 We're still on with the touchline on Y2 Fava, very good afternoon and welcome back to the program. My name is Max Olwasika. Time for the fan favorite segment, the Fan Zone, where we're giving a focus on international football with regards to what has been trending, the matters, transfers and of course what is coming up next. When is the pulsating clash, of course beating Chelsea football club against their rivals, as far as English Premier League is concerned, Arsenal in Europa League, football and of course Arsenal looking forward probably to beat Chelsea to qualify for UEFA Champions League football camp next season and leave United to be one of the top clubs in England to play Thursday night football. Of course joining me is a great panelist to dissect and give their opinion with regards to several headlines as far as matters global soccer is concerned. Ian Wagat the social nerd has been here, Ian, have you been? I'm good, I'm good, man. Better late than never, right? Yes, I'm happy to be here. Moses Gowi, big man. Yes, Vux. It's been a minute. It's good to be back to commentate on matters football. You know football is our home ground, so any opportunity to talk football is a welcome opportunity. Definitely Los Oro Robots. You were not here before man. What happened to you? Oh man, it's those days when journalists failed to work man, the matter had run. Yesterday people were tweeting about it and I forgot that I live on the road where it's closed. Traffic snarlap. Traffic snarlap and I don't have a car. Next time I'm going to come to rescue bro. Straight into what has happened, your former coach Antonio Conte is off to Inter Milan. Big move for the Italian giants. Yes, definitely. It's a huge move for Inter Milan and I think it's a move that will benefit the club especially at this time when they are rebuilding. We all know the quality Antonio Conte possesses in his two seasons in England. He won a Premier League title and an FA Cup title. So he's a very good coach. I'm actually looking forward to Inter Milan performing very well. Maybe they will start challenging you for the Italian Serie A. Mosa several clubs are managerless and so are managers who are clubless. Of course I speak right now, Jose Mourinho is an attached, Max Allegri is an attached. Several transfer rumas linking these coaches to various clubs. What do you make of the rumamil so far? Obviously the rumamil now is as far as the coaches are concerned. They are mostly linked to Syria clubs. Conte just joined Inter Milan to study the ship while at Juventus the previous season they had finished seventh. Conte came in on the league. The same thing at Chelsea, they performed very poorly, came in on the league. So next season we expect a very tough Syria as far as the available coaches are concerned. People tend to link Mourinho with the position at Juventus given that Max Allegri has left. And if you think of it, the only viable option is Mourinho most obviously because of his European pre-degree. Allegri won five back-to-back titles. To chase him away from that job means that Juventus have the eye on the big cup that is the Champions League. And Mourinho is a serial winner in this competition. It's only logical that Mourinho be given the nod for this available position. Other coaches who are available, I don't see anyone of the class to fill the position at Juventus other than Jose Mourinho. And maybe if Pochettino becomes available, which I don't think Spaz will be willing to let him go. I know you have followed the Italian football for quite long. And you remember those days of AC Milan and Inter Milan, San Siro rivalry. And their standards have drastically dwindled. It's now Juventus who are making headlines, winning Syria titles consecutively. They have won it I think several, a few years down the line winning it. Eight years running. Do you think Conte joining Italian football would now restore the lost glory of Inter Milan? A team that, you know, our very own McDonald Mariga played for one champion, sleep with them. It's a big class for Inter Milan because you look at the history of Antonio Conte in Italy. Because when he joined Juventus they were actually coming off relegation and they were trying to rebuild and do everything that they could. And Antonio Conte came and helped them rebuild and everything that they had to do. But then again he was called for the Italian job. So he had to leave Juventus, come to Italy for two years and then come to Chelsea. So him going back to Inter Milan, as Ian said, he is the most capable coach who is likely to challenge Juventus at their level best which they are. Because other coaches who have managed to challenge Juventus have not got that far because you realize the next best coach who challenged Juventus was Mauricio Sarri when he was at Napoli. It came, it was 91 points with Napoli twice he was running, the second runner up not getting to the level where Juventus was. So I think Antonio Conte coming there is a big plus. But then again the director of football, I think Spalletti, who was the director of football at Juventus was the one who brought Antonio Conte to Juventus. He is the one currently at Inter Milan and I think he knows that the quality of Antonio Conte when he goes to Inter Milan and what he can do. The thing is Inter Milan has to go ahead and start to bang players when the calibre to compete with Juventus. Because European Juventus bang the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Diabala, Kulibali. The calibre of players that Juventus has is not the calibre of players that Inter Milan has to invest in the good players that Antonio Conte can use to challenge Juventus. And of course as far as matters Italian football is concerned Cristiano Ronaldo won play of the season just a few months after leaving Los Blancos of Real Madrid to join Juventus. Do you think that is the man that Italian football would require if that competition and quality. I think for everyone I don't even think it was a surprise that Ronaldo was the best Syria player I mean he is arguably the best footballer, one of the best footballers ever to play the game. So my only problem with Juve is I felt like Juve really let him down in the champions league because him himself he gave everything he had. He scored very huge goals he brought them to the semi-finals. So the final one against Atlético Madrid that was a big plus centre. Yes, yes. And even in the quarterfinals when all was lost he came in with a heart-trick performance to send Juve to the semi-finals. So my problem is there's something wrong with Juve. At some point they just don't execute. And I think it's not, they have very good players but I don't think they are clutch players. I don't think they are players other than Ronaldo where in a big game you can call up to them. And that's why you are seeing Debales being linked with the move away from Juventus. Because easily the player we thought he is because in the big stage he has failed to deliver. So I think Juve is a very good team but they need other players who will be able to come in when Ronaldo has an off day. Another player will be able to come in and execute. Most I don't know whether you read from the same script with the social nut because when he says that there are no quality and probably world class players at the touring. What do we refer to people like Kielini who have been phenomenal for the club? What do you think Juve went wrong that led to the elimination from Champions League football? And what has been their main and doing? Is it the coach marks a leg room they have parted ways with or probably jail and blame? I think Juve have top quality players all round. If you look at their defense it's one of the main defense in the top five European competitions. Jojo Kielini, Debales, Blaise Matuidi, Miro Lempiani. Those are top players who would fit into any other team. But the success has eluded them in the European competitions. Twice they have managed to reach the finals. They went out against Barcelona and Real Madrid, both Spanish teams. The other season they were unfairly knocked out against Real Madrid when they considered a late penalty that was converted by Ronaldo who is at Juve right now. So Juventas, I think perhaps what they are liking is someone to steer them to the Champions League. The players are there because you can't doubt the quality of players that they have. Probably the players, they are the best players in the Italian league and they fit into most of these Premier League teams even in Bayern or PSG. So let's see what the next coach comes and does. This time round Ajax was there and doing. Ajax had a very good team spirit. They had a very good run in the Champions League and they beat the big teams so to speak. Real Madrid fall to them, Juventas fell to them. So I don't think the blame is on the players or the lack of quality. I think it's something else. It's like the case with PSG. They are used to winning in Italian football. But when it comes to the Champions League it's a different competition. The teams that we are going to meet are totally different from the way you are playing. You might have the best players in Serie A, the best players in the world, you are winning in your league. But remember when you come to the Champions League it's 13 games to that trophy. It's not 30 games. So a team like Ajax that came this time round and surprised everyone. They know that we are going to every game in 180 minutes. You either knock us out or we knock you out. I think the players, I think they come into a comfortable zone. We are the best of the best. We can take you on. But you get a team like Manchester United which has been struggling. But the moment they know they are facing Juve in the Champions League they know these are do or die. The perfect example of what you are saying is the Barcelona and Liverpool games. Because it is, as you said, the Champions League a game is 180 minutes. So the first half was done. So it was just up to the coach because everyone would agree with me that if it was Mourinho who had a 3-0 lead the tie is over. So at that point we have to blame the coach because Real Madrid went to Ajax. They scored and away it goes. How did they set up in the second leg? No, we still want to steal all of it. But we forget the Champions League is very tactical because of its nature being 180 minutes. It's very tactical. You may not have to play the best football but you might win the game purely on tactics. But you see, I think yesterday Manchester United was celebrating 20 years of winning the treble. But one of the biggest goals that came out of that was the coaches work ends at the touch line. Which kind of players are making this team now work as a team in the game itself? Which kind of players are rising up to work at this? Giventas Afbonuchi have gelin in defence. Good for you. You come to a midfielder, you have Diabala. And you have Mathuidi in that midfielder. You have Manzukic, you have Cristiano Ronaldo. Then why are you not scoring the goals? How do you set up? What do you want to achieve? So for me it's tactical because if I have a one-one draw away, my only thinking would be let me not concede this game. Let me flood the midfield. I'm going through anyway. So let me have more midfield players. Let me sacrifice Diabala and have Ronaldo play up front. So for what they went for, they went for a win. And it really backfired on them. We're going to speak about something else. Asaga that has elicited heated reactions from African football followers, the leading record scorer for Ghana black stars, five-time African champions, Asamo Ajian. He had announced retirement from football, especially after he was stripped of captaincy. And later on he met the president at the state house and he recended his decision, he came back to football. And now as we speak right now, Moses, he is the general captain, while Jordan Ayu is the captain. Do you think that is the state of a revolt ahead of the continental shop is in Egypt? Because why do you have someone being given the position that is non-existent in football circles? We obviously can't ignore the importance of Asamo Ajian to the Ghanaian team. It's the overall leading gold scorer. It's the overall leading. I mean we can't argue against the statistics. Asamo Ajian is the leading gold scorer in Ghana. He's passed his best. So the server obviously it brings discord in the team. It interferes with the team unity and with the team jelling together. Andrei is a deserving captain. He's contributed as much as Asamo has contributed to the Ghanaian team. But now that politics mixed with football, the president had to intervene and now you see the coach, the coach's hand is tight. If you appear, question appear, what will you do? The president himself has intervened. Say Uru Kenyata intervenes today. Call Bako here. You answer tight practically. Why do we have to decide? Would that attract sanctions from the government to intervene politically? No, no, no. It is about giving their own opinion and everything. But look at this. Asamo Ajian's statistical, as you have said, is one of the best African players and for Ghana players. But the moment he lost that penalty in 2010, all the statistics went down. Same case with Roboto Bagge. The best strike at the world has ever seen from Italy. But the moment, what do people remember? It's penalty loss against Brazil in the 94 World Cup in the U.S. That's the whole thing. But in penalty taking, we say it's exceptional. It's just that the government and the federation are bruising his ego. They're just making him look good and everything. But it's past his prime. This guy left playing for Sunderland to go and play in Abu Dhabi. Now, because this is the African Cup of Nations, he just wants to come and say that he's the king of African Cup of Nations. But that thing is going to be bruised. The way you said it, it's just going to divide that team two parts. There's going to be, and as a more camp, there's going to be, Andre and Kwado come. I know of the continental shop, it's African Cup of Nations. It's kicking off in a few days from now as we speak in Egypt. Ghana has been among the favourites for the title. Of course there are the four African Cup of Nations champions and they have dominated the African football headlines. Do you think heading into the showpiece and with what is happening, it will undermine their performance on the pitch? First of all, I have to say that Ghana, this is a very different Ghana side. We are not talking of the real Ghana players we had back then. Because even when you watch their performance against Arambi stars, that was not a good performance at all. I honestly don't think they are even favourites to win this showpiece. Of course Senegal is clear favourites to win this year's AFKON. So I think even without the saga for Asamoa Jan, I don't think they are going anywhere really. They have good players, but I don't see them clinching the AFKON title. For the African showpiece, for me I am going with the Maghreb region. That is either Morocco, Algeria or Egypt. Those are the teams that Senegal can try because of their European influence and everything that they are going to have. But you look even yesterday, the Africa Cup Champions League final is between Moroccan clubs. These are players who understand African football playing in the African continent. So the moment they are going for the Africa Cup of Nations, they know what they want and they know how to play in this terrain. Senegal can try because of their performance at the World Cup, but the Africa Cup of Nations is different. You look at Egypt, they perform well in Africa. They go to the World Cup, they fail. And this time we can write them off, but when it comes to the Africa Cup of Nations, it's a team you cannot write off. Mosa's big game coming up on Monday, that's the championship play of final beating, John Theriant, Frank Lampard, that's Aston Villa against Derby County. What do you make of the build up to the clash? Of course, several people have spoken to probably are looking forward to a team of Leeds United joining English Premier League to revive that rivalry, especially with the teams like Man United. But it never came to pass. But Aston Villa, Derby County, you expected that? I didn't expect that. As you said, Leeds, it will have been quite a story for Leeds United to make it back to the Premier League. Of course, Marcelo Pielsa is a very exceptional coach and what is done as Leeds is visible to see. But then again, Derby County have been knocking on the Premier League door for quite some time now. They have been eliminated at the knockout stages for, I think, a better part of the past three or four seasons. This time round they've made it to the final against Villa Villa, a seasoned Premier League team. They know how to do it, of course. The story there is the rivalry between John Theriant, Foma, Chelsea captain and Frank Lampard on this other side, Derby coach. Both English internationals, both Chelsea teammates very influential during their play days. But then again, this is one match that will be decided in 90 minutes so I clearly can't call that. I'm for Derby to go through myself and it will be quite a story for them to finally make it to the Premier League. Of course, the financial stakes are also very high. Yes. It's a tune of, I think, £190 million and that's quite some good money going into the Premier League. If you win the championship. Yes, if you win the game. It's quite ironic because the win of the championship hans much even than the overall win of the Premier League. Yes. It's the richest game in football as they call it. Yes. So... Why is that? I didn't know that. Yes. They call it. So you have to... Monday night football. It's a nice championship but I think the TV sponsorship money that comes with it boosted it. I was watching the sky this morning and I saw the trajectory of that from 2013 to now it's really skyrocketed the amount that players the teams that win the sun. I think it was £90 million in 2013. Now it's £190 million. So every year it goes up and I think it's because of... The broadcast rights. Yes, because of the broadcast rights. Yes, but you also even see the quality of players that come out of the championship. Yes. Teams are really competing with Premier League teams for players. So there's a lot of man in the championship. Of course the growth in the Premier League will automatically mean the championship will also grow as fast. Are you talking about Dave? Somebody called James Wumman, United East. Chasing after from Swansi. The same way Robatson left the championship to Liverpool and he's one of the left-backs. Best left-back as I speak right now in the world. I don't think we have enough time to discuss Manchester United. Manchester United's problems. I don't think we have enough time. Osora, but what do you have to say in regards to your chase for Champions League players? Man, I'm a journalist. I don't support any club. Don't they defend me? Live TV. Alright, away from that. Next Wednesday also a big game will be happening against Arsenal. What do you make of the stakes? I think the biggest conversation that has come out of that one is that the best democracies in the world still have problems that Henryk Mekitarian will not be travelling to Baku to play in that Europa League final and it would have been good for Mekitarian to play in another final because he won it in 2017 with Manchester United. You have another chance to play with Arsenal. You can go ahead and win it. But I think it is going to be a very, very good game. Mekitarian, Chelsea might be giving good bye to Eden Hazard but it's a game I cannot predict because this season there has been two wins, the Premier League, Arsenal wins, Chelsea wins so it will be a tough and good game to watch. I've seen several people especially alone on Twitter, football followers attributing Mekitarian's predicaments to UEFA for their lack of putting in place concrete security measures. Do you think it's their blame, really? Of course, UEFA is to blame absolutely. They know the situation in Armenia. If you're going to stage football for everyone and if you're going to stage a competition where people are expected to attend that country has to be friendly enough for everyone to be able to attend that much. So in this case if you are of Armenian descent they deny you passports. Of course the embassy, the Armenian UK and the Azerbaijan embassy in the UK, they say Mekitarian can go but then what security are you guaranteeing him? We've seen a lot of pitch invasions recently where players are attacked on the pitch and given the relationship between the two countries I think you have really had there. If you're going to stage a competition that is all inclusive you have to be able to accept anyone to come in. Because it's not only the players who are in trouble even the fans who are having problems. Objectively speaking this football body scarf Fifa, are they eligible enough to intervene in the political tension related activities? Yes. My biggest concern is definitely there's a lot of politics in football and you saw even when the FIFA scandal happened and the amount of payments people have been taking to and right now I think there is even an investigation for the other investigation for the Qatar World Cup claiming some money was exchanged for people to host and I think that is what is messing football up. There's so much money being taken and it's largely just corruption. On politics sports transcends everything. Sports transcends politics it transcends everything and everything. You saw I think it was in the Munich in 68 where we had the black armor in sports and you can see even up to today when you do a nazi salute it becomes a problem in sports but then again all these federations like they have their motto like the Olympic motto the football motto and everything. You need to get a sport into a conducive environment that it can transcend and communicate against everything. Right now what the UFO did with staging the UFO in Baku was actually tell people that we still have got ethnic tensions in Eastern Europe in most of these European countries which were formerly colonized by the former Soviet Union. So you realize that up to the moment the problems of the Soviet Union divide and conquer in Soviet Union is still traveling up to today. So the good thing is the world has known that these European democracies that everybody says that are good or that they are better off and everything is good with them those democracies have problems and now for football it's a plus for them because they have ignited that conversation but for the player and the fan you have made them not to go and enjoy the game the way it's supposed to enjoy it. And again I think football always has a responsibility to challenge inequality and discrimination when you see Rahim Staling standing up against racism because of the platform he has because of football he can talk about these things and people can listen and it's the same conversation that has come to the fore with the situation between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the sort of relationship between countries we see Palestinian players in the Israel League so these are some of the things that should stand up to challenge inequalities and discrimination that still assist in the game because as we say the beautiful game has done a lot to unify us whenever there are tensions even during political campaigns people organize food marches people come together it's a symbol of unity that has happened in South Africa during Apartheid so football always has that role in this issues Fair enough a lot of Kenyans looked forward to 2022 World Cup in Qatar having 48 teams probably to boost Kenyan chances of making it through but now it's not happening because the two countries as confirmed would be participating I think the current FIFA president Gennio Infatino has been taken off by wanting more money in their pockets that's why they are spoiling the World Cup 32 teams is the cream they are cream of football 48 teams is getting teams that are mediocre to go to the World Cup the same thing that is happening in the Africa Cup of Nations we are having 24 teams teams are getting into the Africa Cup of Nations without the quality of them getting into the Africa Cup of Nations 16 was good enough the best of the best of African football competes at the grand stage of them all now we are in 24 the moment the World Cup say that 48 teams come here in Africa started saying we can even have a 32 team Africa Cup of Nations we are getting teams like Kenya going into the Africa Cup of Nations yet without the quality to play in the Africa Cup of Nations so let it be 32 when you start seeing 48 prove to us that the 48 teams that you are bringing to the World Cup deserve to be in the World Cup but even as you speak about the World Cup witness as situation where several heavyweights didn't qualify like Netherlands the Oranges so which means probably 48 will have given an opportunity to no no no no most of the giants making it true at 32 we know if Netherlands they don't make it to the best of 32 then you are making good enough competitive made it to the World Cup when you expand the number of teams in these competitions obviously you deliver the quality of football how many matches will you watch in a 48 team World Cup that have become to expect for the World Cup this is a global competition that we are associated with beautiful football we don't want to watch Kenya Basmaligia again it's easy in the World Cup the 48 team perspective in Qatar has not gone through because of tensions between these Middle Eastern countries you remember the 48 proposal by Infatino the FIFA Congress was it will be hosted in different countries then the final comes on to one country so like in the 2026 World Cup which is I think in the US, Canada and Mexico so we are going to have three countries hosting one show piece that's like one northern region in America that is going to host the World Cup so before we get into the local schedule of the 16 team it's more of a league format for you to get into the best 16 so it's a month of a circus of football but the best of the two teams is just goes to one team, you go to Germany you realize that you put your best eight groups the best two are going to call for to the last 16 but you are going to give us a league format of the game come back you are going to do all that and you are seeing even the confusion with the UEFA Nations League I mean people don't even understand what's going on and right now all this is because of money all this is because of money FIFA wants more money and the only thing they know how to get this money is bring on more teams so that TVs can come in sponsors can come in for a very long time and make money because FIFA at the moment the most money they make is from the sponsorship deals that they have and the TV revenues that they have and the get collections let's wind up with the transfers I saw you were very happy when Thorgan Hazard finally moved to Borussia Dortmund alongside Julian Brand so far which are the transfer moves impressed you first of all as a fan of Borussia Dortmund as I'm sure many football fans are them handling their business are very early in the transfer window is good we've seen Thorgan Hazard joined them and Niko Sholes have joined them Julian Brandt have joined them so it's a very good move considering that we are tired of seeing Niko Sholes in the Bundesliga so we think this time with the amount of reinforcements that are coming in we hope that definitely we will see Borussia at the top with other transfers in mind as a Chelsea fan I would like to state very clearly that we don't want Felipe Coutinho we don't want him we don't want him I think man united can take him we don't want that guy man united have been laid with almost everyone Garret Del Felipe Coutinho Anton Griezmann this particular morning Sky Sports reported about that particular move I think Manchester United with Minora is using Manchester to sell players that's why you hear that Griezmann is being linked to united then Barcelona taking at a higher price I'm paying the players price tag when it's linked to Manchester United this value will go up but at the moment I like the way Manchester is doing their business they are going for raw and top talent but right now you need proven and experienced players proven and experienced that's failed united you got what Pogba is doing I failed to understand united supporters supporters frustration with Paul Pogba Paul Pogba is the best player in terms of goals contribution on the pitch and now you have to chase him away again because you are not performing to the level best that united wants you to perform but Paul Pogba is not a goal scoring midfielder what else can Pogba do you have to see he has the most goals you are scapegoating Pogba your English players first of all are very it's not only Pogba has not been performed actually Young was also told but Pogba is mostly Pogba Phil Jones is because he is the standout player there is no day you will compare but he is standing out he is standing out united players play with attitude and you turn out for every game Pogba does not turn out for every game that's why most Manchester United supporters are of the question how come the player that stands out in every game is going a player that stands out is staying just because the coach wants to build the team around so first of all if we remove Pogba's goals and assists I think united are like 13th or 14th let them stay there get the best players to get you out of that so as a united supporter who will you want to sign you got it now you see those other mediocre players who will try to come to united these guys are excited as a united supporter probably who do you prefer given that asero stated we have around 40 billion living in this market so I think first of all the best options will go for free transfer and there are very quality players available we have Adrien Rabil with his situation at PSG he is available for free I doubt whether he will be willing to come to Asenok given the quality that he has we have players like Yasin, Brahimi or Porto very decent players we have other players like Umtiti Barcelona situation is unsure Rafal Baran is also living I am not sure about the situation around Baran probably he will stay with us in Adrien I saw some issues around Sejuramos wanting to live we will welcome Sejuramos for me it is a very experienced defender and be able to really show up that Asenok defense that is really leaky for me my shopping list of course will have Nikolaas paper we have been dealing with him I wouldn't mind the late but I know chances are he won't come to the bridge he has not been mentioned that any rumors in the bridge still in Barcelona mostly Nikolaas paper adlab Ayovic in there because we are kind of rebuilding we need a center forward we just tied down Jirud to another deal we tied down David Luis We've tied down really come back. Alright gentlemen, it's been a fantastic show this particular Saturday and chilly afternoon. Tathline has been the show in Y-2-5-4. My name is Mark. So we're sick alongside Robert Osor and gentlemen, Ian Wathard. Alongside Moses Goy, we're joining us for the fan favorite segment. The fans on today's cycle above matters in the national football and give their perspective on this with regards to what is trending. Let's again do this next Saturday, same time, same place to our super crew for doing an amazing job, bless. And of course, let's head to RFU grounds for the Enterprise Cup Finale Kabras right before the club against Impala Sarasens. Then tonight, Barcelona against Valencia in Copa del Rey final. Enjoy and have a fantastic weekend, bless.