June 13, 2022
The brief from today:
Nigeria gets their biggest competitive win
Nigeria played an away match against São Tomé e Principe today in a 2023 AFCON qualifier, and battered the island nation 10-0. Prior to this, the Super Eagles’ best result was a 10-1 win against Benin in 1959, but today’s clean sheet ensured a new record. Six different players scored, but star striker, Victor Osimhen, bagged four goals of his own, and assisted two. This victory puts Nigeria on top of Group A, with six points after the opening two matches. The next round of qualifiers will take place in September.
Osimhen during the Nigerian national anthem
Chiellini joins MLS
Long time Juventus and Italy defender, Giorgio Chiellini, officially made the move to MLS today joining Los Angeles FC. After 17 years in Turin, the Italian was looking for a “new experience” as his career winds down. He just played played his last match for Italy, against Argentina in a friendly earlier in June, and he has now opted to make the switch at club level to a different team, and league. He has certainly checked all the “new experience” boxes now.
Australia secure World Cup place
Australia and Peru met in the playoff between the Asian Football Confederation, and South America’s CONMEBOL, to determine the second to the last team to qualify for Qatar 2022. The match was played in Doha, in rather warm conditions, and it went all the way to penalties since side scored in 120 minutes. Substitute Australian goalkeeper, Andrew Redmayne, was brought in during the final minutes of extra time in anticipation of the shootout. For the first five penalties, Redmayne danced along the goal line and barely managed to dive in the right direction, with Peru’s only miss coming thanks to the upright. When it reached sudden death, however, after each side took their first five penalties, Redmayne was decisive, making the crucial save on Valera securing a 5-4 shootout victory. Australia now joins France, Denmark, and Tunisia in Group D for World Cup this winter.