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SATURDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 26, 2022—19 What Eagles’ failure to qualify for Qatar World Cup cost Nigeria •Richarlison ghlights Games e 7-0 rout. Get this: when Spain won n 2010, they scored 8 goals that whole ey’re one shy of that mark after the d coach Luis Enrique has to be feeling t his options. Having a teenager, Gavi, nt of this epic performance speaks t La Roja might be able to accomplish in ensio and Ferran Torres were also really t game is against a desperate Germany ow us if this is a team destined to make in over Costa Rica was just taking inferior side. rising team: watched CONCACAF qualifying ’s energy wasn’t extremely surprising. e to admit that they for sure exceeded the 1-0 loss to Belgium. From the it was clear that John Herdman told his d to go for it. Sit back and let the No. 2- nked team in the world dictate the game? Nah. Canada was instead the side in command as Alphonso Davies, Tajon Buchanan and Richie Laryea helped keep the pressure high. It paid off when they were awarded a penalty, but unfortunately Davies ran into a world class goalkeeper in Thibaut Courtois. What could’ve been. Canada finished with an astounding 22 shots, which tells you all you need to know about how they approached this one. Only three of those were on target though, and those missed opportunities turned into conceding a goal that ended up being the difference. Still, this performance was a display of how Canada reached the country’s first World Cup since 1986 — and the don’t intend this to be a quick trip to Qatar. Top player Kylian Mbappé is the best player in the world. He has been that for some time. The fun thing about the World Cup is that it allows everyone to take notice of new and upcoming talent. We, as nostalgic sports fans, love to cling on to the past and greats like Messi and Ronaldo. And that’s fine because they’re both in Qatar and should get their praise. But that baton has been passed. Russia 2018 was when Mbappé proved it to the world, and he looks poised to run it up again in Qatar. When Mbappé is on the field he’s simply faster and more dynamic than everyone, especially the poor defenders tasked with trying to slow him down. As he’s done often, he was literally gliding past the Aussies creating constant pressure and orchestrating a relentless French attack. He finished with a goal and an assist, which easily could’ve been more considering some of the missed chances. So much was made about the various notable injuries for the reigning champs, yet Mbappé and Co. made that seem like a non-issue by picking up right where they left off. Things will certainly get a bit more difficult for Les Bleus moving forward, but with a baller like that on your team, you’re always going to be a favorite. Oh yeah, and he’s only 23 years old. Golazo of the week Whenever Brazil steps on the field, there is a chance something spectacular might happen. It took them a while to break through Serbia’s sound defense, but when they did … man. Richarlison took matters into his own hands in the final game of the group stage openers and placed his bid for the Goal of the Tournament already. But an honorable mention must go to Saudi Arabia’s Salem Al-Dawsari, who pulled out some magic with a filthy move and finish in the upset versus Argentina. It’s a goal and result we’ll be talking about all tournament and beyond. Argentina on redemption mission against Mexico Argentina will look to make amends for a shocking 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia when they take on Mexico at Lusail Iconic Stadium. La Albiceleste failed to impress in the Group C opener, and, as a result, they face a must-win situation against El Tri. Man City attacker Julian Alvarez should be recalled to the starting XI, while there are no fresh injury worries in the home team. The Mexicans, on the other hand, were more than fortunate to share the spoils with Poland in their opener as Robert Lewandowski failed to convert a penalty. Since Tata Martino’s men were anything but impressive in the first group game, we are tempted to put our money on Leo Messi and Co, who are surely capable of recovering from the embarrassing defeat. Fitagain Wolverhampton attacker Raul Jimenez is widely expected to return to Mexico’s starting XI. Looking to place bets on the Argentina vs Mexico match? We’ve selected the finest bookmakers for you for this upcoming match! The following bookmakers offer an impressive welcome bonus for new players from Nigeria: •Giroud Footballers, officials, fans and business owners in Qatar are counting their losses after the national team failed to qualify for the World Cup Nigerian football fans and business owners in Qatar are still reeling from their team’s failure to qualify for the World Cup 2022, which began in the Middle Eastern country on November 21 and ends on December 18. Nigeria’s failure to beat Ghana in March prevented them from qualifying for Qatar 2022, a result that shocked not only the nation but also dealt a huge blow to the approximate 12,000 Nigerians in Qatar who were looking forward to watching the team in action and also benefitting from its presence at the tournament. Ekene Romeo, a businessman who has lived in Qatar for nearly 12 years, said the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify was heartbreaking and hit him financially. “I had placed an order for 20,000 Nigerian national team jerseys, which I knew would be in high demand. I was also making plans to host the first ever Nigerian entertainment and fashion week here in Qatar during the World Cup,” Romeo told Al Jazeera. “The event would’ve featured some of the best Afrobeats artists, comedians and fashion designers to showcase and promote the Nigerian entertainment and fashion industries.” However, Romeo added, due to the team’s failure to qualify, “the order for the national team jerseys was cancelled and the events were put on hold while we work out how to modify it to fit in other African countries qualified for the tournament”. Nigeria has been at six World Cups since its maiden appearance at USA 1994. Since then, the team qualified for all World Cup tournaments apart from Germany 2006. According to Bukola Aliu, secretary of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) Lagos zone, the team’s absence from the World Cup has affected sales and travel packages put in place since November 2021. “Many people expressed an interest in touring Qatar as well,” Aliu told Al Jazeera from Lagos. “The demand has reduced because most people are no longer interested.” Emmanuel Nwachukwu of BFD Global Travels in Qatar said his business has been affected as well. “We, like other Nigerians, are disappointed because our business strategy was heavily geared towards Nigerian visitors, but demand for tickets from Nigeria is extremely low now.” Restauranteur Abo Chebib, of Mama’s Place in Qatar, which has been the official gastronomic partner of the community group Nigerians in Diaspora Organization (NIDO) in Qatar, told Al Jazeera she no longer receive enquiries about Qatar from international Nigerian fans. “The World Cup is about more than just the 32 teams. It’s about tourism, culture, food, investment and having a good time. From all indications, fewer Nigerians will travel to Qatar, which will have an impact on our business, given that we have spent many years preparing for the World Cup,” Chebib said. In Qatar’s music and entertainment sector, popular Nigerian DJ Walex said the team’s absence was a major shock because it would have afforded the opportunity to host parties and invite Nigerian artists to visit Qatar and join Davido, who was part of the Hayya Hayya, the first single of the multi-song World Cup 2022 official soundtrack. While Nigerian music is popular in Qatar, DJ Walex believes it had the potential of reaching a different level France stakes all against Denmark rance can seal a place in the knockout Fstages of the 2022 World Cup when they resume Group D duties against Denmark at Stadium 974 on Saturday evening. Les Bleus thumped Australia 4-1 this week to kick off the defence of their crown in perfect fashion, while Kasper Hjulmand’s men were held to a goalless draw by Tunisia. Two former Arsenal strikers can now proudly boast to sit atop the all-time goalscoring charts for the France men’s team, but Thierry Henry may not be sitting pretty on his perch for much longer following Olivier Giroud’s recordequalling brace versus Australia on Tuesday Didier Deschamps’s men had underperformed in the UEFA Nations League over the summer and conceded within the first nine minutes to Craig Goodwin, but Giroud’s 50th and 51st goals for France altogether. “We recently hosted an African comedy festival with popular Nigerian comedians such as Emmanuella and Aunty Success, which drew a large audience. A World Cup appearance for Nigeria would have been magical because it would have created an atmosphere to attract top Nigerian artists to Qatar who have a large following in the country.” According to Ayodeji Bolorunduro, owner of African Hub, a media and consulting firm in Qatar, negative fallout is happening for many businesses, including media, branding and publicity. “When a team like Nigeria, with a total population of about 200 million, goes missing, it affects a lot of businesses and sectors at home and abroad,” Bolorunduro said. “It has cost me in advertising, branding and publishing. Nigerians consume a lot of media and entertainment, so the gap is significant.” The supporters’ club has also been hit hard Samuel Ikpea, national chairman of the Nigeria Football Supporters Club (NFSC), expressed regret and described the implication of the country’s nonqualification for the World Cup as enormous in both business and sports worlds. “It would have been an unforgettable and memorable experience. We had planned to launch the supporters club in Doha the day before the World Cup draw, but it did not happen because we were all consumed by disappointment. “A lot of businessmen who had started making plans or programmes believing that the country will be at the World Cup are now counting their losses.” ‘I have lost significantly’ Dominic Ibhagbe, a Nigerian real estate businessman in Qatar, said he had “rented two villas from June to December with the intention of hosting about 30 Nigerians with music, food and services”. “But I have lost significantly. My hope is to host other nationals, but the difference will be obvious,” he added. For the national football team, the losses are far greater. Aside from a drop in FIFA rankings, there is a significant loss of income now and in the future. The team will miss out on $12.5m from FIFA for failing to qualify – a $2.5m preparation fee plus $10m for qualifying for the group stages. According to Amaju Pinnick, former President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), the team would have received 35 percent ($4.4m) of the proceeds, meaning that the federation and the players have not only lost a significant amount right now but also face a loss of revenue in different sectors in the future. The Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC), organisers of the World Cup 2022, has invited the Nigerian community to submit cultural activation proposals. According to a statement by the Nigerians in Diaspora Organization (NIDO), the SC stated that depending on the type of performance by Nigerian artists, it will be able to accommodate international artists and offer them a minimum of 10 days of performance. “The prospect of some Nigerian cultural performances in some of the fan zones is exciting, but nothing beats the agony of missing the World Cup,” NIDO said. “Nigerians are big spenders, and their absence in Qatar will have an impact not only on the host country’s commerce and trade, but also on the multiplier effect of other businesses in Nigeria, too.” - alongside headers from Adrien Rabiot and Kylian Mbappe - turned the game on its head. Taking advantage of Karim Benzema’s absence through injury, Giroud only needs to make the net ripple one more time to overtake Henry and score a record-breaking 52nd goal for his country - one which may very well confirm France’s place in the last 16. While Christian Eriksen - making his first major tournament appearance for Denmark since his cardiac arrest at Euro 2020 - was able to demonstrate some of the midfield flair that has made him a hit with the Manchester United fans, the Red and Whites’ opener with Tunisia was otherwise a forgettable affair. •Eriksson
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