Toni Schumacher: Great Keeper With Stained Legacy

Harald Toni Schumacher in FC Cologne colors

Won the European Championships in 1980, won the Bundesliga with FC Cologne in 1977/78 and Borussia Dortmund in 1995/96, won the German Footballer of the Year award in 1984 and 1986, was a World Cup Runner-up in 1982 and 1986. Second best player at 1986 World Cup behind a certain Diego Maradona. Quite an impressive resume. 


Yet for all of Harald Toni Schumacher's heroics as a goalkeeper, his legacy remains very stained by THAT foul on France defender, Patrick Battiston during a highly entertaining Semi Final clash of Espana '82 World Cup. 


Schumacher, at 6ft 1', wielded a lot of control over his box. he was equally good with crosses and wouldn't charging out of his line to close down an attack. Perhaps that  could explain his decision to charge down Battiston. 

You French Aint Gonna Beat Me!

That decision to shoulder-charge a hapless Battiston, caused the French #3 to suffer a concussion, 3 cracked ribs, 3 lost teeth,  a damaged veterbrae. That foul is still regarded today as one of the most violent fouls ever committed in a World Cup game. 

He even slipped into a coma while been stretchered off the pitch. Incredibly referee Charles Corver didn't as much as give Schumacher a caution, neither did he award a foul to the French. 

Schumacher's Brutal Foul on Battiston

And to complete the French frustration, West Germany came from 3-1 down to equalize 3-3 and won the subsequent penalty shootout to send them into the finals. 


His reputation around the world, especially in France, was not helped either by his nonchalant and belligerent stance after the foul as well as remarking that he would pay for the lost teeth when told that his body-check on Battiston caused him to lose 3 teeth.

Anthony Yeboah: Ghana's Lethal Striker

Anthony Yeboah in action For Leeds United

Anthony Yeboah is one of the finest strikers that Africa has produced. Born in 1966, he is best remembered for his successful spells at Leeds United and Eintracht Frankfurt and Saarbrucken where he enjoyed a goal-laden, golden period of his career. 

After moving to Eintracht Frankfurt from Saarbrucken both in Germany, his goals, many of them spectacular, won over a skeptical fan base that had regularly made racist chants at him during the early days of his spell in Frankfurt. 

Yeboah Celebrates at Elland Road

At Leeds, he continued his rich vein of form, scoring some quite memorable goals including a spine-chilling volley against Liverpool, voted by most Leeds fans as the club's greatest goal ever. 

Yeboah in action for Black Stars of Ghana

In his second season, he was named the club's player of the season. He enjoyed a decade-long but trophy-scarce time as a Ghana International, scoring 29 goals in 59 appearances for the Black Stars and appearing in three African Cup of Nations tournaments.

Thomas Nkono; A True African Legend

Cameroon Legend, Thomas Nkono

Who made Gianluigi Buffon decide to become a goalkeeper? Thomas Nkono. A part of a dominant Cameroon team that dazzled the world at Italia '90, Nkono's heroics ensured that the Indomitable Lions got to the Quarter Finals of the Mundial before been cruelly eliminated by the Three Lions of England 2-3. 

Buffon said that it was watching Nkono at Italia '90 that convinced him to become a goalkeeper. Nkono represented Cameroon at 3 World Cup finals; Espana '82, Italia '90 and USA '94. He also featured in 4 African Cup of Nations finals including the 1984 and 1986 editions respectively. 

Nkono At Espana '82

Probably one of Africa's finest ever Goalkeepers, he featured prominently for Espanyol in a 9-year stint that yielded 300 caps and a UEFA Cup Runners-up medal in 1987/88. 


He was also a recipient of the African Player of the Year awards in 1978 and 1982 in addition to winning the CAF Champions League with Canon Yaounde in 1978 and 1980. 


A fitting tribute to the 6ft 1' shot stopper is having the legendary Gigi Buffon name his son Thomas after the goalkeeping great.

Ivanov, Bulgaria Hardman Of Yore, Dies At 50

Trifon Ivanov was not a defender you would want to trifle with. With an icy cold stare, a bushy buff of hair and warrior side-burns, he struck fear into many a striker. 

He was part of the Golden crop of Bulgarian National team that reached the semi finals of USA 94. He is regarded as one of Bulgaria's greatest players. He has captained the team when it had likes of Hristo Stoichkov, Emile Kostadinov, Lordan Letchov and Boris Mihalyov. 


Sadly, Ivanov passed on this Saturday, 13 February 2016 after suffering a heart attack. He was aged 50. Ivanov won three domestic league titles, the Bulgarian Cup and the Super Cup with CSKA Sofia between 1989-92.

He was capped 76 times and scored 6 goals including a brilliant header that gave Bulgaria a 1-0 victory over Russia in a decisive 1998 World Cup qualifier. He represented Bulgaria at USA 94, France 98 and at the Euro 96 in England.


He was named Bulgaria's Footballer of the Year in 1996, also had spells at Real Betis, Neuchatel Xamax and Rapid Vienna where he enjoyed a particularly fruitful period, winning the Austrian title, the domestic cup and the 1996 European Cup Winners' Cup.

Cherif El-Ouazzani; The Black Algerian Swan

Cherif El-Ouazzani Features For Algeria

Cherif El-Ouazzani was one of the visible faces of a fast, brilliant and technically astute Algerian team that impressed Africa in the 80s and 90s, helping the Desert Foxes to win the African Cup of Nations on home soil, edging Nigeria 1-0. 


Spotting the Number 14 jersey, the negro-skinned deep-lying playmaker, influenced play from the front of the defence. 1990 was probably the height of his powers as he finished second to Roger Milla in the African footballer of the Year award as well as the second best player at Algiers '90 Nations Cup behind Rabah Madjer. 


His club career shone brightest when he enjoyed stints at MC Oran of Algeria. He won the League, Algerian Cup, Arab Cup Winners Cup and Arab Super Cup with MC Oran.

Cyrille Makanaky; Cameroon's Flame-Haired Maestro

Cyrille Makanaky v England at Italia '90

One of the stars of Cameroon's Indomitable Lions at Italia 90, Cyrille Makanaky was an elegant attacking midfielder that dazzled audiences at the Mundial. 


His flame-colored hair as well as his dusty brown skin distinguished him all through his country's remarkable run in the tournament. He helped Cameroon reach the Quarter Finals of the World Cup where they lost cruelly to England 2-3. 

Cyrille Makanaky in action For Cameroon

Of course, he had by this time earned plaudits for his displays as the West Africans played some devastating and eye-catching football in Italy. He represented the Indomitable Lions at Maroc '88, helping them win the tournament and also at Algiers '90. He had also played for clubsides such as Ajaccio, Villareal, Malaga, Toulon, Lens and Macabi Tel Aviv.

Jean Pierre Papin; Scorer Of Stunning Volleys

Who is the only player to have won the prestigious Ballon d'Or award while featuring in the Ligue 1? Jean Pierre Papin. A quicksilver striker famed for scoring lots of goals, most of them stunning volleys, Papin enjoyed his most successful spell at Olympic Marseille. 



While at Marseille, he was the French League's top scorer for five consecutive seasons; (1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992). 

 

Jean Pierre Papin Representing France at Mexico '86

As striker and captain of a dominant Marseille side, Papin helped the French team win 4 consecutive Ligue 1 titles as well as a Coupe de France in the 1988/89 season. 



Papinades wasn't as successful at Bayern Munich, AC Milan, Bordeaux, Guingamp as he was at Club Brugges and Marseille. He was unlucky to be part of an underachieving generation of French players who failed to qualify for both the 1990 and 1994 World Cups although he was part of a Bronze-winning Les Bleus team at

Fernando Redondo; The Most Elegant Midfielder of His Generation

Fernando Redondo starring for Real Madrid

There is no football fan who watched football in the 80s and 90s who is not synonymous with Fernando Redondo. The Argentine was the stand-out midfielder of the 90s and early 2000s, controlling the Real Madrid midfield in tandem with Steve McManaman. An elegant defensive midfielder, playing as a deep-lying metronome, a precursor to Xavi and Andrea Pirlo, he was named player of the 1999/2000 UEFA Champions League competition due to his wonderful displays for the Los Blancos as they won the 2000 Champions League, beating Valencia 3-0 in the finals. 

Dubbed El Principe (The Prince) by an adoring Spanish media, Redondo spent a decade at the Santiago Bernabeu, winning 2 La Liga titles and 2 Champions League trophies (1998, 2000). He also represented Argentina, winning the FIFA Confederations Cup (1992) and Copa America (1993) with the Albiceleste.

Alain Gouamene, Hero Of Elephants' First AFCON Triumph

Ivory Coast Senegal '92 Hero, Alain Gouamene

The Elephants of Ivory Coast owe their first African Cup of Nations title win to this man, Goalkeeper Alain Gouamene. 

Standing at 6ft, it was he that saved Ghana's Anthony Baffoe's spot kick in a marathon unprecedented penalty session which ended 11-10 in favour of the Elephants of Ivory Coast. 


All the players from both teams tried their luck from the spot but no one could win the game until Gouamene saved Baffoe's kick.


He is the tournament's record appearance holder, having appeared in 7 finals and featured in 24 games. He was Ivory Coast's Number one from 1987 till 2000 and played for the likes of ASEC Mimosas, Raja Casablanca, FC Toulouse and Africa Sports d'Abidjan.

Nigeria Lose Heavily To Algeria In Algiers "90 Opening Match

On a wet and windy Friday evening of 2 March 1990, the Super Eagles of Nigeria lost 5-1 to Algeria's Desert Foxes in the opening match of Algiers '90 African Cup of Nations. 


The likes of Rabah Madjah, Djamel Menad, Cherif El-Ouazzani and Djamel Amani were architects of the victory. Emma Okocha scored a consolation for the West Africans at the 5 July 1962 Stadium in Algiers in a match watched by 65, 000 raving fans.