As an England fan living here, it’s pretty easy to be pessimistic before this World Cup. The obvious controversies – better covered here –are the subject of constant media coverage, keeping the argument in the spotlight at all times. Social media ensures that fans argue about the tournament constantly without even being in each other’s…

The 2018 FIFA World Cup saw each of Africa’s five teams fail to qualify for the knockout round, with Egypt finishing bottom of Group A with 0 points, Morocco finishing bottom of Group B with 1 point, and Tunisia finishing third in Group G with 3 points. Nigeria looked set for a knockout round berth…

Amongst Serbia’s national team, the defenders tend to get a lot of stick from the fanbase. Some of that is justified, however, a healthy portion of it is not. Is Serbia’s defence really that bad compared to other nations, or do the underlying numbers suggest something different? And what are the main reasons why Serbia…

In any 3-at-the-back formation, the wing-backs play a significant role, but in a 3–5–2 with an attacking midfielder and two strikers up top, their importance gets magnified, as they have the entire wing to themselves.   Serbia originally went down this route because of a lack of quality fullbacks, but the Balkan nation hasn’t looked…

Another World Cup, another opportunity for Africa to announce itself on the global stage. For decades, African teams have come into the tournament with so much optimism but have often failed to live up to expectations. A few of them will be hoping to change that narrative once and for all.    Some of the…

Group A   Qatar Captain: Hassan Al-Haydos   Nickname: The Maroon   One to watch: Akram Afif – A graduate of the now famous ‘Aspire Academy’ which is responsible for the development of Qatari football, Qatar are not the same without their most creative player on the pitch. A huge amount of the host nation’s…

Having held elections the previous year, 1985 marked the end of a 12-year military dictatorship in Uruguay, South America’s second-smallest country. The road to democracy began almost immediately under new president Julio María Sanguinetti, who lifted a ban on political parties that had opposed the dictatorship.    Fast forward to 2022 and Uruguay is ranked…

A country of just over five million people, Costa Rica is Central America’s most stable and democratic country. It has plenty of reasons to celebrate; the tropical country is famed for its way of life, with a robust constitution and successful political and educational systems. Home to over 500,000 species of animals, the tropical country…

Located in the northwest of South America, Ecuador is the second-smallest country in the continent behind Guyana with a total area of 283, 561 square kilometers, roughly the size of Colorado, and it has the seventh-biggest population. Home to roughly 18 million people, the country gained independence from Spain in 1822 and draws its name…