The best forwards have it all in their locker. They know where to be, what to do, and how to convert chances into goals. In the box, they are predators, lurking and finishing opportunities with all their prowess, whether it’s their best or weak foot, a chance in the air or having to beat a…

In 2018, a chilling video circulated around the internet showing a group of men casually watching an amateur game of football whilst rockets lit up the sky above them.   That short clip was from Yemen, a country ravaged by war and while a situation like that would terrify many, for these men, it seemed…

Pierre de Coubertin, the father of the modern Olympic Games, saw peace as one of the key notions behind the world-famous sporting event. The French historian believed that wars which had hampered mankind through the 19th century could be aided by the power of education and sport and enhancing that would be one of the…

“Sol Beni”, reads a bright yellow signboard on the entrance to the biggest football influencer in Ivory Coast. Loosely translated to ‘blessed soil’, the MimoSifcom academy in the country’s capital city, Abidjan, has provided the national football team some of its finest talent that has been dubbed as the “golden generation” – a generation that…

Arsène Wenger is one of the most revered men in football. Not only is he a brilliant manager, he’s also a motivator, a teacher, a confidant and an eternal student of the beautiful game. Nevertheless, his final years at Arsenal were marred by everyone in the footballing world having an opinion on whether he should…

At the end of August 2018, following a 3-0 defeat of Manchester United at home to Tottenham Hotspur, a frustrated José Mourinho quoted the German philosopher, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, in defence of himself when asked whether he was still one of the world’s great managers.    “Did you read any philosopher? You spent time…

What can be said about Louis van Gaal? The legendary Dutch manager is a winner; a visionary; a stern pragmatist. No matter what way one looks at him, his brilliance precedes his arrogance, for success was never too far away from him.   Early in his managerial career, he changed the method at Ajax, forming…

The late 1990s and early 2000s saw a period of struggle for the German national team. After winning the European Championships in 1996, the World Cup two years after that saw them fall in the quarter-finals, losing to debutants Croatia in France. The 3-0 embarrassment led to calls for change, but it didn’t arrive in…

Up until recent years, you would almost always struggle to find comparison in terms of stature and wealth of footballing talent when it comes to the United States of America and England. Many other sports serve the reverse purpose, but football belongs on the east side of the North Atlantic, or so many would believe.…

Christmas came three months early for Tottenham fans as Gareth Bale returned to north London for a season-long loan after seven years away. But, in keeping with Christmas traditions, Spurs fans will only be able to enjoy their new toy after dinner – or in more boring terms – until the Welshman gets fit.  …