WEDNESDAY, JUNE 9, 2021 11

India’s Chhetri passes Mueller on the mark as Messi in international goals Germany thrash Latvia Thomas Mueller scores first international goal in three years in 7-1 victory

• becomes the first We had discussed German keeper to things in the past days reach 100 caps and what needs to be India’s football captain Sunil Chhetri (R) vies for the ball during the match improved. In the first AFP | Berlin half we had a lot of AFP | Doha pace and speed, good homas Mueller scored pressing ndian football star Sunil his first international JOACHIM LOEW IChhetri has surpassed Li- goal for three years on onel Messi in international T KNOW WHAT Monday as Germany crushed It was 5-0 at the break as goals, after scoring both goals minnows Latvia 7-1 in their final Latvia goalkeeper Robert Ozols in his country’s 2-0 win over warm-up friendly before the fumbled the ball into his own Bangladesh in Doha. Euro 2020 finals. net, then volleyed Chhetri moved past Argen- Sunil Chhetri has now Latvia, ranked 138th in the into the top corner just before tine Messi’s 72 goals when scored 74 goals for world, rarely got out of their half Germany’s forward Thomas Mueller celebrates after scoring the third goal half-time. Werner replaced he opened the scoring in the India, moving past as Germany tuned up for their Havertz for the second half and 79th minute on Monday, in a Argentine Messi’s 72 opening game of the European osition, that’s clear.” into the defence with his club fired home between Ozols legs qualifying match for the 2022 Championship against world Germany captain Manuel team-mate Kai Havertz, who with 50 minutes gone. FIFA World Cup and 2023 AFC goals. With 73 strikes, champions France in eight days Neuer was applauded onto the played the first half, impressing The Germans were caught Asian Cup. Ali Mabkhout of the time in Munich. pitch by his team-mates before up front. napping when Saveljevs’s su- The 36-year-old striker United Arab Emirates After a two-year exile from kick-off as he became the first Manchester City’s Gundogan perb shot flew past the div - added a second in injury time, is also above Messi international football, 2014 goalkeeper to make 100 appear- partnered Real Madrid’s Toni ing Neuer, before Sane made taking his total to 74 goals for World Cup winner Mueller got ances for the national team. Kroos in a solid midfield pair- amends for his earlier miss by India, who are already out (AIFF) president Praful Patel on the scoresheet while Premier The 35-year-old veteran had ing. tapping home’s Mueller’s pass. of the race to qualify for the lauded the captain for leading League stars Ilkay Gundogan one of the quietest nights of his The Germans wasted little The win was a timely confi- World Cup but can make it to from the front. and also found the career in Duesseldorf. time. dence booster on the eve of the the Asian Cup in China. “Our @IndianFootball skip- net in the rout. He was largely untested un- Havertz ghosted through Euro 2020 finals, but Germany Portugal striker Cristiano per Sunil Chhetri adds another “The result wasn’t the most til Latvia midfielder Aleksejs the Latvia defence to set up can expect much harder games Ronaldo tops the international feather to his illustrious cap important thing, it was more Saveljevs caught the German the opener as left-back Robin against France and reigning Eu- list among active players, with as he overtook Lionel Messi about the way we wanted to play defence napping with a consola- Gosens claimed his first inter- ropean champions Portugal in 103 goals. to become the second-highest football and implement things,” tion goal 15 minutes from time. national goal, then 86 seconds Group F. With 73 strikes, Ali Mabk- active international goalscorer said Mueller, who claimed his Germany head coach Joachim later Gundogan crashed in the “We’ve kept things free until hout of the United Arab Emir- with 74 goals,” Patel wrote on first Germany goal since March Loew made four changes from second. the middle of July - anything can ates is also above Messi -- a Twitter. 2018. the side held to a frustrating 1-1 Germany were 3-0 up inside happen,” joked Mueller, with six-time Ballon d’Or winner “A big congratulations to “It felt good, it was a con - draw with Denmark. 27 minutes when Mueller hit the Euro 2020 final scheduled widely regarded as the greatest Captain Fantastic & wishing vincing win, but we know that Chelsea’s Champions League the net for his 39th goal in 102 for London’s Wembley Stadium player of the modern era. him many more accolades in France will be a different prop- winner Antonio Ruediger came caps for Germany. on July 11. All India Football Federation the future.”

Southgate’s England players are ‘role Stuttgart’s Wamangituka played under models’ as kneeling row simmers fake identity after agent ‘manipulation’ AFP | London AFP | Berlin

areth Southgate says his tuttgart’s Congolese attacker GEngland players are “role SSilas Wamangituka has been models” as a row simmered playing under a false identity, over the team’s decision to take the club announced the knee at Euro 2020 to high- yesterday. light the issue of racial injustice. Wamangituka’s real name is Southgate’s side were booed Silas Katompa Mvumpa and by a section of the crowd at was born on 6 October 1998 in Middlesbrough’s Riverside Sta- Kinshasa, and not a year later as dium when they made the ges- claimed in his documents. ture before friendlies against “Striker Silas Wamangituka Austria and Romania last week, recently made it known to the though the jeers were drowned club that he had been the victim out by applause. of manipulation by his former players have player agent and that Wamangi- Silas Wamangituka controls the ball during a match (file photo) been going down on one knee tuka is not his real name,” they before kick-off since George said. Floyd, who was black, was “With the support of Stutt- BETTER killed by a white police officer England’s Declan Rice (L) and Jack Grealish (R) ‘take a knee’ ahead of the gart and a new agent, Silas has in the United States last year. international friendly football match between England and Romania been working intensively on With fans now allowed back portant role to play. clearing up the situation and KNOW in stadiums in England after the “Our players are role models,” finally received the correspond- 21 easing of coronavirus lockdown the England boss wrote in the ing official documentation from goals have been scored restrictions, some politicians Our players are Players’ Tribune. “And, beyond Democratic Republic of Congo by Silas Wamangituka in have voiced their opposition to the confines of the pitch, we a few days ago,” they added. Silas Wamangituka’s 58 games since joining role models. And, Stuttgart in 2019 the gesture. beyond the confines must recognise the impact they Wamangituka, who scored real name is Silas The debate over the issue of the pitch, we must can have on society. 13 goals in 27 games last season Katompa Mvumpa and has provided an unwelcome recognise the impact “We must give them the con- to help Stuttgart to a mid-table was born on 6 October distraction in the build-up to fidence to stand up for their finish, had a trial with Belgian 1998 in Kinshasa, and contact with the German league England’s opening game against they can have on teammates and the things that side Anderlecht in 2017 and and the country’s national asso- Croatia on June 13. society. We must give matter to them as people. I have he claimed he was pressured not a year later as ciation to clear up the situation. All three of England’s group them the confidence never believed that we should to move to Paris by his former claimed in his docu- “Thanks to his considerable matches will take place at to stand up for their just stick to football.” representative. ments efforts to clear up the situation, Wembley in front of crowds of teammates and the He added: “It’s their duty to He joined second-tier Paris Silas now has a valid Congolese 22,000 as part of a pilot scheme things that matter to continue to interact with the FC and then moved to Stuttgart to take to make my story public passport with his correct per- for the return of supporters. them as people. I have public on matters such as equal- 2019. and I would never have had the sonal details,” they said. Southgate, who had previ- ity, inclusivity and racial injus- “Over the past few years, I courage to do so if Stuttgart, “It is in the interests of both ously confirmed his side would never believed that tice, while using the power of was constantly living in fear my team and Stuttgart had not Silas and Stuttgart to ensure continue taking the knee at the we should just stick to their voices to help put debates and was also very worried for become like a second home and that the situation is handled delayed European Champion- football on the table, raise awareness my family in Congo,” he said. a safe place to me,” he added. correctly from hereon in,” they ship, said the team had an im- GARETH SOUTHGATE and educate.” “It was a tough step for me Stuttgart said they were in added.