August 11, 2022
The brief from today:
FIFA insist a needless match takes place
During the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers last September, a match between Brazil and Argentina was interrupted for six minutes after health officials in São Paulo stormed the pitch. Four players for Argentina allegedly failed to adhere to Brazil’s COVID quarantine regulations resulting in the on field protest. After the health officials tried to forcibly remove the Argentinian players in question from the match, the game was eventually suspended. FIFA then fined the Brazilian and Argentinian football associations, and issued a directive that the match must be completed. The strange thing about FIFA’s insistence on this matter is that both teams have already qualified for the 2022 World Cup without needing points from that fixture. Rather than play a needless match and risk injury to the players so close to the World Cup, Brazil—especially—has been vocal with their disagreement to FIFA’s decision. Brazil and Argentina’s FAs have since appealed the issue to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), and are now waiting for the court’s ruling, which is expected at the end of August. While the date for the rescheduled match hasn’t been confirmed yet by FIFA, the international break next month—one year after the original match—is expected to be the only opportunity for it to take place. The decision from CAS will ultimately provide leverage to one side of this disagreement over the other, and that clarity should arrive within the next few weeks.
Morocco fire Halilhodzic
The Moroccan football federation, FRMF, has decided to fire national team head coach, Vahid Halilhodzic, three months before the World Cup. A difference of opinion on how the team’s preparation for Qatar should take place developed between the manager and the FRMF, and in the end the Bosnian was relieved of his duties. Halilhodzic took the position in 2019, and under him Morocco reached the quarterfinals of this year’s AFCON, and also qualified for the 2022 World Cup. Despite the relative success on the pitch, there has been tension off it. Halilhodzic has clashed with two of Morocco’s biggest stars: Hakim Ziyech and Noussair Mazraoui leading to the two being excluded from national team call ups since the beginning of this year. As a result, Ziyech went as far as announcing his retirement from international football in February, and the loss of such talents has drawn the ire of the Moroccan fans. With the exit of Halilhodzic, the general feeling is that the two Dutch-born Moroccans will now be reintegrated into the team. Despite helping secure qualification for the World Cup, Halilhodzic will now miss out on it much like he did in 2010 and 2018. In 2010, Ivory Coast sacked the manager six months before the tournament commenced, while in 2018 Japan sent him packing a mere two months before the competition. In the 2014 World Cup, however, Halilhodzic successfully guided Algeria to the Round of 16, and that sort of track record, combined with his streak of World Cup qualifications, is what will likely see him secure another position sooner than later.
Halilhodzic and the Moroccan football association claim to have parted ways “amicably”