#african cup of nations 2022

[sheltiechicago]

YE Sports 2022

Mali's Falaye Sacko stands on the pitch during the African Cup of Nations 2022 group F soccer match between Mali and Mauritania at the Japoma Stadium in Douala, Cameroon, Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022.

(AP Photo/Themba Hadebe) ASSOCIATED PRESS

[sinnerruud]

france may have won the game but morocco won our hearts. thank you for everything, we are so proud of you. ❤️🇲🇦

[hoarsedevours]

damn ok both of our colonizers advance lol this is why i was rooting for costa rica and germany

[getting-messi]

Being hosted in a Muslim country, Morocco become the first Muslim/African/Arab nation to make it into the Semi-Finals for the first time ever in the World Cup.

Morocco vs Portugal

December 10, 2022

[juergenklopp]

The MOROCCO NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM reach the quarterfinals of the FIFA World Cup 2022 after beating Spain 3–0 in the penalty shootout (0–0 AET), with an outstanding performance by goalkeeper Yassine ‘Bono’ Bounou, and a Panenka penalty by Achraf Hakimi. Morocco are the fourth African team to reach the quarterfinals of the World Cup after Cameroon in 1990, Senegal in 2002 and Ghana in 2010. | December 6, 2022

[softiegyu]

His Adrenaline

Pairing: Cho Guesung x idol!gn!reader

Genre: Fluff!

Tags: Football!Guesung, World Cup, South Korea vs Ghana, established relationship, softness all over please

Parts: 1 | 2

Just beyond the tunnels, the shouts of fans echoed through, muffled by the growing distance from the exit to the field. Energizing as always for both teams that will be setting foot on the grass.

The few times in his life, Guesung has grown nervous. Each was for different reasons with different consequences. From the first club he joined since the beginning of his career to Jeonbuk Hyundai Club; meeting you and giving you the biggest sunshine of a smile when you've finally agreed to his invitation to a date; and finally, being part of representing his nation through one of the biggest events of the world: the FIFA World Cup 2022.

This was the second match of the event - his coach, Paulo Bento, had seen his spur of great performance from the last few minutes of the first game. To think he'd make it this far and attend a game from the very beginning? His excitement and nervousness had you engulfing him into a hug. One so tight that he almost bled into you. You couldn't bring yourself from feeling any less than he did.

"Quick, quick! The cameras are about to show up!" You exlaimed as you pulled his hand as he made his way towards his team. With quick short greetings, all the players greeted you with warm smiles - already loving you much of a sibling of their own. The mere honor, respect and newfound love you had for every player that will play or sit aside for substitution had no limits. The traded adoration and protection to one another went unspoken.

"Please don't tire him before the match already," Wooyoung briefly remarked, causing Guesung to whine out in protest. Your own blush didn't hide at the words, knowing full well what he meant. But just because pulling him aside, it surely did not mean for only that matter. Besides, the entire other team of Ghana had begun to leave their locker room, making their way towards the other side of the tunnel. You doubted you can get to anything even at the approaching minutes of the match. You and Guesung traded nods and greetings to the African players: a form of respect you could never keep away from showing to anyone.

Finally turning to you, you've pulled his hands that clasped around your own to your chin. His knuckles brushed your jaw, unable to hide the anxiousness within his eyes, albeit with some excitement. "Promise me that no matter what happens out there, whether you win or lose, you will still carry on. Your perseverance, your might, just as with your team will be dominating the field no matter. Trust in yourself." You pulled a hand away and placed it to his jaw.

The softness of his skin, the tell-tale sign of a clean shave from only this morning. You couldn't help but let your thumb to brush and caress the softness. His own hand moved from your clasped one and wrapped it gently around your wrist. Holding your hand in place, he turned his head and placed a gentle kiss of his lips to your palm. A silent promise. "Always, baby."

Your own grin grew, finally pulling away, however not before planting a soft kiss to his sharp cheekbone. Redness crept to his cheeks and ears, hyper aware of those that surround them but none made any comments. Easily, he melted back into your space.

"Cameras almost in!" Heechan shouted out from somewhere up the front. The lines began to form. Soon enough, the young children will be here to guide the players out to the field.

"You can do this!" You reassured him as you began to step away.

"If he doesn't, I'll be losing my wing man." The sound of Heungnim went past you. He slid to you with a quick side hug and a ruffle of your hair. Briefly protesting, you only laughed at his brotherly love. The Captain grabbed Guesung's arm. "Time to go."

You began to distance yourself further down the hall towards the exit of the tunnel, never leaving your eyes from the joy and victor of your life. Before he turned around, Guesung sent you a wink towards your direction. You're own smile grew in acknowledgement. A feeling in your stomach almost sickening you in the best way possible. One thing you cannot seem to get rid off throughout your relationship with him for as long as it has been present.

"Camera up in 3... 2... 1!"

You were out of the view by then, having your way made towards the VIP section, ready to watch the events unfold as your boyfriend brings joy to the nation.

The spectacles and fascination drew you to the preparation of the match, the teams standing to their anthems and being cheered on throughout the match. The shouts of the crowd unmatched as they dominate and push their players on.

For you, he set the field ablaze. For you, you are and always will be his adrenaline.

[cypher2]

2023 Women's World Cup records

In addition to breaking numerous worldwide social media and viewing records, the 2023 Women's World Cup set and broke a number of unique tournament records as well. The players and teams that participated in this WWC should all feel extremely proud for the history they have made. Their performances continue to show the world that these athletes are capable of so much more than they are ever fully recognized for.

First team from their nation to qualify for a men’s or women’s senior FIFA tournament: Vietnam WNT 8 nations had their debuts for first time appearing in a FIFA women’s World Cup: Haiti, Portugal, Zambia, Vietnam, The Philippines, Republic of Ireland, Morocco, and Panama. Canadian midfielder Quinn starts for Canada and becomes the first non-binary athlete to play at a FIFA World Cup.

Christine Sinclair (Canada) and Marta (Brazil) become the 3rd and 4th players in history to appear in 6 World Cup competitions men or women, with Homare Sawa (Japan) and Onome Zeno (Nigeria) being the other two. The player with the record for most world cup appearances in history remains Brazil’s Formiga, the only player to compete in 7 world cups (men or women).

Kristine Lilly still holds the record for most WC appearances by men or women with 30 games played - a record set and held since 2007. Followed by Formiga with 27 as of 2019 and Lionel Messi with 26 as of 2022. Brazil’s Marta still holds the all time leading record for most goals scored across all World Cup competitions with 17 goals in 23 appearances across 6 tournaments.

Zambia’s Lushomo Mweemba scores the fastest goal of this year’s tournament in group stage at 2min 11 sec, also marking Zambia’s first ever world cup goal in their debut. The fastest goal in a FIFA Women’s World Cup has stood for over 30 years - it remains the goal scored by Lena Videkull of Sweden, who scored after just 30 seconds against Japan in the inaugural 1991 tournament. Zambia’s Barbra Banda scores the 1000th goal in WWC history. Nouhaila Benzina of Morocco becomes the first Women’s World Cup player to wear a hijab.

Ary Borges of Brazil scores a hat trick in her WWC debut and the first hat trick of the tournament. First Caribbean nation to reach the round of 16 in WWC history - Jamaica First Arab nation to qualify for a WWC and reach the round of 16 in WWC history - Morocco Of the eight debutants, Morocco was the only one to advance to the round of 16. Two teams reached the round of 16 having conceded no goals so far in the tournament- Japan and Jamaica.

First time four African nations have been represented at a WWC with three of them qualifying for the knock out stage at this years competition - South Africa, Morocco, and Nigeria. 3 of the 4 African nations appearing in this year’s WWC all finished 2nd in their groups (Morocco, South Africa, and Nigeria). The US suffered its earliest elimination in WWC history, getting knocked out in the round of 16. The U.S. has never finished below 3rd place in all previous editions of the competition. Sweden’s Zećira Mušović sets a new record for most saves in any WWC 2023 game with 11 saves vs the US in the round of 16.

First manager to lead two different nations to a World Cup final (Netherlands and England)- Sarina Wiegman First goalkeeper to take and convert a PK in a WWC penalty shootout - Alyssa Naeher

Golden ball (best overall player of the tournament) - Aitana Bonmatí Silver ball - Jenni Hermoso Bronze ball - Amanda Ilestedt Golden boot (most goals scored in the tournament) - Hinata Miyazawa (5 goals) Silver boot - Kadidiatou Diani Bronze boot - Alexandra Popp Golden glove (best goalkeeper of the tournament) - Mary Earps

FIFA young player award (best player of the tournament under 21 years old) - Salma Paralluelo FIFA fair play award (team with best record of fair play during the tournament) - Japan Best mascot of the tournament (unofficial) - Waru Longest penalty shootout in World Cup history (20 penalties taken) - Australia vs France quarter final

The 2023 competition was hosted by Australia and New Zealand, making it the first edition to be held in the Southern Hemisphere, the first Women's World Cup to be hosted by two countries, and the first FIFA senior competition for either men or women to be held across two confederations (Asia and Oceanic).

First edition of the women’s tournament to feature an expansion to 32 teams and 64 matches, and largest women’s sporting event in history with 32 teams and 736 players. Only team to play all matches (group stage + knockout) undefeated with a 6-0-0 record - England All 4 previous winner nations (US, Germany, Norway, and Japan) were eliminated before the semifinal stage, marking the first time this has happened in the competition’s history.

For the first time in its 32 year and 9 tournament history, the WWC has a new champion (Spain) and new runner up (England) in 2023, with both nations never having made it to the final stage before. Only the 2nd nation in history to win both a men’s and women’s World Cup - Spain Top scoring country at the 2023 WWC - Spain with 18 goals First time a senior English football team has made it to a WC final in 6 decades - England WNT

First time advancing past quarterfinals in their WWC history and first host nation to advance to semifinals in 20 years - Australia placed 4th place for best in all 8 WWC competitions they’ve participated in and broke attendance records through all stages of the tournament, with an overall stadium attendance across all matches at 1.978 million. More than 1.5 million tickets were sold for the WWC, surpassing the entire tournament’s projected target in the first 5 days alone.

Two attendance records were broken for both host nations on day one of the WWC - largest crowd ever for a men’s or women’s football game in New Zealand (42,137) and largest crowd ever for a women’s football game in Australia (75,784).

Brazil's opening match v Panama was simulcast live on TV Globo and SporTV, delivering a combined audience of 13.9 million viewers - higher than any audience in the territory during the 2007, 2011, and 2015 WWC. China v England produced the highest audience for a single match, reaching 53.9 million viewers, becoming the highest in any global market so far. 17.15 million people tuned into the Australia v England semifinal cumulatively across Channel 7, Optus Sport, venues, and live-sites, comprising approx 64% of the entire Australian population - the biggest television event not just in any sport in the country, but in Australia’s television history.

The record for highest single match attendance still remains the 1999 WWC final between the US and China with 90,185 in attendance - a number that hasn’t been reached since the men’s tournament at the 1994 WC final between Italy and Brazil at 94,194.

The largest 2023 attendances were at Stadium Australia in Sydney, which saw four capacity-crowd fixtures, including Australia's opening win over Republic of Ireland and the final between Spain and England. The crowd of 75,784 was a record home audience for a women's football match in Australia and the third largest individual crowd attendance in Women's World Cup history. Over 50% of all matches had near sell out or at stadium capacity with a total of 1,977,824 fans in attendance at the 64 games in total, setting a new record for highest overall attendance in Women’s World Cup history across all 9 editions of the tournament. Highest grossing Women’s World Cup in history with a revenue of over half a billion dollars ($570 million), surpassing the projected revenue estimate by $100 million.

[lboogie1906]

William Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr. (October 8, 1993) is a stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the #23 Toyota Camry for 23XI Racing, and part-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the #1 Toyota Tundra for Tricon Garage.

He was a development driver in Toyota’s driver development program where he drove part-time for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Xfinity Series and full-time for Kyle Busch Motorsports in the Camping World Truck Series. He then moved over to Ford and its driver development program and competed full-time for Roush Fenway Racing in the Xfinity Series. After competing in select Cup Series races for Richard Petty Motorsports in their famous #43 as an injury replacement, he became a full-time driver for RPM.

He has been the only full-time African American driver in NASCAR’s three national series (Cup, Xfinity, and Truck) each year he has competed in them. He is the only African American driver to win more than once in any of these series, which has made him one of the most successful African American drivers in the history of NASCAR. He became known for his activism on racial justice in response to the murder of George Floyd and the subsequent Black Lives Matter protests, which led to NASCAR strengthening their actions and efforts in this area, highlighted by them banning the display of the Confederate flag at their tracks.

He was born in Mobile and raised in Concord, North Carolina. He is the son of Darrell Wallace Sr. and Desiree Wallace. His father is the owner of an industrial cleaning company, and his mother is a social worker who ran track at the University of Tennessee.

In 2019, he revealed that he dealt with and continues to deal with depression for most of his racing career. After others reached out to him to thank him for bringing awareness to depression, he said he did not know it was such a widespread problem; for him, being depressed was an honest answer to a media question.

He married Amanda Carter (2022). He is a Christian. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[andiessoccerblog]

Group B Breakdown

Expected to move on: Australia, Canada

Expected to exit in group stage: Ireland, Nigeria

Australia

FIFA Ranking: 12

Reputation:

As a host country, Australia’s games sold out almost immediately, so they are guaranteed to have a huge support base. Australia have a ton of potential to work with and completely dominate Asia and Oceania, but they have to bring their game up to par with USA and top European teams. The Aussies are inconsistent–they have beat the best teams in the world, and lost to teams ranked beneath them. I expect they will make it out of the group stage, and then it’s a 50/50 odds on winning the next game.

Player Pool:

Australia currently has arguably the best striker in the world, Sam Kerr, who scored five goals in Australia’s four women’s World Cup games in 2019 and leads top England club Chelsea. Several Australian midfielders play in the USA, including Emily Van Egmond and Alex Chidiac, and others play in top leagues and top teams in England and Sweden.  Australia has good depth, as many of their non-headliners play in two leagues–one in the American/European summer, and the second in the Australian summer. 

2019 World Cup  performance:

They were supposed to soar, and I talked them up a ton, but they were completely caught off guard in their first game, leading to an unexpected (but not undeserved) loss to Italy. They had possibly the best game in the cup against Brazil, a wild 3-2 finish that left me on the edge of my seat. Unfortunately, they went up against a tough opponent, Norway, in the first round of group play and were eliminated, but only after penalty kicks. 

Republic of Ireland

FIFA Ranking: 23

Reputation:

This is the Irish  women’s team's first World Cup. They can find success against teams ranked below them and won’t make it easy for Canada and Australia to take the top two group spots.  Ireland’s path to the World Cup is credited in part to coach Vera Pauw, who joined Ireland after coaching professionally in the USA. Ireland also benefits from its proximity to England’s FAWSL, where several Irish players play on lower-level teams. 

Player Pool:

Captain Katie McCabe is a leading scorer and an absolute brick wall for Ireland and for the Arsenal team in England. Her fellow midfielder, Denise O’Sullivan, is captain of the American team North Carolina Courage. Ireland’s strength is in their central midfield with these two players, but against tough competition they will need to rely on veteran defenders Lousie Quinn and Niamh Fahey. 

2019 World Cup Performance:

Did not qualify

Nigeria

FIFA Ranking: 45

Reputation:

Nigeria is one of a few teams that has qualified for all 9 World Cups. Historically they have been as much of a powerhouse as a team from Africa can be. In all 13 African Women’s Championships, they have been champions eleven times, including in 2014, 2016, and 2018. However, in the 2022 AFWCON, they finished fourth, barely qualifying for the World Cup. 

Player Pool: 

Nigeria has two standout forwards, Asisat Oshoala (Barcelona) and Ifeoma Onumonu (Gotham FC), but not much other depth in their team. They will need a strong defense in the games in this group. They might have a slight advantage just on experience, as most of their players will have played in a World Cup before. 

2019 World Cup performance:

Nigeria had a rough draw in the group stage, playing Norway and France, but did succeed in making it past the group stage after a win over South Korea. Their first game in the round of 16 was against Germany, who dominated the game and sent Nigeria packing. 

Canada

FIFA Ranking: 6

Reputation:

Much like a moose, the Canadian Women’s National Team is fierce and strong, but mostly ignored until you come up against them in a fight. They are one of the most physical women’s teams in the world, and have a range of both young and veteran talent. The team has had inconsistent results: they hosted the2015 World Cup and were eliminated in the quarterfinals in a heartbreaking defeat to England, then struggled at the 2019 World Cup, then won the gold medal in the Tokyo 2021 Olympics. The team has been fighting for equal pay and treatment, causing a distraction that could impact their performance. 

Player Pool:

Without a doubt, their most notable player is veteran Christine Sinclair, who holds the record for most international goals scored, male or female.  Jessie Fleming, who is only 24, will have almost a decade of experience under her belt when the World Cup starts, and is a starting midfielder for top club team Chelsea. Fleming and Jordyn Huitema (OL Reign) are two young players for Canada that are hitting their stride and building Canada’s future.

2019 World Cup  performance:

Canada finished second in the group, losing to the Netherlands, then to Sweden in the knockout round. After making it to the semifinals in 2015, it was a disappointing performance. With a new coach and an Olympic gold medal, hopefully 2019 was just a blip.

[mariacallous]

Of the 20 games Australia played on its journey to qualify for this year’s FIFA World Cup in Qatar, 16 games were held abroad. Australia has been a member of the Asian Football Confederation since 2005, and its players’ passports include stamps from Kuwait, Taiwan, Jordan, Vietnam, Japan, United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Saudi Arabia. But several members of the Australian team can claim an even longer journey to the tournament.

“Pressure is me as an 18-month-old baby fleeing a war. Pressure is me as a 6-year-old being in the middle of a war. Pressure isn’t a must-win football game because you can win or lose, but I don’t think anyone’s going to die,” defender Milos Degenek told ESPN before Australia’s Nov. 26 group-stage game against Tunisia.

Degenek was born in Knin, Croatia, in 1994. The city was the self-declared capital of the unrecognized Republic of Serbian Krajina during the 1991 to 1995 conflict that led to the breakup of Yugoslavia and was taken by the Croatian military in 1995. Degenek’s family fled to Belgrade, Serbia, in 1995 to avoid the worst of the war before immigrating to Australia as refugees when he was 7 years old.

“I can remember pretty much everything from that time,” Degenek said in a 2017 interview with FIFA.com. “Not knowing if you are going to wake up tomorrow because of the bombings. You would see a lot of crazy things the next morning when you woke up. A lot of things in flames. And a lot of things that a normal human mind can’t comprehend. You just have to deal with it at a young age.”

Australia’s national soccer team has long revealed the country’s migrant history. Its teams of the 1960s and 1970s featured mostly first-generation migrants from Europe. At the 1974 World Cup in West Germany, Australia’s squad included a roll call of immigrants from England, Scotland, Germany, and then-Yugoslavia—with Australian-born players a minority. Decades later, Australia’s 2006 “golden generation”—who reached the World Cup knockout rounds for the first time ever—included just one player born outside Australia, New Zealand-born Archie Thompson. But the team nevertheless championed its multicultural origins. Soccer was a constant presence in migrant families, and Australian-born children and grandchildren played soccer rather than rugby or Australian rules football. Media coverage at the time celebrated how this particular team reflected Australia’s makeup rather than the cricket or rugby teams.

Australia’s 2022 squad is diverse once again. And if the results of today’s group stage matchups hold, the team may also advance to the knockout rounds. Four players were born in Africa, and three of those were refugees. Forward Awer Mabil was born in 1995 in the United Nations-run Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya after his family fled war in Sudan. Mabil lived at Kakuma until the age of 10, when his family received asylum in Australia. Defender Thomas Deng was similarly born in Kenya in 1997 to parents who had fled Sudan and moved to Australia in 2003.

Garang Kuol is the third Australian player with Sudanese heritage. Kuol was born in Egypt to South Sudanese parents in 2004 before moving to Australia with his family at the age of 6. Twelve years later, during the closing minutes of Australia’s 4-1 loss to France last week, he took the field to become the youngest player to represent the Socceroos at a World Cup. After Australia qualified for the tournament in June 2022, Mabil said the country had given him and his family “a chance of life.” In January, he will join the English Premier League Newcastle United.

“On the journey my mum and her parents went through to reach the camp, many people died,” Mabil told the Guardian in an interview. “They were captured by the rebels trying to leave. The way they escaped, we could talk about it all night. It sounds like something from a movie, but it’s something they actually went through. The war, the journey, what they faced. For me, hearing it, it’s like: ‘Woah.’ What people do to keep their kids safe, what they sacrifice to give them a better life. They didn’t know how long they would be in the refugee camp; they thought they would return home. But there’s no returning home.”

The racial makeup of Australia’s 2022 team reveals an uncomfortable truth about the country’s immigration history. In 1901, the Immigration Restriction Act became one of the first laws of the new Australian federation. Alfred Deakin, then attorney-general and soon-to-be prime minister, said the new law “means the prohibition of all alien colored immigration … the policy of securing a ‘white Australia.’” It was not until 1975 that the Gough Whitlam government formally ended the policy with the introduction of the Racial Discrimination Act. Local Black faces are rarely seen in mainstream media in Australia, and while Australians with Indigenous or Pacific Islander heritage have played prominent roles in the sport, it is only in recent years that African Australians have stepped into the spotlight.

Australia’s more recent policies toward refugees and asylum-seekers have also been mired in controversy. Players like Mabil entered Australia through formal offshore refugee application programs, but informal arrivals to Australia face huge hurdles that have often proved insurmountable. The government began detaining asylum-seekers who arrived on the country’s shores by boat in 1992. The policy was politicized and hardened by then-Prime Minister John Howard, who governed from 1996 to 2007, and had a no-compromise approach to asylum-seekers who arrived in Australia by boat.

In 2001, in the run-up to the federal election, Howard’s government refused to grant permission to the MV Tampa, a Norwegian cargo ship, to enter Australian waters. The Tampa had rescued more than 400 mostly Afghan refugees from a fishing vessel stranded in the Indian Ocean. Australia’s stance sparked a diplomatic incident among Australia, Norway, and Indonesia over which country had responsibility for the initial rescue and subsequent destination of the asylum-seekers. Ultimately, New Zealand accepted many of the refugees with the remainder detained by Australia on the Pacific island of Nauru. In another incident in 2001, top officials in the Howard government claimed refugees had thrown “children overboard” when a Royal Australian Navy ship intercepted another boat carrying asylum-seekers. An Australian Senate inquiry later found the story to be untrue.

“We will decide who comes to this country and the circumstances in which they come,” Howard said in 2001, announcing what would become known as Australia’s Pacific Solution. It included establishing an Australian-run offshore detention center on Nauru, the third-smallest country in the world, and on Papua New Guinea’s Manus Island. The Manus Island facility became infamous for its brutality—in 2014, an asylum-seeker was murdered by facility workers during a riot protesting living conditions, and in 2015, detainees held a hunger strike by sewing their lips together—and was briefly shuttered between 2008 and 2012. In 2021, the Australian government handed control of the Manus Island facility to the government of Papua New Guinea. Nauru’s detention center remains open.

The Pacific Solution has remained popular with the Australian electorate even as asylum-seekers are held indefinitely without charge and criticism that conditions are inhumane remain. Detention centers on Australian soil have also been criticized for being dangerous; asylum claims take an average of 761 days to process, and asylum-seekers are held in what are effectively jails for that time. The new prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has said he’s investigating alternatives.

Australia’s soccer players put a positive face on the refugee experience in Australia, and Mabil acknowledges that his story is alluring to the media.

“I’ve got that title now of ‘oh, refugee kid,’” he told the Guardian. “It’s more for the headlines, for people to try to feel sorry for me, but they never try to understand who I am. … I want to tell that story too, inspire people from my country, my mother’s country, around the world.”

Mabil, Deng, and Kuol are prominent positive examples of African Australian success. Since the mid-1990s, approximately 30,000 people identifying as South Sudanese have immigrated to Australia. The community has produced top athletes in multiple sports, fashion models, musicians, and prominent lawyers. It has also been marginalized, associated with crime and violence in the media, and subjected to racism.

“There were times where I’d play for [Melbourne] Victory [his local team] on the weekend, then I’d be walking through the shops and there will be security guards looking at me strangely or following me around, thinking that I’m going to steal something,” Deng said in an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. “I’ve had that multiple times in my life, but I’ve just learned to ignore it. … I’ve tried to block it out.”

[heliosphoenix]

State of the Planet: 2022 Edition

And so here we are again, with just hours to go before we finish another lap around the Sun.

I feel that in many ways, 2022 will be looked back on as the year we have once a decade: where the old order finally passes on to make way for the new order that will come to define this period. In addition to some major world-shaking events (we all know what those are), it felt like this was the year in which we set ourselves down on the paths that we shall follow for the next decade.

And despite some dark clouds that were present back in the Winter, I feel this year ends on a note of optimism. There were moments where things could've turned bad and put us all into a grave situation, and in some respects things got pretty dire for some of us. But I feel like that while we certainly entertained our worst fears, we never realized them, and now we can be in a spot where while we're not out of the woods yet, we can feel as though things are looking up.

With that said, let's look back at some of the good things that happened this year:

The permanent members of the UN Security Council put out a joint statement saying nuclear war must be avoided at all costs.

A pig heart was successfully transplanted into a human for the first time.

The Winter Olympics were held in Beijing and the World Cup was held in Qatar.

Over 10 Billion COVID-19 vaccines have been adminsitered around the world.

The wreck of the Endurance, commanded by Ernest Shackleton during his Antarctic expedition, was discovered.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo joined the East African Community.

Turkey and Israel resumed diplomatic relations.

At the COP15 Biodiversity conference, 200 nations pleged to preserve a third of the planet for nature by 2030.

Construction on a wind farm began in the Mediterraian sea, it's estimated the farm will power 21,000 homes.

The US Government invested $430 billion dollars into fighting climate change, the largest investment in American history.

EU Environmental ministers committed to eliminating carbon emissions from all new vehicles by 2035.

The National Ignition Facility records a net energy gain from a fusion ignition for the first time.

The European Southern Observatory announced the discovery of the micronova, a new type of exploding star.

The James Webb Space Telescope began sending back its first images.

The Event Horizon Telescope gave us our first look at Saggitarius A*, the black hole at the center of the galaxy.

Artemis 1 became the first human-rated spacecraft to visit the Moon in 50 years.

* The global population surpassed 8 billion people.

Those are just some of the highlights that occured this past lap around the ol' Sun, and they show that despite the darkness that may exist, the light of progress and hope can shine through all the same.

Which is why my word of the year is "evolution."

As I said above, I truly believe that this will be the inflection point for the decade, the year when the cultural zeitgeist of the 2010's ended in favor of the 2020's. We don't know yet where this decade will lead us, but the way to ensure the best future for all of us is for us to constantly remember to evolve, whether it be in our professional lives or our personal lives.

It sounds like a tough ask, to exchange the comfort of the familiar for the uncertainty of the future, but it's actually something we do constantly, whether we want to or not. In our younger days, we all had our lives planned out; we knew exactly what we were going to be, who we were going to marry, where we were going to live, and we were naieve to assume that things would fall into place. But as we got older, we discovered the real world is not as accomodating as we'd like it to be, and often we found that our hopes and dreams ended up being just that in the face of reality.

But we didn't give up. What did we do instead? We evolved. We recognized the changing world around us and we changed ourselves to find or secure our place in it. Maybe we didn't recognize it at the time but we changed nonetheless. Sometimes we were forced to evolve, other times we took the initiative, but the end result was the same: every year we exit the calandar a little different than who we were when we first opened it.

But evolution shouldn't be looked upon as something that's imposed on us, or something that is a burden. Rather we should see it as an opportunity. A chance to view the world in a new way and come up with new ideas to solve the challenges and problems that face us all. Perhaps old thoughts and predjudices looked at in a new light is the key to overcoming them, and those who you thought you needed to hate and fear could turn out to be the people that will help you on your way.

So as we truly begin this decade, remember to always be looking for ways to improve yourself. Inspire those around you to do the same. Don't wait for someone above to bring about the change that you feel is necessary to make your life better, make it happen yourself. Be the change that you want to see in the world.

Like I always say: better today than yesterday, better tomorrow than today.

Happy New Year to you all and let's make 2023 a good one!

[grandongnews]

5 Records Created After Morocco Defeated Portugal

Morocco won a narrow 1-0 victory over Portugal in the quarter-final match which was held at Al Thumama Stadium, Doha, Saturday (10/12/2022) evening. This fight gave birth to a number of records. Youssef En-Nesyri's only goal with a header in the 42nd minute completely changed the match. Portugal became the team that rushed to equalize while Morocco continued to defend while looking for quick counterattacks. With Morocco qualifying for the semifinals of the 2022 World Cup, Walid Reragui's team has confirmed itself as a dark horse team in the world football tournament which was held in Qatar.

Interestingly, there are a number of facts and records created after Morocco's victory over Portugal in the 2022 World Cup quarter-finals. What are they?

Third Team Outside Europe and South America to Reach World Cup Semi-Finals: First from Africa

The 1-0 victory won by Morocco over Portugal in the 2022 World Cup quarter-finals set a new record. Morocco is only the third team outside of Europe and South America to have made it to the semifinals of the World Cup. The record is that the United States first reached the semifinals at the 1990 World Cup, then there was South Korea which reached the semifinals at the 2002 World Cup, where they hosted it.

However, now Morocco has added to the list of teams outside Europe and South America that have made it to the semifinals of the World Cup. Interestingly, Morocco is the first African team to qualify so far for the World Cup.

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Morocco has only conceded once in the last 9 matches, and even then an own goal

Throughout competing in the 2022 World Cup from the group phase to the quarter-finals, Morocco has played five times. Interestingly, from those five matches, Morocco only conceded once.

In fact, not only five matches at the 2022 World Cup, Morocco also previously did not concede goals in the last four matches before the 2022 World Cup. In addition, the only goal they have conceded in their last nine matches, the goal against Morocco was an own goal. That is, none of the opposing players were able to tear the nets off the Moroccan goal with their own kicks or headers.

Walid Reragui is the first African coach in the quarter-finals of the World Cup, and is now looking at the semifinals

Not only Morocco as a team that for the first time qualified for the World Cup semifinals. The coach, Walid Reragugui, is currently the first African coach to appear in the quarter-finals of the World Cup. This means, with Morocco's success in advancing to the semifinals, Walid Reragugui's record will increase later.

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Cristiano Ronaldo Breaks the Record for Most Caps in International Football

After Cristiano Ronaldo took to the field in the second round of the 2022 World Cup quarter-finals, the former Real Madrid, Juventus and Manchester United star managed to add another appearance to Portugal in world football. Cristiano Ronaldo has broken the appearance record with the national team at international level. CR7, as Cristiano Ronaldo is called, has played in 196 matches. That number is on par with former Kuwaiti star Bader Al-Mutawa. Meanwhile there is also a Malaysian player, Soh Chin Ann, who has recorded 195 matches with his national team.

Morocco First African Team to Complete World Cup Quarter-Final Match in Normal Time

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  In the history of the World Cup, only four African teams have appeared in the quarter-finals. It turned out that Morocco was the only team that was able to finish the match in normal time, where the previous three teams always needed extra time or a penalty shootout. Yes Cameroon in the 1990 World Cup lost 2-3 to England after going through extra time. So did Senegal when they met Turkey in the 2002 World Cup, where Turkey won 1-0.

Meanwhile, Ghana even needed a penalty shoot-out against Uruguay in the 2010 World Cup. At that time, Ghana finally lost to Uruguay after a 1-1 draw. Ghana lost 2-4 in a penalty shootout.

However, what distinguishes the three teams from Morocco is not only that the Atlas Lions Team finished the game in 90 minutes, but that Morocco is the only African team to win in the quarter-finals and qualify for the semifinals.

[news24kolkatarecital]

Morocco vs Portugal FIFA World Cup 2022 Highlights: Ronaldo's dream ends as POR stunned by MAR 1-0

Morocco vs Portugal FIFA World Cup 2022 Highlights: Cristiano Ronaldo's quest for a World Cup title ended with a 1-0 loss as Morocco extraordinarily became the first African nation to reach the semi-finals of the tournament. Ronaldo was brought on in the second half but Portugal could not find a way through to Moroccan defence.

Chistiano Ronaldo

[tortiefrancis]

history was made today

[ ID: a cropped screenshot with text that reads: In the 2022 World Cup, Morocco defeated Belgium 2-0 and drew with 2018 runners up Croatia to top their group undefeated, and made the quarter finals for the first time in their history after defeating Spain in a penalty shootout, making them the first Arab nation to reach the quarter finals of a FIFA World Cup,[6] and the first African nation to do so since Ghana in 2010. /End ID ]

[worldcuptickets1122]

World Cup: Nigeria can’t afford to Miss FIFA 2026

World Cup Tickets: German football coach Gernot Rohr has expressed optimism about Nigeria's Super Eagles bouncing back in their quest to secure a place at the FIFA World Cup 2026. According to Rohr, missing out on consecutive World Cups would be a massive blow for the football-loving nation, especially after failing to qualify for Qatar 2022.

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Rohr, who managed the Super Eagles during their World Cup campaign in Russia, noted that the team has the potential to turn their current struggles around. Reflecting on his tenure, Rohr mentioned how close he came to helping the team secure a spot in Qatar before being dismissed ahead of the final playoff against Ghana from the FIFA World Cup, a game Nigeria eventually lost under interim coach Austin Eguavoen.

The Super Eagles cannot afford to miss another World Cup, Rohr emphasized in an interview with Nation Sports. I firmly believe they can still recover and qualify for the tournament in the Football World Cup 2026. They have the talent and ability, but it will take focus and determination. The road to the World Cup has been challenging for Nigeria, currently sitting fifth in Group C of the African qualifiers.

FIFA 2026 Tickets: Super Eagles’ Underwhelming Campaign So Far

The group includes formidable opponents like South Africa, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Lesotho, and Rohr’s current team, Benin. With only three points from four matches, the Super Eagles have faced criticism for their lackluster performances, including a 1-1 draw at home against Lesotho, two away stalemates against Zimbabwe and South Africa, and a shocking 2-1 defeat to Benin.

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Despite the setbacks, Rohr remains hopeful. There are still six games to play in the group in the World Cup, which means everything is up for grabs, the former Bordeaux manager stated. To qualify directly, Nigeria must finish first. Even second place might offer a chance, but they’ll need a stronger fighting spirit to achieve this.

FIFA World Cup Tickets: Nigeria’s Redemption Against Tough Opponents

The matches against South Africa and other tough opponents will be critical. While Nigeria battles for redemption, Rohr has enjoyed recent success with the Benin national team, affectionately known as The Cheetahs. He guided them to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations, a feat they last achieved in 2019.

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Speaking about this accomplishment, Rohr expressed pride in how far the Beninese team has come. Qualifying for FIFA World Cup means so much to the people of Benin, he said. It’s a big moment for the government, the football federation, and fans. The reception we received upon returning to Cotonou was heartwarming. Thousands welcomed us under the Amazon Statue, celebrating this achievement.

Football World Cup 2026 Tickets: Rohr’s Call for Professionalism

This qualification is a testament to our team’s organization and determination, Rohr added. Although the game in Tripoli was tough, our squad stayed resilient and focused. It’s an incredible feeling to know we achieved this milestone without relying on other teams. Rohr didn’t hold back in criticizing the Super Eagles’ approach during their final World Cup qualifier against Rwanda.

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It was shocking to see Nigeria lose to Rwanda, especially because it seemed like they didn’t take the match seriously, Rohr remarked. Even if you’ve already qualified for the FIFA World Cup, it’s important to honor the spirit of fair play and show respect to your opponents.

Leaving your best players on the bench sends the wrong message. He stressed that such decisions could tarnish the Super Eagles’ reputation and urged the coaching staff to adopt a more professional approach in future matches. As preparations for the next round of Football World Cup qualifiers begin, Rohr is determined to build on Benin’s recent success.

World Cup Tickets: The Cheetahs Eye FIFA World Cup Qualification

The Cheetahs currently sit second in Group C, trailing South Africa, and the coach believes his team can continue to make strides on the global stage. Our focus is now on the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers, Rohr said. We plan to strengthen the squad by bringing in young, talented players who can add depth and quality. Benin has a solid foundation, and we’re optimistic about our chances to secure a World Cup spot.

Meanwhile, for Nigeria, the stakes couldn’t be higher. The Super Eagles must rediscover their form and rally behind their talented roster to avoid the embarrassment of missing back-to-back World Cups. With six matches remaining, the team has an opportunity to rewrite their story but only if they can rise to the challenge.

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[juergenklopp]

The MOROCCO NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM reach the semifinals of the FIFA World Cup 2022 after beating Portugal 1–0, with Youssef En-Nesyri scoring the winning goal. Morocco are the first African team to qualify for the semifinal of a World Cup tournament—each of the previous three African sides to reach a quarterfinal were all eliminated at this stage (Cameroon in 1990, Senegal in 2002 and Ghana in 2010) | December 10, 2022