out the goals, with another vintage left-footed finish, yet again megging the Belgian shot-stopper and scoring his 100th goal in Europe’s top competition. He now joins Cristiano Ronaldo as the only other player to achieve this feat. Chelsea never stood a chance tonight, and I’m sure Conte found his own way to communicate that to his men post-match.

Champions League; Round of 16 Overview

MANU VS SEVILLA

No Pogba no problem? Manchester United are in good form recently with big win against Liverpool and will most likely be without their midfield talisman

Sevilla are a real danger. 2-2 and 3-3 results against Liverpool in the group stages means that Manchester will be wary of the away goals.

AS ROMA VS SHAKTAR

Roma will need a strong home performance to go through. The Stadio Olimpico will be key for Roma, who will feel confident after their big win at the weekend.

Shaktar have shown this CL campaign that they have goals in them. Will they make the most of their 2-1 aggregate advantage?

BESIKTAS VS BAYERN

Bayern will rotate players after a comfortable first leg victory. 

Besiktas will hope to give the home fans something to enjoy before exiting the competition.  

BARCELONA VS CHELSEA

After the Tottenham vs Juventus game, easily the most interesting tie left to be decided. 

Barcelona are in great form. Messi will be fresh after missing the game against Malaga to be their for the birth of his third son Ciro.

Chelsea’s starting XI will be interesting after almost successfully defending against Barca in the first leg. 

Potential Candidates To Replace Wenger

In the past weeks, many reports were coming from all angles about Arsenal and their difficult patch they were going through. Many believe that the time has passed for the long-serving manager to turn around this bad omen and build a team that can mount a title challenge once more. £8 million per year is too much an investment that yields no results as the team is not even competing in the Champions League. In this article, we take a look at the people that could be potential replacements for the manager who has served for 21 years whether they are like-for-like or disruptive managers with different philosophies to that of the dead horse.

Edie Howe of Bournemouth is the first name that comes up on our list. The young manager has proved that he has the guts to play football his own way despite the opposition he is facing. Much-like-Wenger, Howe is a very stubborn manager who does not change his style of play to suit the opponents’ tactics. He sticks to his philosophy of dominating the game in possession and this has brought some excitement to the Bournemouth faithful ever since he took charge back in 2012. It would not be a surprise if he was named as the successor to Wenger if the manager leaves this season because they see football in the same way and most likely would continue Wenger’s legacy of always trying to bring the game to the opponents.

Achievements: Championship Promotion 2013, Premier League Promotion 2015

Carlo Ancelotti is the first big name coach that has the credentials to take over at Arsenal and bring some needed change. The Italian has been around the game for quite some time and has managed some of the biggest clubs in Chelsea, AC Milan, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. His trophy-laden career makes him an attractive option for Arsenal who needs someone to motivate the already talented squad and bring them to another level. He is well known for his man-management skills with most of his former players calling him the best coach that they have ever played under. Wenger seems to lack the ability to motivate his squad which is full of internationals and has even some amazing players come into his squad and lose confidence. This could be solved by Ancelotti. Also, he is a very attack coach as well with a preferred 4-2-3-1 formation which has been Wenger’s favorite formation in the past decade or more. Ancelotti is currently out of contract at the moment and now is the time for the club to make a move for the manager who was sacked by Bayern Munich earlier in this season.  

Achievements: UEFA Champions League 2003, 2007 & 2014, FIFA Club World Cup 2007 & 2014 among others

Joachim Low is another name that has been linked to the Arsenal post and could be next in line once Wenger resigns. The current Germany coach has been one of the bravest managers to give a chance to young and inexperienced players in the major international tournaments. This has been Wenger’s strength who has developed some of the best talents almost single-handedly before selling them off to other competitive clubs. Low has not only given them a chance but has also pushed them to deliver as most recently he won the Confederations Cup with a second fiddle squad that was full of young German players. Such is the dream for an Arsenal fan to pride in winning the Premier Leagues and Champions League with players that were not bought for hundreds of millions but are still world-class and dazzle the audience every 90 minutes. Little is known about his abilities to find success at club level but his portfolio is undeniably attractive and could be a risk worth taking.

Achievements: FIFA World Cup 2014, FIFA Confederations Cup 2017

Diego Simeone is the direct opposite to the aforementioned coaches as he is more defensive minded. This is probably down to the fact that he used to play as a central defender before he became a coach. He prioritizes defense over meaningless attacks that we have seen recently from Arsenal that have amounted to nothing. Simeone does not play attractive football but has managed to build a team capable of competing with the very best of players in the world as he sits back and waits for counterattacks in matches and successfully grinds out a win. ‘Winning ugly’ could be a new term to the Arsenal faithful but it has seen many teams lift trophies in Leicester, and Chelsea during Wenger’s tenure. That mentality to fight till the end and protect their own goal is evidently lacking considering the fact that Arsenal is the team that has already conceded 41 goals which is the highest among the top 7 teams this season. Arsenal needs to find a coach that can fix that problem at the back.

Achievements: La Liga 2014, Copa del Rey 2013, UEFA Europa League 2012,  

Finally, the last two options are Arsenal legends and have not done much in terms of gaining experience to lead such a big club but are adored by the fans which gives them a chance. The first one being Thierry Henry who is currently a SkySports pundit and an assistant manager to Roberto Martinez in the Belgium national team. He is somewhat the favorite to get the post among the rest and has even confirmed that he would not turn down the chance to help Arsenal out of their misery. Could he be next to bring in instant success with little experience like his former teammate Zidane has done for Real Madrid since he took over 2 years ago?

Apart from that, there is also a former captain of the club in Patrick Vieira who has been working with players as a coach in the MLS with Etihad’s New York City. He is known to be an outspoken person who has no problem with going hard with players if they are not in check. Could he be the manager that the players need to up their game? Don’t forget to drop your comments below!