Top Stories

Afternoon Ticker: Maradona interested in Portugal, fake Togo team plays and more

Diego Maradona 1 (Getty Images)

By FRANCO PANIZO

Diego Maradona's first World Cup as a head coach may have ended in embarrassing fashion, but that hasn't stopped him from thinking he could reach Brazil 2014 as manager of another talented national team.

Maradona's assistant, Alejandro Mancuso, has revealed that the soccer legend is interested in furthering his coaching career with Portugal's national team. Mancuso also said that while there has been no direct contact from the Portuguese federation, Maradona would prefer that managerial job over any others. 

Portugal fired manager Carlos Queiroz last week after he was handed a six-month ban for insulting anti-doping agents prior to this summer's World Cup.

Here are more stories from Wednesday:

Bahrain fooled by fake Togo team

Bahrain believed it had defeated Togo 3-0 in a friendly match earlier this month, but recent reports claim the Togo team fielded that day was a fraud. The Togo Federation is hoping to investigate the Sept. 7 game after stating it never sent a team to Bahrain. The federation believes the side representing Togo was made up of people pretending to be the national team.

Bahrain's federation has said it went through all the correct channels in organizing the match.

Grant to miss Stoke clash

West Ham manager Avram Grant will miss his side's Premiership match against Stoke City on Saturday to observe the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur. Grant will still select the team that travels to Stoke, but assistant manager Zeljko Petrovic and coaches Paul Groves and Kevin Keen will be in charge come game-day. West Ham is currently in last place in the Premier League.

Stiles to sell World Cup medal

If you haven't been able to find a legit World Cup medal on Ebay, you're in luck.

Former England midfielder Nobby Stiles is hoping to recover $470,000 by selling soccer memorabilia, including his 1966 World Cup winner's medal. The 68-year-old is also planning to sell the European Cup medal he won in 1968 with Manchester United. 

Stiles' medals will be auctioned off in October.

———

Think Maradona could help Portugal remove the underachiever tag from next to its name? What's your take on the Bahrain-Togo situation? Surprised that Grant won't be on the sidelines this weekend considering West Ham's position? Would you buy a World Cup medal?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. I can’t believe that there is an actual person (and a Frenchman, at that) named “Thierry Froger.”

    You can’t make this stuff up, folks.

    Reply
  2. I am laughing while I’m typing this thinking of a bunch of laborers (or whatever) from the local construction crew being hired to pose as Togo’s national team. Brilliant!

    Or maybe it was just a bunch of guys who thought there was a buck to earn and so began making calls, “Hi, this is Thierry Froger calling from the Federation Togolese de Football (really some dude named Adibe calling from a phone booth in Lome)…”

    And who in Bahrain would know? With the exception of Adebayor would any of us know a Togolese player on sight? Maybe the federation hired stunt doubles! After the reception that squad had during the African Cup of Nations could you blame them?

    Reply
  3. Lol at Togo fake players. I saw this earlier and I couldn’t stop laughing. It’s gotten to the point where I’m used to FIFA being so corrupt that I just don’t really care(which is sad thing).

    Reply
  4. Portugal would be the team with most press with crazy maradona.and diva ronaldo. I doubt they do anything with them to. How does.togo fact a roster

    Reply
  5. “Surprised that Grant won’t be on the sidelines this weekend considering West Ham’s position?” Uh, no. Why would it surprise anyone that he is observing Yom Kippur? And West Ham’s position has nothing to do with it either. Yom Kippur is not exactly an “optional” holiday for Jews that have any interest at all in their religion. Doesn’t everyone know about Sandy Koufax and the World Series?

    Reply
  6. Stoke plays and draws a better Aston Villa, who is missing their new manager due to contract snafu! And now for the second time they will play a team without their manager, West Ham, this time for religious reason. Either way, I bet the fans are “stoked”!

    Reply
  7. i dont know why anyone would give maradonna a real shot, especially a perennially underachieving team like Portugal. The only reason he got the chance with Argentina is because he’s a legend there.

    Reply

Leave a Comment