Former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger believes an African country has the potential to win the FIFA World Cup, pointing to the continent’s improved performances and increasing competitiveness on the international stage.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Wenger, who serves as FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, made the remarks at the CAF Strategy Conference in Santa Maria, Sal Island, Cape Verde.

He spoke about the progress made by African teams at the expanded World Cup hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, where nine of the continent’s 10 representatives reportedly advanced beyond the group stage to the Round of 32.

“Africa has made a fantastic step forward. There is still another step to make. We want to see an African team win the World Cup, and the numbers show that it is feasible,” Wenger said.

The French football administrator cited Morocco’s remarkable campaign at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar as evidence of the continent’s ability to compete with the world’s best teams.

Under coach Walid Regragui, Morocco made history by becoming the first African and Arab nation to reach the semi-finals of the tournament.

The Atlas Lions finished top of Group F with seven points before eliminating Spain and Portugal in the knockout rounds. They also kept clean sheets against Belgium, Spain and Portugal before their campaign ended with a 2-0 semi-final defeat to France.

Wenger attributed the progress of African football partly to improvements in tactical discipline and team organisation, noting that these developments had helped address some of the weaknesses that previously undermined African teams at major competitions.

“In the past, African teams sometimes lost because of a lack of compactness, too much distance between the lines, and inconsistent concentration,” he explained.

Despite the encouraging statistics and tactical progress, Wenger cautioned that winning the World Cup would require more than improved performances on the pitch.

He emphasised that mentality, unity and a strong set of shared values would be equally important in helping an African nation achieve the ultimate prize in international football.

“The numbers don’t lie, but football is not only numbers. It is also attitude, mental qualities, unity, and your value system. Those are things you have to continue working on,” Wenger stated.

His comments underline the progress African football has made in recent years while highlighting the need for continued development if a team from the continent is to become world champion.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Piero Hincapie and Martin Zubimendi will miss Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League encounter against Lille after picking up injuries during a training session following the Gunners’ 2-1 Premier League victory over Leeds United on Saturday.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Arteta revealed the development at the Sobha Realty Training Centre on Monday, October 12, explaining that both players would undergo further scans to establish the severity of their injuries.

The Spanish tactician expressed particular concern over Hincapie’s condition but declined to give a definite timeline for either player’s return.

The injuries occurred during a training session organised for players who had limited playing time in the match against Leeds, allowing them to maintain their fitness and match sharpness.

“In two very unfortunate actions, we lost two players, and yeah, not great,” Arteta said.

“We need to assess them today. They have further scans to see where they are and they will have that time frame, how long they’re going to be out for.”

Despite the setback, Arteta defended the decision to organise the session, insisting that regular training was necessary to ensure players remained prepared for competitive action.

The Arsenal boss explained that avoiding training altogether would reduce the risk of injuries but could leave players lacking the rhythm and sharpness required to make an impact when called upon.

“Very easy; don’t train. Never train, and they don’t get injured. That’s why the consequence to that is when they have to play, they have no rhythm, and when you ask them to play, they’re going to have no impact in the game,” he stated.

Arteta also noted that Arsenal had held similar training sessions 37 times during the previous season without encountering a comparable problem.

Saliba’s Return Still Weeks Away

Meanwhile, Arsenal defender William Saliba remains several weeks away from returning to competitive action, despite resuming training on grass as he continues his recovery from injury.

Providing an update on the French centre-back, Arteta indicated that his return would depend on his progress, with the November international break potentially influencing the recovery schedule.

“We’re still talking about weeks,” the manager said.

Saliba’s continued absence represents another concern for Arsenal as they prepare for their Champions League fixture against Lille.

Arteta Warns Arsenal Against Underestimating Lille

Beyond the injury concerns, Arteta has urged his players to approach Tuesday’s encounter with the necessary seriousness, praising Lille’s organisation and the work of their coach, Davide.

The Arsenal manager acknowledged the French side’s ability to trouble top European teams and warned that his players must be fully prepared for the challenge.

“What Davide has done is, I think, remarkable. You can just see the way that they are competing and playing and the problems that they have caused to big teams, and tomorrow is not going to be different until we are ready for it,” Arteta said.

He also explained that his team selection would be influenced by how he expected the match to develop, including the potential contribution of substitutes in the closing stages.

According to Arteta, matches at the highest level are often decided towards the end, making it important to select players who can influence the game from the start or provide a decisive impact later.

“Sometimes I’m going to pick a team or players in relation to what I expect, especially at the beginning, that can finish the game, because that’s where most of the games are decided, at this level as well,” he added.

Arsenal will now have to prepare for Lille without Hincapie and Zubimendi, while Saliba’s continued absence leaves Arteta with further selection decisions to make ahead of the European encounte

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared himself the commander of field operations for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election campaign in Abuja ahead of the 2027 general elections.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

reports that Wike made the declaration on Monday during a stakeholders’ meeting of the Rainbow Coalition in Abuja.

The meeting was attended by stakeholders from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), including party chairmen, serving and former senators, National Assembly candidates, and political leaders from the FCT’s six area councils.

Speaking at the gathering, Wike announced plans for a joint mobilisation effort involving APC and PDP members to secure victory for Tinubu in the presidential election and support candidates of the ruling party contesting National Assembly seats in the FCT.

The minister urged participants to prioritise the coalition’s shared political objective over their individual party affiliations.

Wike said the stakeholders had reached a consensus on supporting Tinubu’s re-election bid, adding that he would coordinate political activities in both the FCT and Rivers State.

“For the presidency, all of us have agreed that it is Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I am going to coordinate the FCT and Rivers State. So you can imagine how important it is,” he said.

Emphasising his role in the FCT campaign, Wike added, “I am in charge of the FCT election. I am the commander of field operations as far as the FCT election is concerned.”

He further called on members of both parties to work together, insisting that political differences should not undermine their collective objective ahead of the polls.

“I want to let all of you know that we are going to work together. Nobody should say, ‘I am PDP’ or ‘I am APC.’ For the purpose of this election, we are together,” the minister stated.