AIM

It's a long save (since November 2023, so unfortunately many details are already lose to write/upload them here) that i'm already writing in Spanish but I will resume here it in English in case maybe someone find it interesting. I also coached club teams worldwide but the main goal is to try to participate at least once in all the international competitions (in all confederations) for national teams (senior and youth levels) that the game has in its original DB (no patch for extra leagues, just the one for the names). In advance, sorry in case i make mistakes in English, i don't write in this language for so long time…

About the save itself: I will start unemployed, with no badge and the lowest possible experience. About the leagues I load, it will be every single of them available in the original game (again, no patchs) until 3rd tier. I will just upload the 4th tier in Spain. 672.000 players in the save and slow AF but i will do, at the beggining i need all possible options available.

INDEX

2023 - SOUTH SUDAN

Chapter 1  /  Chapter 2 
 

2024 - SOUTH SUDAN

Chapter 3  /  Chapter 4 

2025 - SOUTH SUDAN

Chapter 5  /  Chapter 6 (AFRICAN CUP)
 

2026 - LIBERIA

Chapter 7  

2027 - LIBERIA

Chapter 8  /  Chapter 9 (AFRICAN CUP)

2028 - MARTINIQUE U20 / SYRIA

MARTINIQUE U20: Chapter 10 (U20 CONCACAF CHAMPIONSHIP)

SYRIA: Chapter 11 
 

2029 - SYRIA

Chapter 12 (U20 ASIAN CUP) / Chapter 13 (U20 WORLD CUP) / 

Chapter 1: July 2024

The journey started searching a Nation that will be willing to accept me. In the moment I started the save, there were at least 20 nations (Senior or young levels) available. After sending my application to all of them, I got four offers; Uganda (Senior), South Sudan (Senior), American Samoa (Senior) and Liechtenstein U21. There was a bit of doubt between the Africans, but inspired by "Zoran Djordjevic and his African tigers" docummentary (which I highly recommend in order to see how the first steps of South Sudan were), I decided to travel to Juba. 

The first thing that I noticed was that the team didn't have a single employee in Senior or U20 teams. I took also the youth levels (as I will do in every nation) and inmediately I published job offers in all positions, from Assistant coach till Physios. Let's see what i get. Also, now that i secured a nation to coach, I can start searching an aside club job in order to get badges and reputation. 

Ahead, three Friendly games against Zimbawe, Guam and North Marianas Islands to warm up in september and october. Then comes the WC 2026 Qualifyers, where we will meet in Group 2 with Senegal, DRC Congo, Togo, Sudan (derby!) and Mauritania. In November 2023, we will play our first two matches against DRC Congo in Kinshasa, and Sudan in Juba. 

With South Sudan U20, we will play in autumn also three friendly games against Zimbawe U20, Chad U20 and Angola U20. 

About the team itself, really weak (nothing unexpected) but i will try to attract some foreign talent with Southsudanese roots or look into the U20 or  team if there are gems worth to raise them into the senior team. 

Chapter 2: December 2023

SOUTH SUDAN

After two months since my signature, finally we start playing some friendly matches. The whole and August i was searching employees and players all around the world, with focus in the neighbouring countries and Australia (where there is a huge southsudanese diaspora). Agaist Zimbabwe it was already set, I added Northern Marianas Islands and also Guam. Everything went “as expected”, with two wins and a small defeat. 

In these friendly matches i could see already some of the future key players in my project. In the goal I made a big chance since first choice Jumaa Jenaro is going to be replaced due to age (35 yo) and being without club for Richard Anyama from Ugandan league.  Achol who plays in the Latvian league.William Akio as Wide Midfielder and plays in the Canadian League, or our captain Peter Maker who is CB in the Serbian Radnicki. As FW we have Tito Okello from the Kenyan League but it's not really convincent in these three games, we need to search alternatives. 

As future in the U20, the best i could find is Joseph Loro, who currently plays in Sporting Lagos in the Nigerian League. It's potencial CB for our Senior team. 

WORLD CUP 2026 QUALIFIERS. GROUP 2

As I said already, we share group with Senegal, DRC Congo, Togo, Sudan and Mauritania. The first two matches (our first official ones) comes in the November FIFA Match Window when we travelled to Kinshasa.
 

FIXTURE 1: DRC CONGO - SOUTH SUDAN

As expected, DRC Congo was the only team that attacked but we managed somehow to survive until the referee whistled the end of the first half with 0-0. In the second half, two goals in two corner kicks conceded made useless our goal with 5 minutes to go. Forwarding lines to the attack in order to search the goal that we needed to draw, we received a lethal counter-attack to concede the final score 3-1 against. 

FIXTURE 2: SOUTH SUDAN - SUDAN

The last internatinal match of the year is going to be one of the most special ones for South Sudanese players. We are just 11 years apart since the nation was born separated from Sudan after many years of conflict. We know Sudan's football level is way higher, but we just can't lose this match, whatever it takes. 

A full-packed Juba Stadium with 5,000 fans were pleased when in a long distante free kick, Valentin Yuel put the ball in the upper corner, impossible for the Sudanese Goalkeeper. Our hapiness didn't last long, because first, our GK Anyama was injured (David Urbano, from the local league, substituted him) and a couple of minutes later Sudan draw the result. We managed to keep the result until the end of the match and we got our first points in the Qualification group. 

Next semester, we will play a few friendly matches in February and March. In June 2024, we will play two new matches of the group, against Togo (away, in Lomé) and Senegal (home). 

Chapter 3: June 2024

SOUTH SUDAN

January

We started our 2024 with an away Friendly match against Guinea-Bissau. We scored in the first half thanks to our youngster Joseph Loro with a powerful header could give us the advantage. Unfortunately, in the last 10 minutes of the match, Sanca and Balde scored for Guinea-Bissau which means we lose this match. 

March

Between January and March we got SEVEN players from our team retired. Despite their young age, many where unemployed and obviously searched other work fields to support their families. So we had to look in the U20 team and bring up Joseph Loro from Nigerian league, the striker Peter Aparer who plays in Uganda and Lokine Biar, a Spanish-South Sudanese dual citizen newgen that plays in Las Palmas youth categories. We lost (as expected) both matches against Burkina Faso in Ougadogou and Tanzania in Juba, our capital. 

In the U20 team, thing looked brighter and our younglings were able to win with authority against Somalia U20. 

June

WORLD CUP 2026 QUALIFIERS. GROUP 2

We retourned to the WC Qualifiers to play Fixtures 3 & 4. We will start travelling to Togo and later we will receive Senegal in our land. With Senegal there are no hopes, but maybe, just maybe, with Togo we could manage to arrange a draw if we play our cards properly. 
 

FIXTURE 3: TOGO -SOUTH SUDAN

Match in Lomé againt Togo where all our hopes to arrange a 0-0 went to the rubbish when Bebou scored a free kick, not reachable for our GK Richard Anyama. In the second half came the second goal and we are leaving Togo and our hopes to score points in this FIFA window.

FIXTURE 4: SOUTH SUDAN - SENEGAL

Full packed stadium in Juba to receive Senegal in our field. Despite our low level they came with all their stars and since the initial whistle, simply there was just one team on the field. 0-3 defeat that could be easily 0-5 or 0-6 if Sadio Mané or Nicholas Jackson would be more inspired, but they scored anyway. 

With these results, we keep in 5th position on the table, with Mauritania at the bottom not being able to score a single goal. Next WC Qualifiers fixtures will be held on March 2025 (the rest of 2024 we will play CAN Qualifiers) against Mauritania and Sudan. 

In the next chapter, with South Sudan we will play the 2024 African Cup of Nations Qualifiers. We will start in the Preliminary Round Stage in a double-match against Mauritius. If we manage to advance, we will play against Gabon, Madagascar and Eswatini. 

Chapter 4: December 2024

SOUTH SUDAN

September

AFRICAN CUP OF NATIONS QUALIFIERS. PRELIMINARY ROUND

Here we are starting our way to the African Cup of Nations that will be held in Morocco at the end of next year. The qualification format will consist in a Preliminary Round where the eight teams worst ranked in FIFA will face in double leg. The four winners of these round, will be added to the other 44  African teams to complete 12 groups of four team each. The best two teams will qualify to AFCON. 

We should face Mauritius in this round, playing first leg in Mauritius, surprisingly not in its capital Port Louis but in Curepipe, where the George V Stadium is located. 

1st LEG: MAURITIUS - SOUTH SUDAN

The match couldn't start in a worse manner for our interest when an comic penalti was made by our defense. Mauritius took the gift and scored the 1-0. We were deserving to draw this match when Mauritius in a counter-attack a goal was scored by Gauthier. We reached the half-time with a 2-0 against and leaving the playoff quite difficult to get throught. 

In the second half, our striker Tito Okello was not performing well and in the minute 58 I took a KEY subtitution. Change of tactic from 4-2-3-1 to 4-4-2, Okello out and inside comes two young strikers : Peter Aparer, from Ugandan league, and Paul America, from Kenyan league and it was his debut. The third substitution was Lokine Biar, a 16-years-old regen from Las Palmas in Spanish league. In his first 17 minutes with South Sudan on the field, Peter America would score a hat-trick that gives us the advantage in our trip back to Juba.  

2nd LEG: SOUTH SUDAN - MAURITIUS

In a full-packed Juba Stadium (not difficult if the maximum capacity is 5,000) South Sudan completely wipped any mauritian option to win this playoff. The first half was quite equal and we would go to the break with a confortable 2-1. But in the second half Mauritius disappeared and we finish the match with a 6-1 that made our fans really happy. We will be in the final qualification round. 

October

AFRICAN CUP OF NATIONS QUALIFIERS. GROUP J

FIXTURE 1: MADAGASCAR - SOUTH SUDAN

We start our group stage in Antananarivo against Madagascar. It's really important because we all assume that Gabon will be the 1st place of the group, and among Madagascar, Eswatini and us will be the runner-up, which has a ticket to the AFCON. 

Competitive match where we started losing AGAIN due to a penalti in the first quarter of the match. This time we were able to draw it just few minutes later thanks to a free kick. In the second half there were opportunities for both teams but the result kept as 1-1. Our first point in the group. 

FIXTURE 2: SOUTH SUDAN - ESWATINI

For the second match we receive Eswatini in Juba. Probably most dominance play in my whole time with South Sudan. Easy 5-0 which give us the first victory and a really good goal average in case we need it. 

November

FIXTURE 3: SOUTH SUDAN - GABON

Important month for our qualifying aspirations. We gathered in Juba thinking  that Gabon will make a easy victory against us. But the reality was, that in ultra-defensive mentality and a line-up specially designed to defend even with the “striker”, we were able to manage a draw against all the odds, even with a red card in the second half. Gabon had many options but they weren't able to score. 

FIXTURE 4: ESWATINI - SOUTH SUDAN

With the moral sky-rocketed due to the recent draw against Gabon, we travelled to Lobamba to face Eswatini. The game seemed quite relaxed as the one against them in October when we were already winning 0-3 when the halftime break arrived. Things got even better when Tito Okello scored the 0-4 but from that moment, we lost control of the situation and Eswatini scored two goals, but with better strikers im sure they would be able to draw it because they had like 5-6 clear opportunities that just wasted. Anyway,the three points come home with us. 

SITUATION FOR FIXTURES 5-6 (JUNE 2025)

A dreamt autumn for us, where not only we were able to go through the Preliminatory Round against Mauritius. Also we were able to beat Eswatini twice (home and away) and also we managed to get points in our visit to Madagascar and survived Gabon. I can't be happier since we are seconds in the group with a six points advantage with two matches to play. Seems we are pretty qualified. 

BUT, if you look a bit closer, the situation is not as clear. Firstly it's important to know that in case of draw in points, the first criteria is the results of the matches played between both teams. 
 

In June for Fixture 5 Madagascar will come to play against us in Juba. It's “life or death” situation because if we manage to score a point (draw or win), we will be qualified team for Morocco 2025. BUT if we lose the match, we will be in a really difficult position since Madagascar would be 3 points away from us. In Fixture 6 we theoretically will lose against Gabon away, and Madagascar will play with the weak Eswatini in Lobamba. If they manage to win it, both teams would have 8 points and Madagascar won the direct matches criteria, so they would climb to the 2nd position and travel to Morocco, leaving us out in the last fixture of the group. So, win or draw against Madagascar will qualify us, a lose would 99% take the AFCON ticket from us. 

Next to come…

Chapter 5: August 2025

SOUTH SUDAN

We started 2025 in a really bad mood, as many players from my squad retired from football. This list includes our free-kick specialist Valentino Yuel, our left & right back, or our 1st choice GK David Urbano. The good thing is that most of these former players are now interested to be part of my staff, so I hired almost all of them and finally, after a whole year searching for assistants, my crew is completed. 

March

WORLD CUP 2026 QUALIFIERS. GROUP 2
 

FIXTURE 5: MAURITANIA - SOUTH SUDAN

Fifht game of the Qualifier and we travelled to Nouakchott to play against Mauritania, already with many new players in the list as a result of the massive retirement. Players from the U20 team like Mayen Mayen, a Australian-South Sudanese goalkeeper. Also Paul America and Peter Aparer get definitively their fix position in our lists. The match? really boring with two low-level teams that even didn't shot in the goal. A point for each team and everyone happy. 

FIXTURE 6:  SUDAN - SOUTH SUDAN

This time, we played against our north neighbours. It was the first time we visite them in Khartoum since the Civil Wars and conflicts that ended up in our separation in 2011. Many of our players were born there, since their parents worked in the north and just came back after the South Sudanese independence. 

The match started with a Sudanese goal in a free-kick but really fast we were able to equalize it and leave it until the half-time. Two big defensive mistakes cost us two goals with 20 minutes for the final whistle. We didn't have any other option that 4-2-4 tactics and full offensive in order to get some result. And it paid off, as Obiech was able to score the 3-2 and in the last minutes a Sudanese own-goal gave us the final draw 3-3. We are in the bottom of the group and officially eliminated, but we were able to not lose against our biggest rival in both derbis.

June

AFRICAN CUP OF NATIONS'25 QUALIFIERS. GROUP J

Let's remember how it was the situation before the Fixtures 5&6.

Show Spoiler

In June for Fixture 5 Madagascar will come to play against us in Juba. It's “life or death” situation because if we manage to score a point (draw or win), we will be qualified team for Morocco 2025. BUT if we lose the match, we will be in a really difficult position since Madagascar would be 3 points away from us. In Fixture 6 we theoretically will lose against Gabon away, and Madagascar will play with the weak Eswatini in Lobamba. If they manage to win it, both teams would have 8 points and Madagascar won the direct matches criteria, so they would climb to the 2nd position and travel to Morocco, leaving us out in the last fixture of the group. So, win or draw against Madagascar will qualify us, a lose would 99% take the AFCON ticket from us. 

 

FIXTURE 5:  SOUTH SUDAN - MADAGASCAR

KEY match for us as we would be qualified scoring just one point in the next two matches. But if we consider that our last match will be away against Gabon, our best chance is this match. 

We played in Juba Stadium with the idea to keep our sheet with no goals, but Madagascar was ahead of us from the start to the end. In 20 minutes we were already a goal down and the worst is that we had no reaction from our side. In the second half, Randianantenaina scored with a great shoot and made impossible our idea to score today. We were able to score just in the last seconds of the match and Madagascar took the victory, the three points, and huge chances to classify to the AFCON. They needed a victory from Gabon over us (almost sure) and a their victory over Eswatini which lies at the bottom of the group, and have big chances to happens. 

FIXTURE 6:  GABON - SOUTH SUDAN

We travelled to Libreville with the strange sensation in the body as we are in a quite difficult situation. We want to achieve what we did in the first leg in Juba, where we were able to get a 0-0 draw with them. But we are realistic about our situation, as Gabon will play in their stadium and we lost strengh with the retired players. 

The match starts in Libreville and Lobamba at the same time. Eswatini needed just 7 minutes to score and give us some hope. This hope to qualify to the next AFCON grew and grew with each goal that they scored. In half time we were still 0-0 with Gabon, and in case we lose, Eswatini was winning 4-0 eliminating all possible danger from Madagascar to take our ticket to Morrocco 2025. 

In the second half, Aubameyang scored against us already in the minute 80, but Eswatini won easily Madagascar so the ticket for the next AFCON is oficially ours. 

August

CAF AFRICAN NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIERS.
CENTRAL-EASTERN ZONE (CECAFA)
 

Now that we gained our ticket to the AFCON this December, we entered in the qualifiers for the African Nations Championship (CHAN) that will be held in Algeria at the beggining 2036. The difference between AFCON and CHAN is that in the AFCON comes the best players of each team, since it is the maximum continental trophy of the African Confederation. In the CHAN all players should be from their domestic league. 

The draw is against 

1st LEG: SUDAN B - SOUTH SUDAN B

Again we have to play against Sudan in Khartoum with the players we managed to recruit (mostly from Al-Merreikh Juba). Rahman already scored for Sudan in the seventh minute. But a stupid hand in the area gave us a penalti and Mayai scored the draw. Once again, Rahman, wthis time with a header scored 2-1 and the first time finishes. 

In the second time, just after a few minutes, Abishai scores after a few rejects in a corner-kick and the result will not move. 2-2 and we keep not losing with our neighbours. 

2nd LEG: SOUTH SUDAN B - SUDAN B

Final match in a full-packet Juba Stadium. We started defensive in order to keep the draw since the 2 goals that we scored in Khartoum can give us the ticket to the next round. And our plan was working until the halftime period. 

After the half time, Mozamil scored with a long range shoot for Sudan and complicated our lives. We were now eliminated, so we are force to remove our defensive mentality and go for the goal in the time left. Three big chances avoided by the Sudanese goalkeeper and just when we put more pressure on Sudan, Bul, our central midfielder, was red carded and our options in this moment became finished. Not only we were not able to create more chances in the additional time, but Yassan Hamed in a counter-attack scored the second goal and gave the definitive victory to the Sudanese team. We were eliminated. 

Next to come…

Chapter 6: December 2025

SOUTH SUDAN

After being eliminated for the CAF African Nations Championship  and get the ticket for the CAN 2026 in Morocco, we have to finish our qualifiers for the World Cup 2026, even if we are already eliminated. 

September

WORLD CUP 2026 QUALIFIERS. GROUP 2
 

FIXTURE 7: SOUTH SUDAN - DCR CONGO

DRC Congo visited us in Juba, where we are heavy weakened due to injuries and we lost six players for this call-up. We simply were not rivals for the Congolese, and suffered a heavy loss in this match. Not good vibes for our participation in the CAN in a few months. 

FIXTURE 8: SOUTH SUDAN - TOGO

New match, new loss. Togo is not one of the strongest team in the group (that it would justify it like DRC Congo). We started serious at keeping the 0-0 but a conceded goal in a corner costed us to lose the concentration and leave the pitch midtime already with 0-2. In the second half, they just confirmed the dominance with another two goals to end up with a new heavy loss. 

October
 

FIXTURE 9: SENEGAL - SOUTH SUDAN

New month, and new FIFA window. This time we recover many players to travel to Dakar. By far our best match in this second half of 2025, but unfortunately the player's quality from the Senegalese was too much for us. Nicholas Jackson and Sadio Mané scored quite early. We were able to match the ball possesion and even had chances but the 3-0 arrived from penalti kick. A bit of hope. 

FIXTURE 6:  SOUTH SUDAN - MAURITANIA

After the match in Dakar, where we performed away despite the result, i expected that we would be able to at least score a draw against Mauritania. They were at the bottom of the group with just one point that they got it against us in Nuachoktt. 

The reality was harder, since we came back to the poor performances showed against Togo or DRC Congo. Tanjy was able to score the 0-1 not far from the halftime break. In the second half, two similar goals (from Corner-kick) in 3 minutes complete demoralized our team. Even worse when we received the fourth from a long-range shoot. John Malish was able to score one in a personal movement, but too late and too little to hide such a shameful match. 

After this match, the group stage is finished. With our heavy defeat against Mauritania, we lost our position with them and finish at the bottom of the group with just three draws (against Mauritania, and twice against Sudan) and seven losses. 

November

AFRICAN CUP OF NATIONS

MOROCCO 2025

PREPARATION FOR THE TOURNAMENT. 

After losing even more players for the tournament (sadly i didn't saved my squad call and now it is not available) we lost potential and quality in the squad. For example, we lost our second, third and forth GK because of retirements, so we went with Richard Anyama and our fifth choice. I was able to recruit Mayen Mayen from the U20 team. 

We played 3 matches against Zambia, Irak and Liberia. After losing against Zambia and Irak, we were able to win in Penalties shoot against Liberia. In the group we will face Tunisia, Gabon and Cameroun, in this order. 

GROUP A
 

FIXTURE 1: 29th November 2035. Agadir (Morocco). TUNISIA - SOUTH SUDAN

South Sudan made their debut in a CAF tournament with three goals in the first three shots in-goal that Tunisians made, all from long distance. That's not a good signal when your aim is to at least score a point in the tournament. In the halftime, i decide to change Anyama and give Mayen Mayen his debut. 

In the second half we performed better and even a goal by Okuot Obiech gave us some hope, but Tunisians were able to score in a counter-attack (we moved slightly forward searching for a 3-2) and after thi goal i decided to just keep full defensive and not make the result even worse. 

FIXTURE 2: 3rd December 2035. Marrakesh (Morocco). SOUTH SUDAN - GABON

Finally, a match i could be proud. The team worked with effort and even we had our chances when Lokine Biar and Peter Aparer hit twice in the crossbar. We also were able to keep Aubameyang far from our goal and Mayen Mayen was doing a fantastic job as goalkeeper. Unfortunately, quality difference prevailed and Boupendza scored the only goal of this match. We were there and fighted for the draw, but we were unlucky this time. 

FIXTURE 3: 7th December 2035. Agadir (Morocco). CAMEROUN - SOUTH SUDAN

After the first two matches, we were already eliminated from the knockout stages, but that does not mean we could give a good impression. Sadly, again our first 30 minutes like the game with Tunisia, we were already 3-0 down. After that we were able to avoid more clear chances for the Cameroonians, but the damage was already done. No goal chances from our side in this match. 

With all these results, as expected, we were again at the bottom of the group with no points in our bag. I still regret those crossbars with Gabon because we would at least get a point for our fans, but it's a first step for a National Team that didn't exist 10 years ago. 

I hope the best for them, but I think it is time to close our chapter and move on to other challenges. It's time, to give my resignation letter. Thank you South Sudan. 

Chapter 7: December 2026

From the day i resigned my role with South Sudan, I was applying in every single position, but for six month straight I couldn't get one. In June 2026, I finally became three offers: Niger, Sudan and Liberia. Sudan was the strongest team but after training South Sudan, I would feel myself like a traitor, so… 

LIBERIA

I signed for 1,5 years, until the AFCON 2027 in Nigeria. The goal is to qualify for this tournament. As second goal, try to qualify for the CAF African Nations Championship. We will start the WC Qualifiers but just a couple of matches before our term is completed. 

Background

Liberia is a small African country located in the west coast, after independence it had suffered two civil wars and another one with its neighbour Sierra Leona in a war financially backed by the sadly famous for its “Blood diamonds”. Slowly, the 5,5 million habitants are recovering and since 2005 they get some stability. 
 

Talking about football, Liberia is famous for giving birth to George Weah, the only African player who won Ballon D'or in 1995. Also the team reached twice the AFCON (1996 and 2002) but they weren't able to reach the second phase.  In our game, Liberia is located 133rd in the FIFA Ranking, near countries like Solomon Islands or Armenia. The base of the team is abroad, with players all around the world and among them the best are Mohammed Kamara in the Eredivisie, Oscar in La Liga with Valladolid, Brooklyn Raines in the MLS or Noah Kenneh in the Polish Ekstraklasa. This is the squad for the October FIFA window. 

Show Spoiler

September

We got the Qualifiers Group Draw and our rivals will be Egypt, Cape Verde and Madagascar. Egypt is completely out of our league but we should win Madagascar easy. Our chances to be in the next AFCON are connected to our matches with Cape Verde. 

October

AFRICAN CUP OF NATIONS QUALIFIERS NIGERIA 2027. GROUP F

FIXTURE 1: MADAGASCAR - LIBERIA

Calm match in Antananarivo, even if the locals started scoring first, we were able to turn it around thanks to two set pieces and a phenomenal goal from Sanoh, we start our qualifiers with a good feeling. 

FIXTURE 2: LIBERIA - EGYPT

Our first match in Monrovia finished with a loss. Even when the score kept tight the whole match, it was just an illusion.  Egypt controlled the match from the initial kickoff until the referee whistled. The good point is that we lost just with one goal difference, and it could be useful in case of draw. 

November
 

FIXTURE 3: LIBERIA - CAPE VERDE

For the FIFA November window, I've decided to take out of the squad players like Saydee or Kevin Potis, to substitute them with youngsters like the 16 years-old Prince Barshall, young player in the Czech League. 

This movement was crucial, because we were losing 0-1 against Cape Verde that was our direct rival for the AFCON ticket. Mohammed Kamara was not having his best day and I substituted him for Barshall. Just three minutes were needed when Barshall headed a ball from a corner inside the net. Great debut and made him became with 16 years and 24 days, the youngest player ever to play and ever to score. 

The match finished with a draw, that means the last match of this group in Praia will be an authentic war for a spot in the next tournament. 

FIXTURE 4: EGYPT - LIBERIA

Egypt was the only team in the field for 85 minutes, but again Prince Barshall scored in this match playing just 12 minutes. The guy has two goals in two matches as substitute. Still, Egypt won the match fair and square. 

After all these matches, we are located in the third position in the group, with two matches remaining.  Cape Verde is in a good position, but has to play against Egypt and later in the last match against us, but at least in Praia. We are three points behind but we will play first against the weak Madagascar so we wil play our chances in the last match. 

Option 1: We BEAT Madagascar and Cape Verde LOSE against Egypt. We would need a win or draw in the last match thanks to GA. 

Option 2: We BEAT Madagascar and Cape Verde DRAW against Egypt: We need to win in the last match. 

Option 3: Cape Verde BEATS Egypt: We need to win against Madagascar and Cape Verde, with more than 2 goals difference. 

Option 4: We DRAW with Madagascar : We need that Cape Verde must LOSE with Egypt and we have to win the direct match in the last match. 

Option 5: If we LOSE with Madagascar, we go directly home. 

Chapter 8: June 2027

After 10 month I decided to retake this story (NOTE: Which i played and wrote 2 years ago in Spanish, but im translating it in case someone could be interested. Sorry in advance if you find grammatical mistakes on it).  

LIBERIA

We left the previous chapter where we were located 3º position in AFCON Qualifiers for the tournament that will take place in Nigeria at the end of the year. In the spoiler you can find how was the situation to try to surpass Cape Verde (Egypt is already qualified) and get our ticket to our second AFCON. 

Show Spoiler

 

 

Option 1: We BEAT Madagascar and Cape Verde LOSE against Egypt. We would need a win or draw in the last match thanks to GA. 

Option 2: We BEAT Madagascar and Cape Verde DRAW against Egypt: We need to win in the last match. 

Option 3: Cape Verde BEATS Egypt: We need to win against Madagascar and Cape Verde, with more than 2 goals difference. 

Option 4: We DRAW with Madagascar : We need that Cape Verde must LOSE with Egypt and we have to win the direct match in the last match. 

Option 5: If we LOSE with Madagascar, we go directly home. 

March

But these fixtures were in June, before we had a FIFA match window to place a couple Friendly matches. We chose to play against Congo (85th) and our beloved South Sudan (169th). The first match was a bit false in the result. Yes it's true that we lost 4-1 in Brazzaville, but also that all four Congolese goals were conceded in the last 20 minutes of the match, until minute 71 we were actually winning the match but we fucked it up when we tried to give rest of the XI squad and give chances to kids from the U20. In the second match, it was nice to see my kids (Peter Aparer, Lokine Biar, Joseph Loro…) growing up into intouchable roles in the team. I saw  they were able to recruit Australian with South Sudanese origin that didn't want to come with me. Anyway, something it didn't change is Richard Anyama and his problems to stop long-range shoots. We just exploited the loop and scored two goals with shots taken outside the box. 

June

AFRICAN CUP OF NATIONS QUALIFIERS NIGERIA 2027. GROUP F

FIXTURE 5: LIBERIA - MADAGASCAR

The first half of both matches were boring but it was fine for us. We reached half-time winning our match in Monrovia, but Cape Verde was scoring a draw againt Egypt in Praia. Reaching the 60th minute, we were able to score the second goal to ensure our victory. Madagascar was able to reduce the advantage and were actually charging to try to get a draw that would destroy completely our options to be in Nigeria, as we would need not only win over Cape Verde in the next match, but to score plenty of goals. Cape Verde was still drawing. 

Stoppage time, one of our assistants yelled with joy. Marmoush just scored in Praia and that would mean, as we were in equal points and better GA, that we could afford a draw against Cape Verde to qualify. Just in case, Nimely scored within seconds before the referee blowed his whistle. Monrovia is a party now.

FIXTURE 6: CAPE VERDE - LIBERIA

With the results of the previous fixtures, we didn't need any mobile to follow other results. We were visiting Cape Verde and it's easy: We need to win or draw this match to be in Nigeria 2027. If we lose, (would it be the normal thing, since Cape Verde is 77th in FIFA Ranking and we are 133rd) gets the ticket. 

We entried in the Cape Verde National Stadium with our 4-4-2 tactic and this XI: De Souza / Pabai, Dweh, Kenneh,Oscar / Korvah, Raines, Salmon, Pupo / Kamara, Nimely.  I want to give credits to Justin Salmon that started in the bench with us and with good performances in the Friendly matches, got a spot in the XI Squad. And as matter of fact: he is the easiest to recognize in the team when playing, as he is the only white. 

The match kicks off in a "feeling-out" phase, with both sides hitting the crossbar at least once. Then, following a corner clearance, Salmon sends the ball back into the box; Pupo gets a slight touch on it, and Kamara finds it at his feet almost in the small box. We broke the deadlock, and now Cape Verde had to push forward since they needed two goals.

And that’s exactly what happened. We went into the break, and as the second half started, Cape Verde began applying significant pressure. At one point, Jovane dispossessed a defender on the edge of the area; De Souza (our goalkeeper and the team's weakest position) was slow to come out, leaving Jovane every possible angle to equalize. 56th minute: a draw, and the remaining 35 minutes were going to feel like an eternity.

Cape Verde was just one goal away from knocking us out and pushed all their lines up. We could barely play out from the back because their strikers were pressing our defenders so effectively—something that had already cost us a goal. We needed a goal, so I brought on our "golden boy," Prince Barshall, for 30 minutes to see if he could pull off the heroics. He’d already scored three goals in three short stints from the bench for the national team, including the equalizer in Monrovia against Cape Verde that gave us the lifeline to reach this situation.

In the 65th minute, our goalkeeper sends a long ball right to the halfway line. Our kid fights to flick it on against the defender, but they both miss it, and the ball lands at the feet of Kamara. Since he was in our half when the keeper kicked it, there was NO offside, and he was clean through to run the length of the pitch and beat the keeper one-on-one. 1-2 on the scoreboard with 25 minutes left to play.

Three minutes later, with Cape Verde still reeling from our goal and trying to push up again, they lose the ball on the wing at midfield. Salmon carries it forward and sends a through ball to Barshall, who had drifted wide. He takes off like a winger, leaving the defense behind with his pace. Just when it looked like he was going to cross, he cuts inside through a gap in the defense and fires a low, diagonal shot past the keeper. 68th minute and the game was buried. Our kid Barshall, at just 16 years old, had already scored his third international goal in essentially 45 minutes of play spread across three matches.

Even so, Cape Verde never gave up and pulled one back in the 86th minute. They scored again in the 91st—a goal that truly terrified me—but it was disallowed, and the score didn't change again. 2-3 final result in Praia.

With all that, the final standings are set: WE HAVE QUALIFIED FOR THE 2027 AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS! This time it wasn't as miraculous as the South Sudan run where we depended on Eswatini; now, I believe the REAL goal is to snag a third-place spot and advance to the next round. We aren't going as the tournament's "mascots" anymore; we’re going to give our rivals a real headache.

Although the draw isn't official until September, it’s already known—thanks to an FM bug where groups are always drawn months in advance—that my rivals will be Algeria (14th), Ghana (30th), and Equatorial Guinea (90th). I don’t know the match order yet, but it’s clear that I’m betting everything on beating our brothers from the Nzalang; I need those three points to help me advance as one of the best third-placed teams. We’ll see.
 

NEXT TO COME…

In August, I’ll face Mali using only local league players for a spot in the CHAN (an AFCON with local league players only), which takes place in January ‘28. It’s a two-legged tie, and the winner gets the ticket. If I qualify, it would be my first time ever playing in that tournament. After that, there will be friendlies in September/October, and November marks the first matchday of the 2030 World Cup qualifiers. Since the host will be SPAIN—without neighbours—it's gonna be home. I have to be there, no matter what.

Chapter 9: January 2028

LIBERIA

The semester with the national team was set to begin with a two-legged playoff for a spot in the CHAN (the African Nations Championship for home-based players). That would be followed by a window of friendlies in September. Next up, in November, two official qualifiers for the 2030 World Cup plus a friendly, finally wrapping up the year with the Africa Cup of Nations.

And then, right in the middle of August, I'm hit with the first international retirement of the squad. It takes some nerve that it had to be Óscar—my right-back and best player—at only 29 years old, just so he could focus on Valladolid in the First Division. I tried to talk him out of it, but no way….

August

We had to face Mali for the CHAN Qualifiers. I used a mix squad of veteran players from the Liberian League plus some talent U20 that we had in sight. Sadly, we were no match for the rivals, which wiped us out in both fixtures, leaving us out of the next CHAN Tournament. 

September

I decided to schedule two friendlies for September, without knowing that—by pure coincidence—those two teams would later end up in my World Cup qualifying group. Against Burkina Faso (58th), a team that is theoretically far superior, we drew 0-0 and won on penalties (I always enable that option for my friendlies). Then, against the Central African Republic (130th), we won comfortably. These results are starting to make me wonder whether I should actually leave Liberia after the Africa Cup of Nations as I had planned.

November

Following the draw, we’ve been placed in Group 8 alongside Egypt (16th), Burkina Faso (58th), Uganda (100th), Central African Republic (133rd), and Djibouti (204th). The winner of each of the nine groups will qualify directly for the World Cup. The four best runners-up from those nine groups will compete in a mini-tournament, with the winner advancing to the intercontinental play-offs.

At first, after the friendly results, I started dreaming  that if I could scrape a draw against Egypt and win the rest, I might finish among the best runners-up and so on... but then, reality hit:

WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS SPAIN 2030. GROUP F

FIXTURE 1: EGYPT - LIBERIA

A complete abuse by Egypt where I had zero chance of getting anything out of the game. A 5-1 defeat that brought me right back down to earth with a bang. It reaffirmed my decision to leave after the Africa Cup of Nations. It also made it crystal clear that I had to make a change in goal: I couldn't go on with De Souza.

FIXTURE 1: LIBERIA - UGANDA

To be honest, I expected a win against Uganda but we were just able to score with a Penalty kick. It's really worrying seing our team not being able to get the three points in these kind of matches. Many doubts about our AFCON performance next month. 

Since these two Qualifiers matches took our FIFA days for planning Friendly matches, that is all. We head to Nigeria. 

December

AFRICAN CUP OF NATIONS

NIGERIA 2027

PREPARATION FOR THE TOURNAMENT. 

As we already knew, our rivals in Group A were Algeria (14th), Ghana (34th), and Equatorial Guinea (90th), while we were ranked 136th at the time. The strategy was to lose by as small a margin as possible against Algeria and Ghana, and then beat Equatorial Guinea to qualify as one of the best third-placed teams.

We would play our first match against Ghana in Lokoja, a city in the center of the country very close to the capital, Abuja. The second match would be against Algeria in Katsina, in the north, right on the border with Niger, before returning to Katsina for the final group game against Equatorial Guinea. Were was no time for Friendlies since we didn't have allocation days for that. 

GROUP A 

FIXTURE 1: 27th November 2027. Lokoja (Nigeria). LIBERIA - GHANA

The opening match of the tournament was Equatorial Guinea vs. Algeria, so I decided to go and watch it in person. Equatorial Guinea parked the bus and, following a corner, Bikoro (who is a center-back) picked up the ball, ran the entire length of the pitch, and scored in a 1-on-1 against the keeper. They did absolutely nothing else in attack. It was one of those games that Algeria wins 9 times out of 10, but anyway—a draw, which didn't affect me for now since beating EG would still see me through.

In our match the following day, we started well-organized, but in a two-minute lapse of concentration, Iñaki Williams pulled off the exact same move down the wing twice (the wing that Oscar abandoned, forcing me to start a 19-year-old kid who was his backup). To make matters worse, they made it 0-3 with 15 minutes to go. I decided to go all-out attack for those final 15 minutes—knowing that if they thrashed me here, I could say goodbye to qualifying on goal difference—and I nearly pulled off a miracle. Kamara and Korvah brought us within one goal, and Barshall almost completed the comeback with a header off the crossbar in the 92nd minute that would’ve given us that crucial point. Still, we left a good impression against a team ranked 100 places above us in the FIFA Rankings.

FIXTURE 2: 1st December 2027. Katsina (Nigeria). ALGERIA - LIBERIA

This matchday was key… in a negative way. We arrived in Katsina aiming for a result similar to the one we got against Ghana, and in fact, it started perfectly thanks to a goal by Justin Salmon in the 3rd minute that gave us the lead.

But that wasn't the worst part; the worst part was getting to the dressing room at halftime and finding out that Equatorial Guinea was beating Ghana 1-3. This was a real kick in the teeth because the combination of both results left us out of the tournament (at best, I could only tie with Ghana on points in the final round, but they held the head-to-head advantage). Now I was truly cursing that Bikoro's goal from the first matchday—that one point was knocking us out.

So, in the second half, I subbed off my defensive midfielder for a striker (the 'kid' got injured for this game) to try and repeat the same aggressive move as against Ghana, but Algeria ended up burying us 5-1. Ghana tried to pull off a miracle comeback but, just like us, they fell one goal short. We were out of the Africa Cup of Nations with one game still to play

FIXTURE 3: 5th December 2027. Katsina (Nigeria). LIBERIA - EQUATORIAL GUINEA

We were already out of the tournament, but I couldn't leave without at least trying to win a single match in the Africa Cup of Nations after two appearances. I started the game trying to control the play, and it went well—we went into the break at 1-1. That’s when I decided to go all-in, 'in for a penny, in for a pound.' I switched to an offensive 4-2-4 mode: if we were going down, we were going down in a hail of goals.

And the goals came—for our side. It ended 4-1, and that's only because I made substitutions so that every member of the squad could get some minutes in the tournament (even the third-choice keeper got a run-out). We had fallen, but we went down swinging, and I left my time in Liberia with an indisputable victory.

After the group was finished, we ended up last position. It's not what we planned in November, but we got our first victory in the tournament and the team offered a good performance against Ghana and Equatorial Guinea. Just that horrible fixture 2 fucked all our chances to be next round. Nzalang (Equatorial Guinea) managed to qualify as one of the best third-placed teams despite my thrashing. Regardless, all three teams from my group were eliminated in the next round: Equatorial Guinea fell to Senegal (1-2), Algeria to Ivory Coast (0-3), and Ghana to Tunisia (0-3). The tournament's eventual winner was Ivory Coast, who beat Egypt 1-0 in the final.

As for me, I said goodbye to the players and coaching staff, resigned from my role as Liberia's Coach, and flew from Nigeria back to Spain to get some peace and quiet and reflect on everything. I leave Liberia after 18 matches (6 wins, 3 draws, 9 losses; 27 goals for, 35 against).

Back home—now what?

Once I was back in my city, I started looking for a new oportunity, sending my CV to various national teams. Moldova and Latvia were available, but I think I was too late to the party and they already had their successors lined up. Several major African jobs became vacant (Morocco, Tunisia, South Africa, Nigeria, and Algeria), but it wasn't meant to be. One that did offer me the job was Gabon (96th). Although it would be a natural step up of 30 places in the FIFA Rankings, it required a 3-year contract until World Cup 2030. Having already experienced the AFCON, the CHAN, and World Cup qualifiers twice in Africa, I feel I need a change of scenery and a new continent, so I turned Gabon down. We’ll see if I regret it.

I’ve checked the competition calendar, and there’s NOTHING during the first half of the year except for the Euro playoffs (where I doubt any team would take a chance on me). However, this summer features the Euros, the OFC Nations Cup, Copa América, the U19 Euros, the U19 Oceania Championship, and the Olympics. I’m hoping that will be a hotbed of opportunities to grab a team for the 2030 World Cup in Spain.

There is one last tournament played this summer: the CONCACAF U-20 Championship. As I wrap up this post, I have an offer to manage the Martinique U-20s. There’s zero chance of progressing (they’ve scored zero points in the last two editions), but it would fill these next six months. I need to think it over carefully; if I accept, I might miss out on any national team that happens to sack their manager mid-process. I’ll keep you posted—thanks for following the story!"

Chapter 10: June 2028

MARTINIQUE U-20

February

Yes, it seems totally pointless, but let me explain. If we look back at the situation, I found myself in a spot where after being rejected by all the 'big' African nations an offer came in from Gabon. While it was interesting from a football perspective, it implied an extra three-year commitment to Africa, and I was already eager to see the world, so I turned it down.

Unfortunately, there were no more 'musical chairs' in the other confederations. I was already spiraling into a depression, thinking I’d be without a national team again like the period between South Sudan and Liberia, when an offer appeared from Martinique U20 to compete in the CONCACAF U20 Championship.

It was a youth side and therefore a step backward, so I initially resisted applying for the position. But as the days passed and nothing appeared on the horizon, I ended up clicking 'send CV.' That same day, Yannick Etinof, the manager of the senior team, offered me the job. WE ARE HERE JUST TO PLAY THE CONCACAF U20 TOURNAMENT, 6 months contract. 

MARTINIQUE

Martinique is a French overseas department (which explains the flag) located in the Caribbean, between the islands of Saint Lucia and Dominica. It has nearly 380,000 inhabitants, with the vast majority concentrated in the capital, Fort-de-France (around 80,000). They live primarily off tourism, along with some plantation agriculture such as sugarcane, rum production, and bananas.
 

Actually, banana cultivation is a curse for Martinicans, as nearly 92% of the population has been 'poisoned' by a pesticide used by France (chlordecone) for decades on its crops. Although its dangers were already known in the 1970s and it was banned even in mainland France, they continued to allow companies to use it in Martinique until 1993. Today, the population’s rivers and lands are contaminated by it. This has led to ongoing investigations into the high number of miscarriages and fetal malformations, as well as the fact that the incidence of certain cancers is double that of mainland France (which doesn't mean it's proven to be the sole cause, but it is widely believed).

You should know that since Martinique is not an independent state, it is NOT a member of FIFA. Therefore, it has no FIFA ranking and does not participate in World Cup qualifiers. However, it is a member of CONCACAF and competes in its tournaments, which is why we are here.
 

There are well-known players who have both parents—or at least one—of Martinican origin, such as Raphael Varane, Loic Remy, Eric Abidal, Nicolas Anelka, Thierry Henry, Axel Witsel, and even Julien Faubert, who actually went on to make his debut for the Martinique national team.

March

We played in March 2028 with our first squad call-up and, honestly, it went well. Almost all the players are from the local league, and they really stepped up. Against the Cayman Islands, the scoreline was extremely narrow; we had countless chances but were only able to break the deadlock in the 70th minute. Against the Dominican Republic, it was the opposite: a quick 2-0 lead, and then we just held the result until the end.

June

CONCACAF U20 CHAMPIONSHIP

UNITED STATES 2028

I decided to call up almost the same squad as in March, with the exception of the right wing, who was called up by the Martinique senior team for their upcoming matches. I only managed to recruit Johny Remy from the French divisions; the rest play locally.

We played four friendlies: two with the starting lineup (Team A) and two with the substitutes (Team B). Since we could only call up 20 players for the championship, the backup goalkeeper played as a central midfielder so that only one player would have to play twice. Team A won their matches comfortably, while Team B went to penalties twice—winning one and losing the other.

Preview

We’ve been drawn into Group C with the following match order: First, we face Guadeloupe U20 (theoretically the most affordable opponent to pick up points against). Then comes Guatemala U20, and we close the group stage against Canada U20. Since the matches are played just 48 hours apart, managing the player workload is crucial. My strategy is to field my "A" team against Guadeloupe, as it’s our best chance to score points, then use the "B" team against Guatemala. This allows the "A" team to return for Canada with four days of rest instead of two, thanks to the rotation.
 

The tournament format consists of four groups of four teams, from which the top three in each group advance, totaling 12 qualifiers for the next round. There, they are joined by Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Haiti, and Suriname to complete the Round of 16. From that point on, it’s a standard knockout bracket: Round of 16, Quarter-finals, Semi-finals, and Final. The semi-finalists qualify for the U20 World Cup, and the two finalists qualify for the Olympics.

It is worth remembering that in its three previous appearances, Martinique U20 went home all three times with zero points. Simply picking up a point would be historic.

GROUP C 

FIXTURE 1: 18th June 2028. Ann Arbor (United States) MARTINIQUE U20 - GUADELOUPE U20

We faced Guadeloupe with an open 4-3-3, though we were cautious at the start. The first half was cagey, with almost no box-to-box action—the only real downside being a long-term injury to my center-back, Giacomoni, who will be out for several months. In the second half, both teams traded a couple of chances until the 80th minute. At that point, I decided that while a point would be great, if we ever wanted to win a match, this was the moment.

It was now or never. I took off my CDM, Goyon, and brought on Pages, another striker, switching from a cautious 4-3-3 to an Attacking 4-2-4. I went all-out for the final ten minutes, knowing that if they caught me on the counter, I was dead. Then, in stoppage time, we got a wide free kick; my right-back, Valero, fired a shot from point-blank range. The Guadeloupean keeper couldn't manage to keep it out, and in it went. No time for more until the Referee whistled.

1-0 against Guadeloupe was the final score, marking the first-ever victory for Martinique U20 in the championship—and, of course, their first-ever points. In the other match of the day, Guatemala pulled off a surprise win over Canada.

FIXTURE 2: 20th June 2028. Ann Arbor (United States) GUATEMALA U20 - MARTINIQUE U20

I decided that we were going to gamble with the 'A' team for this second match; if we didn't get the result we wanted, whoever survived—along with scraps of the 'B' team—would play against Canada. I only made two forced changes: one for my center-back, Giacomoni, who is injured, and another for the left-back, who was lacking match fitness.

The match began, and with it, the Guatemalan onslaught. They had 27 shots, 8 of them on target, but our goalkeeper, Hochart, responded brilliantly. I didn't dare to push the team forward with my substitutions because we couldn't even get out of our own half. Even so, the boys left everything on the pitch defensively, and we managed to hold onto the initial 0-0 scoreline. In the other match, Canada beat Guadeloupe. We were sitting on 4 points, and since Guadeloupe can no longer catch us, it’s OFFICIAL: WE HAVE QUALIFIED FOR THE SECOND ROUND.

FIXTURE 3: 22th June 2028. Ann Arbor (United States) CANADA U20 - MARTINIQUE U20

This time, with qualification already secured, I decided to bench as many starters as possible. They’ve played two full matches in four days, and I wanted to at least give them some breathing room before the Round of 16. There were eight changes to the lineup; only the goalkeeper Hochart, Goyon (who moved from CDM to center-back), and Teissier kept their spots. Teissier had to double up because Chambon, the 'B' team center-back, was suspended after picking up two yellows in the first two games, and my other center-back, as I mentioned, is injured and out for the tournament. My backup goalkeeper was playing in midfield, by the way.

The gap in quality was evident here, and it didn’t take long for Canada to go 2-0 up, although we pulled one back right on the stroke of halftime with a screamer from Duprat. Unfortunately, the joy was short-lived; as soon as the second half began, they hit us with the final 3-1. To make matters worse, I had to sub off both center-backs due to exhaustion (they had played almost every minute of the competition, three matches in six days) and I brought on two players who were one booking away from a ban. Both received yellow cards. So, between the suspensions and the injury, I’m left with a skeleton crew in defense for the Round of 16 match.

ROUND OF 16 : 24th June 2028. Ann Arbor (United States) HONDURAS U20 - MARTINIQUE U20

We were drawn against Honduras U20, who were coming off a second-place finish in Group B with 7 points. As I mentioned before, our backline consisted of the only four defenders I had available. We set up as we always do, with a cautious mentality and a 4-3-3, but within 30 minutes we were already 3-0 down and it smelled like a blowout. We never really had a chance, and although we went all-out attack for the entire second half, we barely managed to hit the post once. We were out, but at least we had accomplished our mission.

Farewell

For the first time in 20 years, neither the United States nor Mexico won the tournament; instead, El Salvador U20 took the title in a final against Jamaica. Here is the full bracket:

As for me, aside from the praise from the Martinican federation and a great experience in the Caribbean. The record says I managed 13 matches, but it was actually 10. It ends with 5 wins, 3 draws, and 2 losses—those being the final two matches against teams that were far superior on paper.

Back home again — now what?

And with that, the Euros will end in a few days, and the Denmark job has already become available. I’ve applied for it, but who knows? Rumor has it that the managers of Chile, Peru, Wales, South Africa, Rwanda, Dominica, China, Oman, and Bermuda are on very thin ice, though they are still in their posts for now. We’ll keep you posted!

Chapter 11: December 2028

In the summer of 2028, with so many international competitions taking place (OFC Nations Cup, the Euros, Euro U19, Gold Cup...), I expected there to be many vacant positions available to me. Unfortunately, only the big teams shuffled their managers, and I didn't have any options.
 

In September 2028, suddenly, a lot of spots opened up. I was fully aware that this was my last chance if I wanted to make it to the 2030 World Cup in Spain, because in many confederations several phases had already begun—in CONMEBOL, they were already a third of the way through the qualifiers. If I didn't land something here, I would likely have to start looking at other tournaments. This was the list of offers:

From this list, just two offers received: Haiti and Syria. The election is clear. 

SYRIA

I am signing until January 2031, which means I would compete in the 2029 WAFF Championship (West Asian Football Federation), the 2030 World Cup, and the 2031 Asian Cup. Once I landed in Damascus and met with the federation, the first thing that struck me was how devastated everything is. The second thing, on a more positive note, is that the country has reached a level of 'peace' that allows us to play our qualifying matches equally between Aleppo and Damascus, the two strongholds of the conflict. But it seems like the important ones will be held in Aleppo. 

Another important news is that from now on, I will be taking care also of the young teams. It means we will manage the U20 and U23 teams. 

SENIOR NATIONAL TEAM

INTRODUCTION

Syria entered the World Cup qualifiers in the SECOND ROUND, where they were drawn into a group of four alongside China, India and Myanmar. They finished top of the group with 13 points and advanced to the next round along with India. We are currently in Group C of the THIRD ROUND, where we face South Korea (29th), Uzbekistan (45th), Jordan (82nd), Palestine (100th), and India (110th).
 

The THIRD ROUND of qualification consists of three groups of six teams each, playing in a home-and-away format. The top two teams from each group (6 spots) qualify DIRECTLY for the World Cup. The bottom two positions (5th–6th) are eliminated. The teams finishing in the two middle positions across the three groups (3rd and 4th) advance to the FOURTH ROUND, which consists of two groups of three teams each. The winner of each group goes to the World Cup, and the runners-up enter a PLAYOFF to determine the AFC representative for the Intercontinental Playoff. There are 8.5 spots in total (six from the 3rd phase, two from the 4th phase, and that 0.5 from the playoff).
 

Looking at our group, we believe from the outset that South Korea and Uzbekistan will qualify directly, and that we will be capable of securing a spot in the fourth phase or, in the worst-case scenario, reaching the intercontinental playoff.

SQUAD

The Syrian squad is actually quite good. It has a "strong" league for the region and a fair number of players abroad; so, while in South Sudan or Liberia I had about 120 players to choose from, here we are talking about over 1,500, which greatly expands my options. The core of the team plays in Syria, but I have some good additions like the goalkeeper Qamshary from Lyngby in Denmark or the center-back Reynah, who plays for Osasuna—though the two real stars of this team are Rinanieh (in the Russian league) and Zakaria Ramadan. It’s a relatively young squad, as I don’t want many veteran players; I want to build a roster for the next 2-3 years.

WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS SPAIN 2030. THIRD ROUND. GROUP C

September

MATCHDAY 1: SYRIA - PALESTINE

The first matchday was part of a quadruple-header in September, so it was crucial to monitor the squad's fatigue and rotate the players appropriately. We faced Palestine in Aleppo. We took an early lead through our winger Al-Aswad, but Palestine put up a good fight. Even so, we were the superior side, and two second-half goals secured the match for us, a 3-1 victory. In the other fixtures, India caused an upset by beating Uzbekistan.

MATCHDAY 2: JORDAN - SYRIA

We headed to Amman to play Jordan (the team we expect will be our companion in the fourth round), and it turned out to be a comfortable match. We were in control at all times with no surprises, ending with a 0-3 win on the final scoreboard. In the other matches, results went according to plan.

MATCHDAY 3: JORDAN - SYRIA

It was already our third match in a week, and with South Korea coming up next, we decided to rest the squad and go with the substitutes against India. It was a risky decision that almost backfired, but our winger Amarah saved the day in the 73rd minute with a long-range free kick to make it 1-2. We remained unbeaten.

MATCHDAY 4: JORDAN - SYRIA

It was time for a clash between the (until then) group leaders. South Korea is perhaps still too much for us, and although we managed a temporary equalizer thanks to Amarah (who was one of the few bright spots against India and therefore kept his place in the starting lineup) South Korea eventually overpowered us, finishing 1-2 defeat.

November

MATCHDAY 5: UZBEKISTAN - SYRIA

Moving into November, we had a HORRIBLE match in Tashkent where we lost 2-0, but it could have easily been four or five goals against us if it weren't for our goalkeeper. Losing to Uzbekistan was a possibility, but not in this manner. I am considering a change in our tactical setup—moving away from the current cautious 4-3-3 to try a different formation.

MATCHDAY 6: SYRIA - JORDAN

The final match of the year, and we were up against a rival 'on our level' as we faced Jordan once again. The first half was sluggish, but once again, Amarah saved the day with two individual runs down the wing. This was a massive victory to ensure we secure at least a spot in the fourth round. On the other hand, it’s now confirmed that India is the dark horse of this group.

PROVISIONAL STANDINGS

With more than half of the round already played, we currently sit in a direct qualification spot for Spain 2030. Uzbekistan is going to keep the pressure on us, and we have to be careful since they have the advantage in our head-to-head record, unless we manage to thrash them in the return leg. I also can't afford to lose focus during our direct clash with India, as they have proven to be much less of a pushover than they seemed. In March, we will face Palestine and India; we must take as many points as possible from those games because my final two fixtures in June are South Korea and, finally, Uzbekistan—which could easily result in zero points. All these 

SYRIA U20 TEAM

U20 ASIAN NATIONS CUP QUALIFIERS

INTRODUCTION

When I signed with Syria, the qualifiers began just five days later. All matches were to be played within a 12-day window at a single centralized venue hosted by one of the teams in the group. In my case, the group was hosted by Saudi Arabia, who would also be the organizers of the final tournament.

To qualify for the AFC U-20 Asian Cup, all teams in the confederation are placed into 10 groups of 4 or 5 teams. These are played in a single round-robin format (meaning 3–4 matches in total per team), and the ten group winners plus the five best runners-up earn their spot. Saudi Arabia participated in the qualifiers even though they were already qualified as hosts. We were placed in Group 2 alongside Saudi Arabia, Nepal, Tajikistan and Oman.

SQUAD

I have to say that I wasn't able to change the squad selection because the team was already at the training camp when I arrived. The entire squad plays in Syria, and honestly, the former head coach did a good job.

SPOILER: Squad selection list from U20 Asian Nations Cup Qualifiers 2028

Show Spoiler

September

MATCHES: 

The team did an extraordinary job and, except for the match against the Saudi Arabia U-20s (which we decided in stoppage time) the rest was a walk in the park, and our qualification spot was never in danger.

We finished as group winners and are heading to Saudi Arabia 2029. Saudi Arabia would have secured a spot as one of the best runners-up, but since they had already qualified, that place went to the India U-20s instead. This means that next February, we have a tournament to play with the youngsters.

Ending 2028…What's next?

Chapter 12: March 2029

In this Chapter we will play 

SYRIA

SENIOR NATIONAL TEAM

INTRODUCTION

This quarter, the spotlight belongs entirely to the U-20 team, but the senior squad played two crucial matches in the World Cup qualifying process: one away in the West Bank against Palestine (6th) and then at home against India (4th).

We started from this position in the standings—sitting in a direct qualification spot BUT with Uzbekistan hot on our heels:

My call-up is the usual one, with one exception: in goal, our starting keeper Qamshary was injured for the entire window, and Al-Dour (who played the tournament with the U-20s and is Qamshary’s successor) was also sidelined. This forced me to start our usual third-choice keeper, Maxim Sarraf (24, on the bench at CSKA Moscow), and call up Bustani (28) and Malki (21)—both from the Syrian league—to round out the squad.

WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS SPAIN 2030. THIRD ROUND. GROUP C

March

MATCHDAY 7: PALESTINE - SYRIA

The third minute of play hadn't even passed when we scored the opening goal. A corner and a header from Al-Khatib put us ahead 0-1. But I hadn't even made it back to the bench from the celebration when, within 30 seconds, Palestine's Dabbagh played a through ball to Al-Nabris. Between a massive blunder by our defensive line and the eternity it took Sarraf to come off his line, Palestine equalized.

In the 15th minute, Al-Nabris repeated the same play, and ONCE AGAIN Sarraf was late coming out: 2-1 and absolute madness in Palestine. From that point on, we kept trying to level the score, but there was no way through until near the end of the match. In the 83rd minute, we managed to equalize again off a set piece. A final draw against the bottom of the table—not at all what we expected. South Korea and Uzbekistan did not slip up.

MATCHDAY 8: SYRIA - INDIA

We couldn't afford to fail. At home and against the team right below us. This time it was a comfortable match, where we wrapped things up in the first half with two goals. To top it off, luck was on our side with the Uzbek draw on Jordanian soil, which handed us back the direct qualification spot.

PROVISIONAL STANDINGS

We have two matchdays left. First, we face South Korea (1st), which I don't have much hope for. The finale will be in Damascus against Uzbekistan where, if everything goes as expected (they play against Palestine), we will be playing for either a direct spot in the World Cup or having to settle for the 4th Round.

SYRIA U20 TEAM

AFC U20 ASIAN NATIONS CUP

SAUDI ARABIA 2029

INTRODUCTION

We’ve been drawn into Group C, where we will face Japan, Indonesia, and Qatar, in that order. The group stage was held in Najran, near the border with Yemen. 

Much like that CONCACAF U-20 Championship we played in, it’s a series of several matches in just a few days, so we’ll have to rotate the squad. The tournament consists of 16 teams divided into four groups, with the top two from each group advancing. From there, it's the quarter-finals, semis, and the final. It is also important to note that the four semi-finalists secure a spot in the U-20 World Cup.

SQUAD

Unfortunately, I lost the screenshot of the squad list (I played the games of this story 2,5 years ago), but it was similar to the qualifiers, except I had to cut 2-3 players. We played a 4-3-3 focusing on possession control, and the lineup featured:

Goalkeeper: Al-Dour

Defense: Ramadan (RB), Balhous and Khayyat (CBs), Al-Shaled (LB)

Midfield: Abbas (DM), Haqawi and Aqeel (CMs)

Attack: Fatal (RW), Al-Khatib (LW), and Mido (ST)

SPOILER: Squad selection list from U20 Asian Nations Cup Qualifiers 2028. Its almost the same in this tournament.

Show Spoiler

AFC U20 ASIAN NATIONS CUP 2029. GROUP STAGE. GROUP C

February

MATCHDAY 1. 8th Feb 2029. Najran (Saudi Arabia): JAPAN U20 - SYRIA U20

We played with our starting lineup. The match began calmly, but upon reaching the 15th minute, our right-back Ramadan decided to push up to midfield and delivered a PERFECT pass to Mido, who shrugged off a Japanese defender and finished clinically.

From the goal onward, Japan controlled the ball but failed to create any real danger. Syria 1-0 Japan.

MATCHDAY 2: 11st Feb 2029. Najran (Saudi Arabia): SYRIA U20 - INDONESIA U20

We faced Indonesia U20, the weakest opponent in the group. We went with our starting lineup, hoping that Qatar would beat Japan so that, if we did our job, both of us would qualify. We took the lead as early as the 7th minute when Haqawi pounced on a rebound from a corner, firing a shot home from inside the box. In the second half, Balhous headed in a corner at the near post. Final score: 2-0.

The matchday ended with a massive surprise. Japan, who were trailing 0-1 until the 84th minute, were possessed by the spirit of Real Madrid and netted three goals in that final stretch. They beat the Qataris 3-1, setting the stage for a potential three-way tie at six points heading into the final round.

MATCHDAY 3. 14th Feb 2029. Najran (Saudi Arabia): QATAR U20 - SYRIA U20

Japan qualifies if they win or match Qatar's result. Qatar qualifies if they win, or if they draw while Japan loses. Indonesia had a slim chance if they beat Japan in the final round and we did the same to Qatar. As for us, we could only be knocked out if Qatar beat us by three goals and Japan simultaneously beat Indonesia.

Given that we had almost every chance to qualify, I fielded all the substitutes for this match to rest the starters. In the 36th minute, Muftah scored the opener to put Qatar ahead. Everything seemed under control until the very last play of the first half, when Saeed scored to make it 0-2, putting us just one goal away from elimination. At halftime, I decided to make all five substitutions and bring on the starters because I didn't trust the situation one bit.

And then, the drama unfolded. We were controlling the match and attacking quite a bit when, on a corner with no apparent danger, Hussain powered home a header. 0-3 in the 70th minute. We had to keep one eye on the Japan match and pray for Indonesia to pull off a miracle, because if Japan won, we were out.

Thank God, Indonesia played their best game of the tournament. We let them down, though—if we had beaten Qatar, they would have qualified. But we were on the verge of a total collapse. We're through to the next round.

QUARTER-FINALS. 17th Feb 2029. Abha (Saudi Arabia): UNITED ARAB EMIRATES U20 - SYRIA U20

This is a massive match because a win and a trip to the semifinals would automatically secure our spot in the U-20 World Cup. We are facing the United Arab Emirates. Naturally, we’re starting with our full first-choice lineup, as they rested against Qatar (or only played a half).
 

The match was a total slog—almost no shots on target and a real battle in midfield. The ninety minutes of regulation ended 0-0, so we’re headed to extra time. At that point, we switched to attack mode with an offensive 4-2-4, and in the 103rd minute, Mido gave us the lead.

We shifted into defensive mode, dropping our wingers back to hold the line for the final 15 minutes. In the 118th minute, following a counterattack led by Mido, he crossed the ball to the far wing where Fatal picked it up and sent it into the six-yard box. Khamis (our backup striker) didn't miss, sealing the victory.

With this victory, we’ve secured our spot in this year's U-20 World Cup and advanced to the semifinals against Iran, who knocked out Qatar on penalties.

SEMIFINALS. 21st Feb 2029. Abha (Saudi Arabia): UNITED ARAB EMIRATES U20 - SYRIA U20

Once the main objective of this tournament was achieved (qualifying for the U-20 World Cup), we went into this without pressure, but naturally still aiming to compete for everything. For the match against Iran, I decided to leave Mido on the bench since he wasn't fully fit, starting Khamis up top instead; he is much slower than Mido, but better in the air. The game was drifting toward a 0-0 draw and extra time when Khamis conjured up a penalty out of nowhere on the side of the box. He didn't miss from the spot.

Unfortunately, Iran still had the final word. They hadn't been having much luck connecting with crosses and corners, but with 18 minutes left, Vakili unleashed a thunderbolt from outside the box that caught our keeper Al-Dour off guard and leveled the match. We were headed to extra time.

As extra time began, I hesitated about swapping Khamis for Mido, but I held off in case he could get on the end of a header. In the end, I decided to keep him on because I remembered he is our best penalty taker, and we might just need him. I brought Mido on as well, but as a left winger, simply because he is another reliable shooter.

On the first play of extra time, Haqawi sent in a cross that Khamis headed home. It was unstoppable, and we secured our place in the final—though not without a bit of suffering after Iran had a goal disallowed in the 117th minute.

In the other semifinal, Saudi Arabia beat South Korea 2-0 to reach the final. We would be playing for the trophy against the hosts. We had already beaten them in the qualifiers, but this was going to be a completely different story.

FINAL. 25th Feb 2029. Abha (Saudi Arabia): SAUDI ARABIA U20 - SYRIA U20

The big day finally arrived: my first final as a manager. Even if we didn't win, I was immensely proud of my boys. Back home, the entire country gathered around their TVs to forget—for 90 minutes—the war, the hardships, and the suffering. There were also massive watch parties in Germany, Sweden, Austria, Turkey, Greece, and Denmark, as the diaspora hoped to celebrate a rare piece of good news from their homeland.

I fielded the starting eleven that the fans now know by heart. Mido returned to the lineup, and I kept Khamis on the bench in case we needed to start pumping crosses into the box or face another penalty shootout. 

The match was frantic from the whistle, a "box-to-box" affair with constant chances at both ends. However, it was Saudi Arabia who struck first. From a corner, they connected with a powerful header—too close and too fast for Al-Dour to react.

From that moment until halftime, it was an absolute Saudi onslaught. They could have easily scored two or three more, but the defense and the goalkeeper stepped up to the challenge and kept us alive until the break.
 

And the Syrian attack would soon reward that defensive effort, equalizing at the start of the second half through our left winger. He opened his account for the tournament—and what a time to do it!—with a brilliant solo effort, dribbling and weaving past players all over the box until he got the ball onto his left foot. A stunning goal and an equalizer that brought us right back into the game.

The match turned into a complete end-to-end battle. It was enough to give anyone a heart attack. Then, on a ball played into the box, Mido spotted Haqawi charging forward—who, despite his defensive duties, had ventured up—and from outside the area, he unleashed a precision strike into the corner. That goal made us Champions of Asia with only eight minutes left on the clock.

I immediately switched to ultra-defensive mode. Saudi Arabia was desperately pumping balls into the box while we were just hacking them clear, fueled by the sight of the fourth official signaling only 2 minutes of stoppage time.

But then, with just seconds left on the clock—likely Saudi Arabia's very last attack—we committed a stupid "soft" penalty. Egged on by the roaring home crowd and without the benefit of VAR to review it, the referee didn't hesitate for a second to point to the spot.

And with that, the equalizer came. They kicked off from the center circle, and the whistle blew immediately. The match was over. As NOTHING happened in the extra time, we were headed to penalties.

• SAUDI ARABIA U20 0-0 SYRIA U20 : Al-Harbi STOPPED by Al-Dour.
• SAUDI ARABIA U20 0-1 SYRIA U20 : Khamis GOAL. 
• SAUDI ARABIA U20 1-1 SYRIA U20 : Majrashi GOAL.
• SAUDI ARABIA U20 1-2 SYRIA U20 : Mido GOAL.
• SAUDI ARABIA U20 2-2 SYRIA U20 : Assiri GOAL.
• SAUDI ARABIA U20 2-2 SYRIA U20 : Balhous STOPPED by Al-Yami
• SAUDI ARABIA U20 3-2 SYRIA U20 : Al-Mutairi GOAL.
• SAUDI ARABIA U20 3-3 SYRIA U20 : Srour GOAL.
• 5th Penalty…
• SAUDI ARABIA U20 3-3 SYRIA U20 : Al-Sulami STOPPED by Al-Dour. If we score, we win.
• SAUDI ARABIA U20 3-3 SYRIA U20 : Al-Abdallah STOPPED by Al-Yami. We head to “sudden death”
• SUDDEN DEATH
• SAUDI ARABIA U20 3-3 SYRIA U20 : Al-Subiani OUT. New chance. If we score, we win. 
• Al Shawa to shoot….

• SAUDI ARABIA U20 3-4 SYRIA U20 : Al-Shawa GOAL. Shoot-out finished. 

WE ARE ASIAN U-20 CHAMPIONS!

TOURNAMENT FAREWELL

After the tournament, we returned home to a hero's welcome, the streets filled with joy. This is the first major trophy I can cross off my bucket list, and it provides a massive morale boost heading into the U-20 World Cup, where we will arrive as the reigning continental champions.

Since then, we played two friendlies against Canada and Taiwan, winning both comfortably. These results give us high hopes for a strong showing on the world stage, though I’m not sure if we’re quite at the level to win the whole thing yet.

Head to Summer 2029…What's next?

Chapter 13: June 2029

SYRIA

SENIOR NATIONAL TEAM

INTRODUCTION

This quarter, we face the final two matchdays of the third round, where we are battling head-to-head with Uzbekistan for a direct spot in the Spain 2030 World Cup. We will head into Matchday 9 currently in a qualifying position, but with a more difficult schedule than the Uzbeks.

Our starting goalkeeper, Qamshary, returns for this call-up, even though our second-choice keeper, Al-Dour, will be away at the U-20 World Cup. According to my scouting and coaching reports, something has shifted: they now believe Sarraf should be our number one (at least until Al-Dour returns). However, I personally had 'Vietnam flashbacks' (or rather, West Bank flashbacks to that match against Palestine) and decided to stick with Qamshary.

During this period, I’ve also tried to recruit several dual-nationals, such as Santiago Hezze (CM/RM, Argentina, 27), Cesar Haydar (CB, Colombia, 28), Mayckel Lahdo (RW/LW, Sweden, 26), and Pablo Sabbag (ST, Colombia, 32). Unfortunately, they are still holding out for their other national teams. Then there was Ziad Ghanoum (CB, Sweden, 28), who asked for a meeting as he’s torn between representing Syria or Palestine. Since he would only be my seventh-choice center-back, I decided to let him go with Palestine. They are Uzbekistan’s next opponent, and anything that helps them drop points is more than welcome.

WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS SPAIN 2030. THIRD ROUND. GROUP C

June

MATCHDAY 9: SOUTH KOREA - SYRIA

We had to visit Seoul to face Korea, and it couldn't have started any worse. We hadn't even played six minutes when an incursion down the right wing led to a cross that striker Lee Jae-Joon buried for the opener. In the 17th minute, this time from the left, another cross and ANOTHER header—this time from Oh-Hyeon Gyu—left us reeling. And as they say, 'bad luck comes in threes': Aziza (CM) tried a back-pass to the keeper that was intercepted by Lee Jae-Joon, and we went into the break 3-0 down.

In the second half, we were more offensive and aggressive. A glimmer of hope appeared at the start of the final third of the match; Al-Khatib, at the edge of the area, played a through ball to our left winger Koaeh, who made it 3-1. Then we absolutely bottled it: our right-back Weiss got a straight red for a criminal tackle. Barely nine minutes later, Ramadan unleashed a long-range strike to make it 3-2, putting us right back in the game. But fatigue caught up with us, and two counter-attacks put the game to bed. 5-2 final score, and Uzbekistan overtakes us with their win over Palestine. Palestine didn't even call up Ghanoum—unbelievable.

MATCHDAY 8: SYRIA - UZBEKISTAN

And so, gentlemen, we’ve reached the exact position I wanted to avoid: risking it all against Uzbekistan for that World Cup spot to avoid the nightmare of a fourth round. At least we have the home-field advantage, playing in Aleppo. The Uzbeks have a one-point lead over us, which means nothing but a win will do; a draw is enough for them to go through.

The match was dreadful; Uzbekistan controlled the game and created numerous chances, forcing Qamshary to make several crucial saves. Even so, we headed into the final stretch at 0-0, knowing a single goal would put us through, so it was time to throw everything at them and take risks. In the 79th minute, they worked a cross from a throw-in, and Yaxshiboyev—who had already scored both goals against Palestine—managed to connect with the header and punch their ticket to the World Cup.

After that goal, the final ten minutes were completely forgettable; they could have even scored a second. We finished the third qualifying round in third place, which means we are headed to the Fourth Round, which I’ll explain in the next chapter. SOUTH KOREA and UZBEKISTAN ARE GOING TO SPAIN 2030.

In the other groups, Qatar, Thailand (the current Asian champions), Japan, and Saudi Arabia have secured their tickets to Spain 2030. Joining us and Jordan in the Fourth Round are Australia, Iraq, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates.

Show Spoiler

SYRIA U20 TEAM

U20 WORLD CUP

SOUTH AFRICA 2029

INTRODUCTION

We have been drawn into Group D alongside Brazil, Morocco, and New Caledonia. There are six groups of four, where the top two from each group plus the four best third-placed teams will qualify for the knockout stage. Our group matches will be split between Durban and Mahikeng. I’ll face New Caledonia U-20 in Durban (a game I expect to win), Brazil U-20 also in Durban (where I just hope we don't get thrashed), and I’ll be playing for qualification against Morocco U-20 in Mahikeng (right on the border with Botswana).

For this tournament, I can call up 21 players instead of 18. Therefore, I’ve summoned Shofan (our 'starting' striker who missed the Asian Championship due to injury), the winger Ghandour, and I’ve made a change in goal to bring in Buhlak as the backup keeper.

SPOILER: Squad called for the U20 World Cup

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U20 WORLD CUP 2029. GROUP STAGE. GROUP D

May

MATCHDAY 1. 20th May 2029. Durban (South Africa): NEW CALEDONIA U20 - SYRIA U20

We kicked off the World Cup against New Caledonia. Given the intensity of the two remaining fixtures and the opponent's perceived weakness, I decided to field my second string to give the starters a rest. Although it took us a while, our center-back Khayyat headed home a corner in the 28th minute to give us the lead.

Right on the stroke of halftime, Ghandour (playing as an inverted winger) went on a superb run and delivered an exquisite cross that Al-Khatib turned in at the far post.

In the second half, the players took their foot off the gas and stopped threatening the New Caledonian goal. Everything seemed under control until Berger took the ball in what looked like a harmless play, drove to the edge of the box, and unleashed an unstoppable strike past our backup keeper, Buhlak. With half an hour left, the nerves kicked in as the threat of an equalizer loomed.

The fear was real; New Caledonia had at least two clear chances to level the score, but our keeper stepped up well. After those ten minutes of relentless pressure, we regained our composure and started attacking again. We were eventually rewarded—once more through Al-Khatib, who is making it very difficult for me to bench him for the next two games. With that, we saw the game out.

MATCHDAY 2. 23rd May 2029. Durban (South Africa): SYRIA U20 - BRAZIL U20

Against Brazil, we fielded our starting XI. We started on the front foot, and it paid off when Shofan (who started over Mido and Khamis after their poor performance in the first match) was brought down by a Brazilian defender. Penalty and the first goal. However, in the very first play after the restart, Brazil equalized through a run down the wing and an inexplicable gap left by the Syrian defense. 1-1 at the break.

In the second half, Brazil were much the better side, but they couldn't find the back of the net. They even hit the crossbar and the post, but we managed to escape unscathed. I decided to rotate and used all five substitutions on my attacking players (the two midfielders, both wingers, and the striker). In the final play of the game, Ghandour produced a brilliant solo run to score a wonder-goal, pulling off a massive upset and securing our qualification.

MATCHDAY 3. 26th May 2029. Mahikeng (South Africa): SYRIA U20 - MOROCCO U20

Having already qualified, I was tempted to field my backups again, but I decided we needed to secure the top spot. I went with the starting XI, planning to substitute the four defenders and the CM (those who played the full 90 minutes against Brazil) at the 60-minute mark.

It was a balanced match, but we carried the attacking weight with several shots and headers saved by their keeper. In the 35th minute, Fatal headed home a perfect cross. Ten minutes later, just before the break, a through ball found Shofan, who finished clinically. We went into halftime 2-0 up.

In the second half, Morocco pushed forward, knowing that the 2-0 scoreline—due to goal difference—dropped them to third place (with no guarantee of qualifying as a best third-placed team). We made our planned defensive substitutions, and Morocco capitalized in stoppage time with a long-range strike from Fihri. That goal didn't affect us, but it relegated Brazil to third place.

ROUND OF 16. 30th May 2029. Durban (South Africa): SYRIA U20 - TÜRKIYE U20

In the round of 16, we were drawn against Turkey U-20, the reigning U-20 World Cup champions. It was a match where the jump in quality was evident, especially facing the titleholders. Nevertheless, once again just before the break, Shofan put us ahead. We had to suffer to hold onto the result, but we managed to see out the 90 minutes with a victory, despite a relentless Turkish onslaught that even saw their goalkeeper coming up to contest the final corners. We are through to the quarter-finals.

QUARTER-FINALS. 2nd June 2029. Cape Town (South Africa): GERMANY U20 - SYRIA U20

After a flawless group stage (including a win over Brazil) and knocking out the reigning champions, we began to believe we had a real shot at reaching the final or even winning the whole thing. But first, we had to get past Germany in the quarters and potentially England in the semis (as the bracket was already set).

It was a grueling, cagey match with almost no chances for either side. The game was won and lost in midfield, and the full-backs on both teams did a great job neutralizing the opposing wingers. After the break, they caught us out with a move where they found a gap and, in literally four passes, reached the penalty spot. At this level, that is an unforgivable mistake, and they made us pay. We threw everything at them after that goal (I even ended up playing with all my strikers), but this time we were the ones imitating Turkey: 30 minutes of huffing and puffing with no reward. Full time. We were going home.

TOURNAMENT FAREWELL

Following the defeat against Germany, the boys returned home with their heads held high. They were crowned Champions of Asia and bowed out with dignity in the quarter-finals, having performed brilliantly until that point—both the starters and the substitutes. Due to their age, they won't make it to the next U-20 tournaments, but the backbone of this squad will move up with me for the U-23 Asian Championship qualifiers this summer and the final tournament in January 2030. I would even consider taking some of these lads to the senior World Cup if we qualify, such as our goalkeeper Al-Dour or the midfielder Haqawi.

As for the rest of the tournament, Germany fell to England in the semi-finals. The final was contested between England and Argentina, with the English taking the title.

Head to Summer 2029…What's next?