Tag Futebol

أعلن الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم “كاف”، عن أفضل لاعب في مباراة مصر وغانا، التي جمعت بينهما مساء أمس الخميس، ضمن منافسات كأس أمم إفريقيا 2023.

والتقى منتخب مصر مع غانا على ملعب استاد فيليكس “هوفويت بوانيي” في إطار منافسات دور المجموعات لبطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا.

وانتهت المباراة بالتعادل الإيجابي بنتيجة 2-2، وجاء ذلك في إطار مواجهات الجولة الثانية من عمر منافسات بطولة أمم إفريقيا المقامة في كوت ديفوار.

طالع أيضاً.. فيديو | قدوس يسجل هدف غانا الثاني أمام منتخب مصر

ونشر كاف على حسابه عبر موقع التواصل الاجتماعي “إكس” تويتر سابقاً، فوز محمد قدوس لاعب المنتخب الغاني، بجائزة أفضل لاعب في المباراة أمام مصر.

وساهم الغاني محمد قدوس مع منتخب بلاده في التعادل أمام مصر، حيث أحرز الهدف الأول بتسديدة قوية من خارج منطقة الجزاء سكنت شباك الحارس محمد الشناوي.

كما سجل قدوس الهدف الثاني في الدقيقة 71 من خلال تصويبة من داخل منطقة الجزاء باغتت الحارس محمد الشناوي. 

ويتواجد المنتخبان مصر وغانا في المجموعة الثانية لـ كأس أمم إفريقيا 2023 بجانب موزمبيق والرأس الأخضر.

🇬🇭 Mohamed Kudus 🇬🇭

Ghana's starboy is your TotalEnergies Man of the Match with a great brace! 🌟 #TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 | #EGYGHA | @Football2Gether pic.twitter.com/v4f21Wndt8

— CAF (@CAF_Online) January 18, 2024

Glasgow Rangers returned to winning ways this afternoon at Ibrox as they clawed back the deficit to nine points in the Premiership title race, albeit on a temporary basis.

The 5-2 victory over St Mirren wasn’t without a scare or two, with the Paisley outfit twice equalising through Mark O’Hara and the scores were tied at 2-2 heading into the final ten minutes of the match.

A flurry of goals followed, with Alfredo Morelos netting twice and late substitute Scott Arfield also getting on the scoresheet. The result means Michael Beale has only been on the wrong end of defeat twice during his spell as manager, both to Celtic.

Todd Cantwell was impressive yet again. The Englishman received a Sofascore rating of 9.5/10 for his display, comfortably the best player on the pitch as he added two assists to his early goal.

The former Norwich City player has been a shrewd signing, and he also chipped in with two key passes, five shots in total and four tackles throughout. However, it was Fashion Sakala who took his opportunity well, enjoying a solid performance against the Buddies.

How did Fashion Sakala perform for Rangers against St Mirren?

The Zambian has enjoyed success under Beale having been frozen out of the starting XI earlier in the season by former boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

Under the Englishman, Sakala has scored six goals and grabbed seven assists, and it’s no wonder he was dubbed a “dangerman” by Rangers Review journalist Joshua Barrie before the recent Old Firm clash.

Against St Mirren, the 26-year-old was deployed in a slightly unfamiliar left-wing role due to an injury to Ryan Kent, although he has starred in this position before, most notably in a crucial win over Hibernian at the start of March.

Sakala scored the Gers’ second goal this afternoon while registering three key passes and five shots in total, clearly demonstrating how much of an attacking threat he posed the opposition defence.

The winger was successful with four of his eight dribble attempts and took 43 touches throughout his stint on the pitch, and despite not starting a match for a few weeks, he showed no sign of sluggishness in his performance.

The showing will have pleased Beale greatly and proves that he has solid strength in depth within his team, which could prove to be crucial heading into next season.

Leicester City are reportedly interested in making Graham Potter their new manager after Brendan Rodgers' exit over the weekend.

Who will replace Rodgers at Leicester?

The Foxes have found themselves in a terrible run of form recently, getting into a relegation scrap and now sitting in 19th place in the Premier League table. Saturday's 2-1 defeat away to Crystal Palace proved to be the end of the road for Rodgers, who left by mutual consent the following day.

The Northern Irishman enjoyed a successful stint at the King Power Stadium overall, famously winning the FA Cup in 2021, but it felt like the right time to make a change after things had grown increasingly stagnant.

The hard work now begins to find a successor to Rodgers, with the appointment needing to be nailed, in order for Leicester to avoid relegation to the Championship. A host of names are likely to be linked with the job in the coming days, but it looks as though the Foxes are potentially lining up one individual already, following a fresh update.

Could Potter head to Leicester?

According to The Daily Mail, Leicester "would be interested to know" Potter's plans after being sacked as Chelsea boss on Sunday night, in what was yet another managerial casualty. It is claimed that the 47-year-old was "admired by the Leicester hierarchy long before he moved to Chelsea" and he looks like a potential front-runner to take charge, with Khun Top on his way to Leicester.

It is "unclear" whether or not the Englishman would want a new job immediately, but if he is intending to wait until the summer, he is "likely be top of their long-term list".

Potter could be a perfect appointment by Leicester – hopefully as soon as possible – with the Chelsea job such a poisoned chalice that it is harsh to be too judgmental of his time there. Instead, it is better to assess how much he worked wonders at Brighton, playing some great football and earning praise for his tactical acumen, with one unnamed player during his Swansea City days hailing him as a "genius".

There is still the talent there at Leicester for a new manager to get the best out of, from Youri Tielemans to James Maddison, and Potter looks like the best available option to fill the Rodgers' shaped void, hopefully coming in straight away and steering them clear of dangers, or joining in the summer if they have avoided relegation.

Everton have been linked this month with a move for Tammy Abraham and now a promising update has emerged ahead of the summer transfer window that could improve their chances of securing the player.

What's the latest on Everton's interest in Tammy Abraham?

According to Calciomercato, AS Roma have reduced the asking price for their striker from €75m (£66m) to just €40m (35m).

As per the report, Abraham could be heading for an exit from the Italian side this summer after his importance in the team has declined over the current campaign and Aston Villa are named as one of the Premier League clubs who could compete with Everton for his signature.

Should Dyche ditch Dominic Calvert-Lewin for Tammy Abraham?

There is no doubt that Everton need to address the depletion of their attacking threat following Richarlison's exit in the summer and Anthony Gordon's shock move to Newcastle United in January.

Not only that, the Toffees have struggled without their prolific goalscorer, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who has been an inconsistent feature in the side due to his non-stop injury issues over the last 18 months which has contributed to the club falling into another relegation battle this season.

As a result, if Sean Dyche can stop Everton from a drop into the Championship over the remaining ten fixtures it could finally be time to move on from the heavy reliance on Calvert-Lewin and instead, sign a fresh perspective in front of goal.

Since joining Jose Mourinho's side in 2021, Abraham has scored 34 goals and registered 11 assists over 93 appearances – offering a goal contribution every 147 minutes, which is a consistent output that would be highly valuable to Everton next season.

Over 26 Serie A appearances this season, the 25-year-old striker – hailed "Drobga-esque" by Rio Ferdinand – has scored six goals, registered three assists and created six big chances, as well as averaging one key pass, 1.9 shots on goal and 4.7 duels won per game, which is more goals than Everton's Neal Maupay, Dwight McNeil and Calvert-Lewin combined so far.

In fact, the former Chelsea dynamo has scored only 25 fewer goals over his two campaigns in Italy than Calvert-Lewin has scored (59) over his entire seven-year tenure at Goodison Park, proving that he could be the perfect player to replace the Toffees striker and improve the output considerably.

With that being said, there is no doubt that Farhad Moshiri must capitalise on a potential opportunity to snap up Abraham this summer as it could put the Everton boss in a great position to boldly ditch Calvert-Lewin next season.

Tottenham Hotspur return to Premier League action today as they host Chelsea in a huge clash for both clubs.

Neither team boasts particularly sparkling form and will see their respective opposition as a huge potential scalp to reignite their stumbling seasons.

With Spurs confirming that Cristian Stellini will remain in charge as Antonio Conte continues his recovery from surgery, the 47-year-old has a huge task on his hands to select the right squad capable of piling on the misery for Graham Potter.

One change in particular that Stellini could employ is to once again drop Richarlison to the bench, especially considering that Heung-min Son – who came on to replace the Brazilian against West Ham United last week – scored in that match.

Will Richarlison get dropped against Chelsea?

It is admittedly a line-up change which is almost expected, with the blind faith shown to the South Korean throughout a tough season likely to continue now he has finally scored.

His goal against the Irons marked his fourth of the campaign, and the first goal in his last six Premier League games. Whilst this is a disappointing return, it is still a huge improvement on the Brazilian, who is yet to score in the top flight since his £60m summer move and netted in only one of his 20 appearances for the club in total (and that was in early September).

Having been brought in from Everton, Richarlison was expected to offer stiff competition for the Spurs forwards, but he has not managed to seize his opportunities, even whilst Son has struggled. As such, the 25-year-old’s dismissal from the starting line-up today would be more than justified.

He has been handed a 6.66 Sofascore rating for the campaign so far, and despite averaging 1.1 shots per game, it is clear that he is lacking the confidence and cutting-edge which will be needed against the Blues.

The talismanic forward looks like a shadow of the player who salvaged the Toffees from relegation with his ten-goal heroics last season.

The £90k-per-week dud has unsurprisingly come under fire for his consistently underwhelming displays, with former Aston Villa forward Gabby Agbonlahor leading the disdain by claiming: “He’s got to buck his ideas up. He’s been poor. Zero Premier League goals and we’re in February, it’s not good enough.”

It is hard to disagree with this claim, but it seems unlikely that Richarlison will be given the chance to prove his critics wrong from the off today. Stellini will surely prefer a somewhat underperforming Son, who last season scored 23 goals and set up another nine in the league, to a majorly underperforming Richarlison.

Wolverhampton Wanderers produced arguably their finest performance of the season by defeating a shellshocked Liverpool 3-0 at Molineux on Saturday, and the result reverberated around the Premier League, with the result a major statement of intent towards their relegation rivals that the Old Gold are ready to remain in the top flight.

Julen Lopetegui delivered a tactical masterclass against the Reds, and goals from Ruben Neves, Craig Dawson and a Joel Matip own goal surely has Jurgen Klopp fearing the worst for the rest of the season for his beleagured Liverpool side.

Despite signing the likes of Mario Lemina, Pablo Sarabia and Matheus Cunha during the January transfer window, Saturday’s performance would suggest that capturing Dawson for a fee of just £3.3m could prove to be Lopetegui’s finest piece of business last month, and that he must be unleashed on a regular basis to save Wolves’ campaign.

The 6 foot 2 titan was thrust into action at the weekend as the 56-year-old gave him his club debut, and the defender didn’t let his boss down, delivering a stunning performance.

Displaying a striker’s instinct, he rifled the ball into the Liverpool net from inside the penalty box to give Wolves a two-goal advantage inside 12 months, and his defensive performance was superb.

He achieved a Sofascore rating of 7.6/10, ranking him as Wolves’ third-best performer on the day behind Max Kilman and Neves, while he took 59 touches and completed 89% of his passes during the match.

The 32-year-old made a staggering seven clearances, blocked two shots and made one tackle, also winning three duels, and his experience and physicality were crucial advantages which prevented Liverpool from finding the net.

Should the Molineux faithful be surprised at how well he performed, considering his vast defensive acumen and the fact he has been playing at the highest level for more than a decade? Although he didn’t enjoy the best of periods at West Ham United earlier this season, with a Sofascore rating of less than 7.0 for all but one of his final eight matches for the east London club, he was solid throughout 2021/22.

Across 34 Premier League appearances last term, Dawson won 56% of his duels and made 4.1 clearances, 0.9 interceptions and 0.9 tackles per game, ranking as the seventh-best performer in the West Ham squad.

David Moyes described him as a “warrior” following a Europa Conference League match against Silkeborg at the beginning of the season, and Lopetegui certainly seems to have pulled off a real bargain by securing the 32-year-old services for under £4m.

Saturday’s performance will give the Wolves manager some food for thought, and Dawson should now be unleashed on a regular basis as he could save his new club’s campaign and help them to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

An update has emerged on Sunderland shot-stopper Anthony Patterson and interest in his services heading into the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to The Sun’s Alan Nixon, the Black Cats goalkeeper has caught the eyes of multiple clubs in the Premier League with his form for the club in the Championship.

The report claims that Leicester and Wolves have both made the Englishman a ‘major’ target for the next window and will look to swoop for him ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

It is stated that Sunderland have their own promotion ambitions but could cash in on the stopper for a fee in the region of £10m if they fail to make the step up to the top-flight this term.

Jordan Pickford 2.0

One of the biggest success stories to come out of the Academy of Light in recent years has been England and Everton number one Jordan Pickford.

The shot-stopper made his way through the youth set-up on Wearside before earning himself a regular place in the first-team for the club in the Premier League – making 35 senior appearances between 2015/16 and 2016/17.

His form for Sunderland in the top-flight convinced Everton to snap him up for a club-record fee that could rise to £30m, with a guaranteed £25m, in the summer of 2017.

Kristjaan Speakman could now replicate the masterclass the club played with Pickford by cashing in on Patterson in the summer, if Tony Mowbray’s side are unable to reach the Premier League.

The sporting director found the youngster a productive loan spell at Notts County last season, in which he kept three clean sheets in nine league appearances, before recalling him for Alex Neil to use in the second half of the campaign.

Patterson went on to use the experience he gained out on loan to become the first-choice at the Stadium of Light – playing 23 times in League One on the way to promotion via the play-offs.

This season, the 22-year-old, who journalist Josh Bunting hailed as “commanding”, has started 29 games in the Championship so far this season and averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.89 – saving 69% of the shots on goal and making zero errors leading to goals.

Speakman, Neil, and Mowbray have played a blinder with the academy graduate’s development, as evidenced by the gem’s form in the second tier and the interest in his services, and could now make him Pickford 2.0 by selling him to a Premier League side in the summer.

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has distinguished Angers SCO midfielder Azzedine Ounahi as the perfect addition to bolster the ranks and continue the ascension in the Premier League since his arrival in October…

What’s the word?

Ounahi has been of interest to multiple clubs following his burst onto the scene with his nation, Morocco, at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, with Italian journalist Ciro Venerato (via Sport Witness) previously stating that the player is talking to Villa, who are desperate to fortify their midfield with a signing of first-rate quality after failing to convince Juventus ace Weston McKennie to join the ranks.

And now, transfer insider Dean Jones – speaking to GIVEMESPORT – has stated that the Claret & Blue are firmly within the running to land the ace, and could make a move over the coming week, before the culmination of the January transfer window.

Jones said: “There’s just so much competition for him and it’s hard to tell at the moment whether they are going to win the race. I mean, they’ve probably got as good a chance as anyone in England; it’s just really a case of whether or not he definitely wants to come to the Premier League.”

Emery’s own De Jong

Ounahi left pundits waxing lyrical after starring for Morocco at the World Cup, with his ball-playing prowess and graceful poise swivelling the heads of many suitors, with Emery indeed among those enamoured.

And while the 22-year-old has been at the centre of his French Ligue 1 outfit’s struggles this term – Angers languish at the very bottom of the division – his particular set of blossoming abilities should allow him to flourish among a crop of players suited to more progressive football and ambitious schemes.

The £10k-per-week ace ranks among the top 1% of midfielders in Europe’s big five leagues for dribbles completed, the top 4% for progressive passes received and the top 7% for touches in the attacking penalty area – highlighting the all-encompassing nature of his work.

And defensively, he has also earned his place; making 1.4 tackles and one interception per match in the league this term, as per Sofascore, vital in snuffing out danger and preventing further woes for his beleaguered side.

The “technician”- as once lauded by James Marshment – is likened to FC Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong on the aforementioned FBref, with the Dutch maestro flourishing as one of the 161 showings, scoring 15 goals and serving 19 assists. 

He ranks among the top 7% of positional peers for pass completion and the top 10% for dribbles completed, also in the top 12% for shot-creating actions – with Ounahi’s similar skill-set, he can mould into a formidable force under Emery’s watchful eye.

Bearing this in mind, the £26m-valued Moroccan would be a sterling addition to an outfit on the up, and Aston Villa must do everything within their power to clinch a seismic deal to serve as the catalyst for success.

Southampton’s current transfer policy has left ‘people attached to the recruitment staff’ concerned, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Saints’ January business

Jones has previously claimed that Southampton are targeting players from ‘all over the world’ this month, in an attempt to stave off their Premier League relegation concerns, and they have already been active in the market.

The Saints completed the signing of winger Mislav Orsic last week, while they have also reportedly brought in midfielder Carlos Alcaraz, although this is yet to be confirmed by the club.

The Latest: Jones raises concern

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jones has claimed that some members of the recruitment team would prefer to focus on players with previous Premier League experience, saying:

“I know that there are people attached to the recruitment staff who have tried to point this out that having new signings with a track record in this league is key, and it’s going to be very important.

“Sometimes you can overthink these things and look at too many stats and worry about the fit too much when all you need is someone who can actually score a goal.”

The Verdict: Striker needed

Whether they have a proven track record or not, it is evident that Southampton need to strengthen in attack, and while signing Orsic is a good start, they are in dire need of a new, more clinical centre-forward.

Despite having the track record that Jones speaks of, scoring seven top flight goals last season, Che Adams has been very disappointing this term, missing a total of nine big chances, more than a third of the 26 that they have created.

Terem Moffi appears to be the most clinical of the players being linked with a switch to St. Mary’s, netting ten goals in 16 Ligue 1 appearances this season, and Nathan Jones should look to bring in the Nigerian at the earliest opportunity.

Newcastle United sporting director Dan Ashworth is seemingly eyeing potential new recruits ahead of the January transfer window, with the Englishman likely to be plotting ways to strengthen the Magpies’ bid for Champions League qualification.

Latest reports have suggested that the Tyneisders are keeping taps on a breakout start from the World Cup in Qatar, with the St James’ Park outfit said to be one of the clubs interested in Morocco international, Sofyan Amrabat.

According to the Daily Mail, the northeast side – as well as the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur – are one of the emerging suitors for the Fiorentina star following his displays over the past few weeks, with Eddie Howe and co reportedly prioritising a midfield addition next month.

The 26-year-old – who is the brother of former Watford man Nordin Amrabat – will likely not come cheap, however, with reports in Italy suggesting that the Serie A outfit could demand a fee of around €55m (£48m).

That being said, that price tag has seemingly been warranted such have been the former Hellas Verona man’s displays for his country of late, having played an integral role in the Atlas Lions’ remarkable surge to the semi-final stage at the World Cup – the first African nation to reach the final four in the competition’s history.

Lauded as the “best central midfielder in the tournament” by journalist Carlo Garganese, the one-time Feyenoord brute notably recorded 2.3 tackles and 1.4 interceptions per game in his seven outings in Qatar, having been particularly impressive in the eventual defeat to France.

That clash saw the relentless “monster”, as described by Garganese, notably catch the eye after producing a long-bursting run and a subsequent crunching challenge to deny Les Bleus’ talisman, Kylian Mbappe.

Such remarkable work ethic was a feature of his game throughout the tournament, with the “elite” gem, as dubbed by journalist Jason Lee, ranking top of the charts for recoveries made (57), as well as fifth for tackles made (ten), as per Opta Analyst.

The defensive midfielder – who was also praised as “extraordinary” by Spain boss Luis Enrique – has certainly put himself in the shop window of late, with such performances likely to have piqued the interest of Howe’s side.

Not that those displays have come as a total surprise to those who have watched the £31k-per-week man closely in Florence of late, as he has proven himself a truly classy operator in possession, ranking in the top 4% for both pass completion and progressive passes among those in his position in Europe.

That will ease any fears over Newcastle simply being blinded by just a strong major tournament display, with the race now on to see if Ashworth can secure his signature.