IT COULD BE A BIG NIGHT FOR SAN MARINO AGAINST LIECHTENSTEIN?
Whenever the International games are played there is always focus on the top teams so I thought it would be good to look at the current bottom ten teams in the FIFA world rankings and their history.
PAKISTAN
The Pakistan National Football team became a FIFA member in 1948 and played it's first match in 1950 on a tour to Iran and Iraq. They lost 5-1 to Iran in that first game.
Their current head coach is Brazilian Jose Antonio Nogueira who was appointed in 2018. He has coached a number of teams since 1991 including National teams Sierra Leone (2003/2004) Ginuea-Bissau (2006) and St Kitts & Nevis (2011).
They were suspended from FIFA from October 2017 to March 2018 due to
Their last game was in June 2019 which was a 2022 World Cup Qualifier against Cambodia which they lost 1-2.
They have attempted to qualify for the World Cup since Italia 1990 but have yet to win a game in qualification. Their record reads zero wins, four draws and twenty-eight defeats scoring thirteen and letting in one hundred and twenty-two goals.
They have had a number of English based and born players in their squads of late. Defender Zesh Rehman, 36, is the most well known having played for Fulham, QPR, Brighton & HA, Norwich City, Blackpool and Bradford City. He did play for England at youth level but made his debut for Pakistan in 2005. He is currently player/head coach for SOUTHERN DISTRICT FC of the Hong Kong Premier League.
Samir Nabi is a former WBA academy player who was last playing for Kidderminster Harriers in the National League North. The midfielder, 23, has also played for Halesowen Town, Torquay United and Carlisle United.
Rahis Nabi is the younger brother of Samir. The 21 year old defensive midfielder is a product of the Burnley and WBA academy systems and did play for England u17s. Was with Alvechurch in the Southern League.
Tabish Hussain is a 19 year old winger/forward who has recently signed for Bradford Park Avenue his hometown club. He made his International debut in the game versus Cambodia.
Two other players who have a number of caps are Kelleemullah Khan and Hassan Bashir.
Kaleemullah Khan, 27, has 25 caps to his name and has recently returned to the squad after a dispute with the PFF authorities. He currently plays for Iraqi club Zakho. He has also played in America, Turkey and Kyrgyzstan.
Hassan Bashir, 33, has 9 goals in 21 caps. He currently plays for Danish second tier side AB Tarnby alongside goalkeeper Yousaff Butt who has 20 caps to his name. Both were born in Copenhagen - Butt is known as THE WALL OF SOUTH ASIA.
SEYCHELLES
The Seychelles National Football Team, nicknamed The Pirates, played their first game in 1974 against the Reunion national team which they lost 2-0.
Since 2002 they have attempted to qualify for the World Cup playing sixteen games, drawing two and losing fourteen scoring six and letting in forty-six goals. They have also never qualified for the African Cup of Nations.
Ralph Jean-Louis is their current head coach who is in his third spell with the squad.
All the squad play in the Seychelles with St Michel United well represented.
Tonga's four games at the 2019 Pacific Games weren't ones to remember for the right reasons. They lost 0-13 to New Zealand, 0-2 to Samoa, 0-14 to Vannuatu and Papua New Guinea 0-8.
Kilifi Uele (45 years old now retired) is the most capped player with twenty-three to his name and two goals.
The 9th April 2001 is a famous date for fans of Tongan football - they lost 22-0 against Australia in a 'home' Oceania World Cup Qualifying game. The game was played at the International Sports Stadium in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales. John Aloisi, then playing for Coventry City, scored six goals in the game which at the time was a record defeat for a World Cup qualifying game.
It wasn't long for the record to be broken! Just two days later Australia beat American Samoa 31-0 with Archie Thompson scoring an amazing 13 goals. This score line still stands as a world record for an International game.
The Turks and Caicos Islands formed a Football Association in 1996 and joined FIFA in 1998 to represent the eight main and twenty-two smaller islands of the British Overseas Territory. Since 2002 they have taken part in World Cup Qualification winning only one game in February 2008 against St Lucia which ended 2-1. They lost the away leg 2-0 and were eliminated 3-2 on aggreagate.
Their last games were in the CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) Nations League 2019/20 Group C. They lost to Guadelope 3-0 and 10-0 but beat Sint Maarteen 5-2 and 3-2. Sint Maarteen are not FIFA recognised but do play in CONCAF competitions.
Omar Barnes is the current head coach. The 40 year old Jamaican will pick a squad for games against Nicaragua, Belize, Saint Lucia and Haiti is October and November.
Joined FIFA and CAF (Confederation of African Football) in 1998. They were runner's up in the 2019 CECAFA Cup (Council for East & Central Africa Footall Associations) held in Uganda. They lost the final 3-0 to the hosts.
Alemseged Efrem is the head coach. Many of the players selected for the squad play and were born in Sweden where there is a large Eritrean community.
Their last game was a World Cup Qualifier two leg defeat (1-2 and 0-2) to Namibia in September 2019.
Sri Lanka's first International game was in 1952 when (as Ceylon) they lost 0-2 to India which is the same year they became a member of FIFA. They have recently appointed Bosnian/Australian Amir Alagic as manager. The 60 year old has an extensive coaching career across the world from 1996. They have been involved in qualification for the World Cup since 1994 but have yet to be successful.
They will attempt to qualify for the 2022 in October and November with games against North Korea, South Korea and Lebanon.
All the players in the recent squad played football in Sri Lanka aside from 36 year old goalkeeper Sujan Perera who is currently with Maldivian side Club Eagles.
The team was founded in the 1970s but not officially FIFA recognised until 1992. They are currently managed by Gilberto Damiano who did have a coaching role at Cardiff City from 2012 to 2014. He also coaches their u23 side.
The British Royal Navy and expatriates brought the game to the Islands with the team being formed in 1968 and in 1973 the BVI Football Association being formed with FIFA recognising them in 1974.
Since 2002 they have attempted to qualify for the World Cup but so far in ten games they have not won a game drawing three and losing seven.
In their last game against The Bahamas in November 2019 they had a number of English based players in their squad. Josh Bertie of Andover Town, Charles Medway of New Milton Town, T'Sharne Gallimore of Westfields and 18 year old Tyler Forbes were included.
Former Tottenham and Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas had his first coaching job with the BVI team being technical director in 2000 and 2001.
The landlocked country in North-East Italy has a population of around 34,000 (Around the same as Accrington or Redhill) - their first official game was in 1990 in a European qualifier against Switzerland which they lost 0-4. The San Marino Football Federation was formed in 1931 but a team was not established until 1986 and affiliation to FIFA and UEFA came in 1988.
There first success came in 1993 in a home World Cup Qualifier against Turkey which was drawn 0-0 in front of 957 fans which was the same qualification competition where they played England in probably their most famous game where Davide Gualtieri scored in the first minutes past David Seaman.
They have never won a game in qualification for the World Cup or European Championship. Fans will know what the date of Wednesday 28th April 2004 means to the country as it was the first time they won a game (and currently the only time!) when Andy Selva scored an early goal against Liechtenstein to secure a famous 1-0 victory in a friendly game. He spent most of his career playing for lower league Italian sides - He is the countries all time record appearance maker playing in 73 games and scoring 8 times.
They face Liechtenstein tonight in the UEFA Nation's League so you just never know they could double their number of victories! That's what head coach Franco Varrella and his squad will be hoping.
Currently ranked 210 of 201 FIFA affiliated teams Anguilla's first official game was in 1985 being a 0-1 defeat to the British Virgin Islands. There most famous result to date came in the qualifiers for the 2006 World Cup when they drew 0-0 in a first leg away game against Dominican Republic. FIFA regulations at the time forced them to play their home leg at the same Dominican Republic stadium just two days later which ended in a 6-0 defeat.
Cyrus Vanterpool (Frimley Green, Bedfont & Feltham, Southall and North Greenford United), Jermaine Gumbs (Slough Town, Windsor & Eton, Burnham, Hillingdon Borough, Marlow and Amersham Town), Calvin Morgan (Langley), Jerrell Gumbs (Chalfont St Peter, Langley and Holyport), Marley Ipinson-Fabien (Goring United) and Luke Paris (Langley) are all British based players who have recent caps for the International team.
No comments:
Post a Comment