Articles
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Frank Onyeka: Nigeria’s Emerging Young Midfielder
Nigeria are chasing their first AFCON since 2013 and one player who could be a hidden weapon for them is Frank Onyeka. Popularly known as “Frank the Tank”, the 24-year-old plays for the Premier League side Brentford F.C, who just recently gained promotion to the highest level of English club football for the first time…
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Player Analysis: Beto
Udinese has not produced much excitement in recent years as a team but the club from the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region in north-eastern Italy is still discovering its share of hidden footballing gems. The Zebrette sold Argentines Juan Musso and Rodrigo De Paul to Serie A rivals Atalanta and Spanish giants Atletico Madrid respectively, continuing…
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Cameroon Kicks Off the 33rd African Cup of Nations
On Sunday, host nation Cameroon kick off the 2021 African Cup of Nations. Cameroon are no stranger to winning this competition, in fact, they last won it in 2017. The Indomitable Lions last hosted the competition in 1972 where they finished third. Hosting a tournament is usually associated with the advantage of having your…
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Tuchel Cements Control After Lukaku’s Power Play
Romelu Lukaku has been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons this past week. In an interview with Sky Italy, the Belgian found himself at the centre of a storm of controversy, as he revealed his displeasure at the style of play and tactical approach employed by manager Thomas Tuchel. As punishment for…
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The Importance of Speed in Modern Center Backs
The hardest thing in life to live up to is expectations. In football, expectations on clubs, managers and players have never been higher. As fans, on top of expecting players to give their all-in games, we want them to be the epitome of perfection in their position. We expect strikers to be as equally…
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Dark Horses to Watch at AFCON
Since its first edition in 1957, the Africa Cup of Nations has seen 32 different tournaments and 14 different countries win the competition — whilst the likes of Senegal and Mali are yet to win the competition, a wide variety of nations stretching from Sudan to Zambia have won the prestigious trophy. With that being…
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AFCON’s Bundesliga Contingent
After two-and-a-half years of waiting, the Africa Cup of Nations is finally back. Players from all around the world, from clubs as far-reaching as China, Russia, Cyprus and Azerbaijan, will jet off to Cameroon for the opening month of the year with a chance to represent their home country and lead them to the Final…
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Draw Controversy, a Coefficient Battle With a Delicious Main Course and an Incredibly Strong Europa League Draw: The Stories to Look Out for in This Season’s European Club Competition Knockouts
Stories, subplots and the battle by UEFA associations to climb the coefficient rankings. All the aforementioned topics suddenly see frantic discussions across all media platforms in mid-December annually. The timing of the draws for the knockout rounds of UEFA’s club competitions are always a highlight of the European footballing calendar. Speculation about ideal pathways…
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Don’t Stop Them Now: How Rayo Vallecano’s Feel-Good Tale Has Made a Neighborhood Dream
Wherever you look in La Liga, there is a new story unfolding; Real Madrid are recovering from a Super League, debt-laden malaise to top the division by a distance, while city rivals and current champions Atléti are struggling to keep pace in 4th. Andalusia is thriving, with Sevilla and Real Betis storming the league…
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Data Analysis: Albert Sambi Lokonga
Top teams in the Premier League rarely purchase players from outside of Europe’s top five leagues. If they do, they tend to be young talents who go out on loan or develop in the academy system rather than players who move straight into the first-team squad. Arsenal broke this trend when they signed Albert…
