Tag: FIFA World Cup 2014

Nigerian Onazi: Eagles Can Go All The Way In Brazil

 

SS Lazio of Italy midfielder Ogenyi Onazi is confident the Super Eagles can go all the way in Brazil at the FIFA World Cup if the players have self belief.Onazi says the Super Eagles must also be totally focussed on the job at hand instead of concentrating on particular teams, warning that all the qualified teams have the chance to win the trophy.

”No matter how small, we have to accept the fact that all the countries who have qualified to play at the World Cup do have some a chance. Football is an interesting and dicey game. We have to go out with the belief that we can do it,” Onazi said in an interview with mtnfootball.

Onazi is however not worried about playing Argentina who have beaten the Super Eagles three times in three clashes and prefers not to think about how the team prepares for the tournament instead of the competition proper.

”We are going to take it one game at a time. For now, we have some preparatory matches to look forward to before the World Cup. When we get to Brazil, we will worry about Iran, Bosnia and Argentina in that order.”

On if he sees the Super Eagles ending their winless streak against Argentina,Onazi says Eagles must not pay too much attention to the game.

”Like I said, we won’t play Argentina until we are done with both Iran and Bosnia. We have to avoid concentrating on one team alone and forget others that we will even face before Argentina. No doubt, Argentina are a big team and they are favourites, but that’s where it ends.”

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Super Eagles goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama believes that their first two games against Iran and Bosnia-Herzegovina at the 2014 FIFA World Cup would determine how far they would go.

Enyeama who will be making his third appearance at the FIFA World Cup for Nigeria,said that they will not underrate the two teams at the tournament.

Nigeria is in group F and would play their first game against Iran in Curitiba,before subsequent games against Bosnia-Herzegovina,then Argentina.

“Whether Iran, Bosnia and Argentina these are no easy games. All these nations we are facing,are also serious about getting results. But we will see how it goes with the Super Eagles, we will do all our best to progress from the group,” said Enyeama who has this season been the undisputed number one keeper for his clubside,Lille FC.

Enyeama equally noted that he would even want to play against France in the second round of the World Cup.

“I hope of course that we can pass the group stage. And who knows, meet France in the second round,” said Enyeama who was speaking before his side’s trip to AS Monaco

 

Three World Cup Stadiums Yet Unfinished

Mar 22, 2014

FIFA is starting a new round of inspections at World Cup stadiums in Brazil. With kick-off less than three months away, host cities are in a race against time to be ready for the tournament.
Operational inspections in six stadiums began Thursday and FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke is expected in Rio de Janeiro next week for a series of meetings to discuss preparations.

Technical teams from football’s governing body and the local organising committee visited the Itaquerão Stadium in São Paulo on Thursday and will move on to Porto Alegre, Manaus, Natal, Cuiabá and Curitiba in the coming days.

“This inspection tour will be fundamental to consolidate operational plans and for each area to confirm the operations they have planned over the last few years,” said Tiago Pães, the operations manager for stadiums at the local organizing committee.

FIFA already knows that at least two stadiums won’t be ready until about a month before the tournament starts. The Itaquerão Stadium in São Paulo will be completed in mid-May, along with the Arena da Baixada in the southern city of Curitiba.

Cuiabá also doesn’t have its stadium ready, with concern over whether there will be enough time to install the temporary structures needed for technical teams, sponsors and media.

“This is the last occasion for the organizers to take stock of the operational preparations before the respective FIFA World Cup installations begin to be implemented in all 12 host cities,” FIFA said Thursday in a statement

Team Melli training camp in cone of confusion!

Tehran

The secretary general of the FFIRI Mehdi Mohammad Nabi in an interview with Mehr News Agency, said “The training camp planned for Team Melli in South Africa and the next one in Austria has not been finalized yet!!”

 This statement is in sharp contrast to what the President of FFIRI Ali Kaffashian has confirmed weeks back that the South African camp is definitely on and will be conducted per schedule. Kaffashian even mentioned that he will personally go to each of the Persian Gulf Arab countries where a number of Team Melli members are playing , to seek their release for the training camp..

Mohammad Nabi also added “Despite mutual agreement for the extension of Queiroz contract beyond World Cup 2014 , we have actually not signed any contract yet.”

The claims and counter claims by the members of FFIRI has been the Achilles heel of Iran’s football administration for years. It is always difficult to confirm anything with this federation as the goalposts changes position all the time.

When asked about the status of Team Melli camp, Mohammad Nabi , once again referred to financial difficulties faced by his federation. “We had no intention of canceling the South Africa Training camp because of the unavailability of 3 or 4 players; however the problem facing us is monetary. The camp has not been finalized yet.”

“All the money we got from different sources including the sponsors will only cover the Training Camp in Brazil. Our schedule camps for South Africa and Austria are in doubt unless we manage to get more resources to cover their costs.”

Confronted by the reporter about the whereabouts of 5 billion toman that the federation has received from Team Melli sponsor. Mohammad Nabi confirmed that FFIRI has received the first payment of 5 Billion Toman (approx. US$ 2 million) , from which we paid the coaching staff salaries , some outstanding hotels bills , airlines and utilities department bills. We had to pay the utilities else the FFIRI building would be without electricity !!”

The secretary general of the FFIRI was hopeful that the South Africa camp will be properly financed after the meeting of the “World Cup working committee” meeting which included government representatives.

Nabi denied that he or Kaffashian has recommended the name of Majid Saleh , currently one of  Esteghlal’s coaching staff, as the Iranian assistant coach.” We don’t interfere in technical matters and certainly not the appointment of coaches. Queriroz has been in Iran for 3 years and he knows best whom to pick.”

The question that begs an answer is who actually decided on the appointment of Queiroz if neither Kaffashian nor Mohammad Nabi interfere in technical matter!

“Don’t you think that the current status of confusion and uncertainty in regards to Team Melli preparation for the World Cup, including what you just mentioned about the uncertainty of the European camp, while selecting weak to modest teams for practice matches, is patronizing the players and depressing the fans? Don’t you think such poor preparation will have a negative effect and perhaps embarrassing shoreline against us?”.

“If we carry on with our original plans, then there should be no fear from our participation. I believe Guinea was a good opponent despite what many think.” The secretary general responded.

Despite the announcement by the FFIRI that two training camps with as much as 8 practice matches will be conducted by Team Melli , as of now, nothing is for certain. The calamitous affair of Iran’s football continues. Nothing is certain until it actually occurs.

Goudarzi” The government does not create football Billionaires.”

20 months after the conclusion of London summer Olympic games 2012,  Iran’s National Olympic Committee (NOC) held a ceremony in honor of the Iranian athletes Olympic games medal winners .

In the ceremony attended by many dignitaries, including Iran’s vice-president Dr. Noubakht and Minister of Sport  Mahmoud Goudarzi , the athletes received gifts in appreciation of their achievements.  London summer Olympic games 2012 recorded the best medal haul for Iran since its first participation in London summer Olympic games in 1948.

The minister of youth and sports , Mahmoud Goudarzi  in an exclusive interview with Iranian Students News Agency ( ISNA ) ,  commenting on the the ceremony, said “the main objective of organizing this gathering , was organizing a major sports event as well as meeting and honoring of Olympic medal winners and that was a good thing. We applaud NOC for holding such ceremony. We were honored to be present at the event and thank the heroes of Iran who were exemplary representatives and true credits for the sport and their country.”

Commenting on Vice-President attendance at the ceremony , the Minster highlighted the objective of one of the highest government ranks in  the country to be among the athletes and sport  administrators, is to see for himself the current status and the needs of sport.

“Tonight’s ceremony was attended by Dr. Noubakht  , which was a positive move. The Vice-President was well briefed about some of the problems and shortcomings facing the various sports and also to get to know the athletes closely and keep in touch with them .  Dr. Noubakht promised to help solve the country’s sport problems.”

On the program of Team Melli , the minster said ” We have special programs for successful participation of our  national team in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. God willing,  we are looking forward for a successful participation and honorable representation of the Iranian people who look up to this team . Some people say that I do not care much for football . I do not accept that at all. It is completely false.”

“When it comes to financial support , I have to tell you all that the government will NOT finance clubs to create football billionaires. We are not interested in that aspect. The income of the  rich footballers that the fans are aware of , the money exchanged in the clubs for transfer of players,  has not come from the government coffers.T he government does not create football Billionaires, I can assure of that. Some other supporters perhaps pour money into the clubs to buy players or take care of their wages. We at governmental level , cannot and will not afford that.”

“We have to face reality. Football is the most popular sport in the world including our own country, The support has to be appropriate but not on the expense of other sports. It is our firm policy to support all sport , especially those that bring us honor at international levels.”

Asked about the future and privatization of Esteghlal and Persepolis , the Minister got agitated and responded “Why do you keep asking about Persepolis and Esteghlal all the time ? Why not Sanat Naft, Tractorsazi , Damash Gilan? these teams need your attention as well (!!!)”

So, the the honorable minister of youth and sport , cleverly avoided the question that has been on every fans mind  since the last President Ahmadinejad promised , which is the timescale of these 2 popular clubs privatization.

World Cup 2014: Curitiba stadium earns Fifa reprieve

Brazilian city Curitiba , which will host Team Melli’s first match , will remain a venue for this year’s World Cup but world governing body Fifa said progress must continue at the “highest pace”.

The Arena da Baixada in the south of the country was one of six venues to miss an initial 31 December deadline. Organizers brought in hundreds of extra workers to meet building requirements and avoid being the first ground to be dropped from a World Cup.  The 40,000 stadium will stage four group matches at the tournament.

Last month Fifa warned that Curitiba could be excluded unless work speeded up, with secretary-general Jerome Valcke commenting that operations were seriously behind schedule. However, after financial guarantees for the improvement works were provided, the home of Brazilian top-flight club Atletico Paranaense was cleared to continue. Valcke said: “It is essential that the works are maintained at the required levels and that a collective effort by all the stakeholders involved in Curitiba continues.

“It is a race against a very tight timeline and will require regular monitoring, but we are counting on the commitment made by Atletico Paranaense, the city and the state of Curitiba.”

At least 1,500 workers are now expected on site, and is it hoped the stadium will be completed by mid-May. Ricardo Trade, chief executive of the local organizing committee, said: “There is still a lot to be done but we have always been confident that Curitiba will deliver. “The necessary measures to finish the stadium in time for proper testing are implemented, but close monitoring is key because we have no time to lose.

“Soon it will be time to look forward and plan for the test events and finish operational details for the competition.”

[box title=”World Cup 2014 matches in Curitiba ” style=”bubbles” box_color=”#abc785″ radius=”4″]

16 June: Iran v Nigeria, Group F

20 June: Honduras v Ecuador, Group E

23 June: Australia v Spain, Group B

26 June: Algeria v Russia, Group H

[/box]

 

Iran’s World Cup first match venue in doubt

February 17, 2014

 Curitiba could be dropped as a World Cup host amid construction delays, although FIFA tells INSIDER a final decision has not yet been made.

Brazilian media reports suggest Arena de Baixada will be axed as one of the 12 host cities for the month-long summer tournament. It is scheduled to host Iran-Nigeria on June 16, Spain v Australia on June 23, Algeria-Russia on June 26 and Honduras-Ecuador on June 30.

World Cup organisers in the southern Brazilian city say they have met FIFA requirements to guarantee the delayed stadium will be completed in time. Lack of finances has impacted construction.

FIFA gave local organisers until Feb. 18 to demonstrate that the pace of construction would be accelerated on the stadium project. It would still not be finished for another two months.

FIFA told INSIDER today: “As we explained many times a decision on Curitiba will only be made on 18 February based on a report from the technical stadium experts. This is a fact, the rest is pure speculation.”

Yesterday FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke tweeted a similar comment on his Twitter page.

In his Friday column on FIFA.com, he said the situation in Curitiba was being closely monitored. “The Brazilian Government, the host city and state of Parana, FIFA and the LOC are seeking and finding solutions to help them catch up and hopefully make sure such a special city in terms of sustainability and passion for football will remain part of the FIFA World Cup line-up,” he said.
Valcke returned to Brazil on Sunday for visits to three World Cup host cities this week.

On visiting Manaus, he tweeted: “Arena Amazonia is an amazing project. We can only congratulate Manaus for what they have achieved in the past year.”

He is also checking up on World Cup preparations in Brasilia, where seven FIFA World Cup matches will be played, and Porto Alegre.

During his host city tour, the Frenchman will also meet with officials from the 32 World Cup teams in Florianopolis for a team workshop.

It’s billed as the last major milestone event in Brazil before the FIFA Congress on June 10 and 11 in Sao Paulo. The World Cup kicks off in Arena de Sao Paulo on June 12.

On Friday, Valcke will attend an LOC board meeting in Florianopolis.

The road to Brazil ; Statistical analysis.

 

The road to qualifying for the FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 was quite interesting. The qualifications rounds spanning 696 days and 16 matches , started with the first match played in Azadi against Maldives on 23rd July 2011 and it ended in Ulsan, South Korea on 18th June 2013 against Korea Rep. with both matches resulting in victory for Team Melli.

Iran won 10 out of the 16 matches (62.5%) , drawing 4 matches (25%) and losing 2 matches (12.5%)

 

Full table

Stage Team

GP

W

D

L

GF

GA

+/-

Pts
Round 4 IRAN

8

5

1

 2

 8

 2

 +6

16
Round 3 IRAN

6

3

3

0

17

5

5

12
Round 2 IRAN

2

2

0

0

5

0

5

6
   

16

10

4

2

22

5

10

34

 

All the matches played by Team Melli were under the coaching of Carlos Queiroz.

Players selections

It transpired that Queiroz used more experienced players as the average age of the squad was quite high 29.08 years, while mainly selecting players from the two most popular teams in Iran Perspolis and Esteghlal who had the lion share of the players , 12 and 10 respectively. In the season when the qualification started, Perspolis ended the season at 12th place, it worst ranking in the league , while Esteghlal were 3rd.

Next season of the WC qualifying rounds, 2012/13 Perspolis fared slightly better ending the season at 7th place in the table , while Esteghlal won the championship title.

Team Melli had 8 foreign clubs players on its list, with players such as Ghoochannejad and Shojaei playing for two clubs during the campaign.

Half of the players in this campaign were 30 years or older (18 out of 36 players) while only 3 player were 25 years or younger (less than 1%).

If the same core of the squad will be used in next year’s final rounds of the World Cup, the average age of the team will rise to 30 years or more.

 

 

Scoring Analysis.

Team Melli scored 30 goals in the campaign for qualification to the World Cup with an average of 1.88 goals per game. The Midfield players scored the majority of the goals with the Captain Javad Nekounam topping the list of the scorers with 6 goals. Forwards scored 7 goals only.

Two thirds of the goals (20 )of total goals of 30 were scored at home  (66.6%), while a third (10) was scored away from home.

13 different players scored for Team Melli in the FIFA World Cup 2014 campaign. Only 3 recognized forwards are amongst the scorers and 2 defenders.

 

Fans support

A total of 660,340 fans watch Team Melli matches home and away. All the matches of Team Melli at home were played in Azadi stadium with an official capacity of 100,000 fans. The 8 home games attracted more than half a million fans (550,100 ) while 110,240 watch Team Melli matches away.

The greatest attendance was the Home match in Azadi against Korea Rep, were 110,000 fans packed Azadi stadium in outskirt of Tehran. The lowest attendance was for the first match against the Maldives with 15,000 fans only.

On average , the home matches for Team Melli attracted 68.76% capacity.

 

Briefs

  • Team Melli scored 30 goals in the 16 matches played while conceding 7 only
  • Goal scoring average per match = 1.88 goals
  • Goal scored against average per match = 0.23 goals
  • 13 different players scored for Team Melli in the qualifying rounds.
  • The forwards scored 7 goals (23%)
  • Midfield players scored 20 goals ( 66%)
  • Defenders scored 3 goals (10%)
  • Team Melli had 10 shut-out matches in 16 where the opponents failed to score.
  • Only one team managed to score more than one goals against Iran. Qatar scored 2 goals in Azadi.
  • Total number of players used in the Qualification matches is 36
  • Average player’s age was 29.08 years
  • Oldest player was Farhad Majidi with 36 years
  • Youngest players were Karim Ansarifard and Ehsan Hajsafy  ( (23 years). Ansarifard is younger by 1 1/2 months.
  • 18 out of 36 players  (50%) were 30 years old or above
  • Only 3 players  (less than 1%) were 25 years old or below
  • 13 Players changed clubs during the World cup qualification games started in July 2011

 

FIFA announces the pots for World Cup draw.

FIFA officially announced the pots for this week’s World Cup draw as well as the prize money on the line in next summer’s international football showcase. The draw itself, which will place the 32 teams into eight groups, is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 6.

Iran is joined in Pot Three by all the other 3 Asian qualified teams Japan, South Korea &  Australia,  plus United States, Mexico, Costa Rica and Honduras, who are considered as lower tier teams in the tournament.Pot One contains top seeds Argentina, Belgium, Colombia, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Uruguay and hosts Brazil.
Pot Two contains the five African teams and two South American teams,England are joined in Pot Four by Croatia, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Russia, who are amongst the other unseeded European teams.One of the nine European teams in Pot 4 will be pre-drawn and transferred into Pot 2.The groups for next summer’s World Cup will be made up of one team from each of the four pots.

Pot 1 (top eight seeds): Brazil, Spain, Argentina, Belgium, Colombia, Germany, Switzerland, Uruguay

Pot 2: Ivory Coast, Ghana, Algeria, Nigeria, Cameroon, Chile, Ecuador

Pot 3: Japan, Iran, South Korea, Australia, United States, Mexico, Costa Rica, Honduras

Pot 4: Bosnia, Croatia, England, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, France

 

Pot 1
National Team FIFA Ranking
Brazil 10
Spain 1
Germany 2
Argentina 3
Colombia 4
Uruguay 6
Switzerland 8
Belgium 11

 

Pot 1 is comprised of host nation Brazil and the seven top-ranked teams from FIFA’s October rankings. These will be the headline squads for each group, and those outside it will likely be rooting for a spot alongside Switzerland, or at least to avoid Brazil, Spain, Germany or Argentina.

 

Pot 2
National Team FIFA Ranking
Algeria 26
Cameroon 51
Ivory Coast 17
Ghana 24
Nigeria 36
Chile 15
Ecuador 23

 

At the outset, Pot 2 only has seven teams, made up of national teams from Africa and the South American squads not in Pot 1. Eventually, another European team will be drawn into this pot, but there will be a separate “Pot X” created to avoid three teams from UEFA ending up in the same group.

 

Pot 3
National Team FIFA Ranking
Australia 59
Iran 45
Japan 48
Korea Republic 54
Costa Rica 31
Honduras 41
Mexico 20
United States 14

FIFA

Pot 3 is straightforward. It’s comprised of teams that qualified from the Asian and North American regions, which includes the United States and Mexico. Teams from this pot will need luck in order to avoid a very difficult draw.

 

Pot 4
National Team FIFA Ranking
Bosnia and Herzegovina 21
Croatia 16
England 13
France 19
Greece 12
Italy 7
Netherlands 9
Portugal 5
Russia 22

FIFA

Finally, the fourth pot is all of the remaining European teams. Since there are nine sides, it creates an imbalance that will get sorted out when one is drawn into Pot 2. But again, FIFA is going to immediately draw a South American team from “Pot X” and European team together to avoid three UEFA teams ending up together, as explained during the press conference.