IFFHS NEWS AND STATISTICS OF THE WEEK 31
Picture : Uruguay, World Cup Winner 1930. Exactly before 90 years !
BEFORE 90 YEARS : URUGUAY FIRST FIFA WORLD CUP WINNER
In 1929, it was decided that the first ever World Cup would take place in Uruguay from 13 July to 30 July 1930. Thirteen nations would be participating after accepting invitations – no qualifications took place. In 18 matches, 70 goals would be scored including the first hat-trick in World Cup history by Guillermo Stábile. When the tournament was over, Uruguay had been crowned as first World Cup champions.
In the final they faced the archenemy Argentina who also had been their opponents in the final in the 1928 Olympics tournament. In the presence of over 80,000 people at Estadio Centenario in Montevideo (the attendance figures are debated: the official attendance was 68,346, but it was undoubtedly more people watching the game and some sources claim it was over 90,000 people), Uruguay could pull off another victory with four goals against two after Argentina had had a 2-1 lead. The football players of the Uruguay team would renew their status as the pride of the nation.
The champion team of Uruguay:
Enrique Ballestero (Goalkeeper)
Ernesto Mascheroni (Defender)
Joséo Nasazzi (Defender)
José Leandro Andrade (Midfielder)
Lorenzo Fernández (Midfielder)
Álvaro Gestido (Midfielder)
Héctor Scarone (Forward)
Pablo Dorado (Forward)
Pedro Cea (Forward)
Santos Iriartre (Forward)
Héctor Castro (Forward)
Head coach: Alberto Suppici
CAMEROON 1990 WORLD CAPTAIN STEPHEN TATAW DIES IN YAOUNDE AT 57.
Stephen Tataw and Diego Maradona, the captains before the World Cup match 1990 Argentina - Cameroon on June 6.
Stephen Tataw who died this July 31st, lost his wife a few years back after an earlier divorce, in what many think was a blow he never really recovered from. To add onto the lot, he was frustrated, and openly said it, that he had not really been honored as former captain of the national team. And then, an undisclosed illness finally floored the iroko tree ahead of his demise.
The hugely built, and power-studded right-half defender was the only anglophone to have captained the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, a country with a 4:1 francophone : anglophone population ratio, hitting a high when the Indomitable Lions became the first African country to reach the ¼ finals of the FIFA World Cup. It was in 1990 in Italy. He would however register a low as captain when, four years on, the team had a disgraceful participation at USA’94, registering barely a draw and early exit from a group that equally featured Brazil, Russia, and Sweden.
Stephen Tataw rose from the ranks of his Sonara FC High School team to sport the shirts of Cammark Kumba where he was holding midfielder, then multiple Cameroon champions, Tonnerre Yaounde as right halfback, where from Cameroon Manager Claude Leroy gave him his first Cameroon cap in 1988. His star shone when during the AFCON hosted by Morocco he was credited to have prevented the hosts from winning the cup when he virtually pocketed star player, Aziz Bouderbala in a key game. He wore the captain band from 1990 to 1995; and finally closed his amateur career with Olympic Mvolye before an inconclusive professional trial at Queens Park Rangers, and subsequently, failing to make it at an obscure J-League outfit, Tosu Futures. Note-worthy that he had initially been elbowed out of the Monaco bid by George Weah with whom he had fought for the lone recruitment opening at the time.
On several media outlets in the country, the former team mates, fans have expressed grief at the passing of acting deputy Administrative Director of the Cameroon national team, Stephen Etah Tataw, fondly called ‘Janvion’ after the celebrated France Les Bleus defender from 1975 to 1982, Gérard Janvion.
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Arsenal, winner of the FA Cup 2020 !
PSG, winner of the Treble in France (Ligue 1, National Cup, League Cup)
Juve Women Team, Champion like the Men Team ...