Togo coach: 'Skilless' Germany have no hope
WEERT, Netherlands, May 17 (Reuters) - Hosts Germany have no chance of winning the World Cup because of their lack of skill, according to Togo's German coach Otto Pfister.
"Germany have no chance. I don't think they can even get to the final, or even the semi-final," said Pfister, who took over as Togo coach in February.
"I think if they get to the quarter-final they do very well," he told Reuters in an interview.
"It's quite simple, you need skill and Germany doesn't have that. (Brazil coach) Carlos Alberto Parreira has another problem, he has to think who is on the bench.
"Germany don't even know who to put on the pitch."
Togo will make their World Cup debut at the finals beginning on June 9. They are grouped with France, Switzerland and South Korea.
"It's difficult for us, our players are playing all over the place in Europe and even now we are still waiting for players to arrive. I only met the players for the first time on Thursday," he said.
Despite the difficult preparations, Pfister thinks anything can happen.
"You have the rankings, Brazil number one ... Togo number 59, Switzerland number, I don't know. It doesn't matter on the day, anyone can beat anyone on their day," he said.
Pfister has coached six African national sides and steered Ghana to the African Nations Cup final in 1992.
The 67-year-old took over from Nigerian Stephen Keshi after a disappointing African Nations Cup where Togo failed to score a single goal.
"I was not trainer during the African Nations Cup. I have been trainer since February 10 and everything before that doesn't concern me. I start at zero and we reinforce the team," he said.
Togo were the first squad to arrive in Germany on Monday and will play their first match against South Korea in Frankfurt on June 13.
"The fact we play Korea first will help, but on paper nothing matters. If we get the group together and they play well, then the second round is a possibility for us," Pfister said.
He was disappointed that Arsenal's Emmanuel Adebayor, scorer of 11 goals for Togo in qualification, will not join the squad until Friday due to the Champions League final.
The striker will not take part in Wednesday's final against Barcelona because he is cup-tied, having played for Monaco earlier in the competition.
"I think he has the potential to make a mark on the finals in Germany. He has terrific pace and skill, a special player," the former Senegal and Ivory Coast coach said.
WEERT, Netherlands, May 17 (Reuters) - Hosts Germany have no chance of winning the World Cup because of their lack of skill, according to Togo's German coach Otto Pfister.
"Germany have no chance. I don't think they can even get to the final, or even the semi-final," said Pfister, who took over as Togo coach in February.
"I think if they get to the quarter-final they do very well," he told Reuters in an interview.
"It's quite simple, you need skill and Germany doesn't have that. (Brazil coach) Carlos Alberto Parreira has another problem, he has to think who is on the bench.
"Germany don't even know who to put on the pitch."
Togo will make their World Cup debut at the finals beginning on June 9. They are grouped with France, Switzerland and South Korea.
"It's difficult for us, our players are playing all over the place in Europe and even now we are still waiting for players to arrive. I only met the players for the first time on Thursday," he said.
Despite the difficult preparations, Pfister thinks anything can happen.
"You have the rankings, Brazil number one ... Togo number 59, Switzerland number, I don't know. It doesn't matter on the day, anyone can beat anyone on their day," he said.
Pfister has coached six African national sides and steered Ghana to the African Nations Cup final in 1992.
The 67-year-old took over from Nigerian Stephen Keshi after a disappointing African Nations Cup where Togo failed to score a single goal.
"I was not trainer during the African Nations Cup. I have been trainer since February 10 and everything before that doesn't concern me. I start at zero and we reinforce the team," he said.
Togo were the first squad to arrive in Germany on Monday and will play their first match against South Korea in Frankfurt on June 13.
"The fact we play Korea first will help, but on paper nothing matters. If we get the group together and they play well, then the second round is a possibility for us," Pfister said.
He was disappointed that Arsenal's Emmanuel Adebayor, scorer of 11 goals for Togo in qualification, will not join the squad until Friday due to the Champions League final.
The striker will not take part in Wednesday's final against Barcelona because he is cup-tied, having played for Monaco earlier in the competition.
"I think he has the potential to make a mark on the finals in Germany. He has terrific pace and skill, a special player," the former Senegal and Ivory Coast coach said.
LMAO!!! I guess that says a lot coming from a guy who is from a country that has a 60% literacy rate! Not to mention a 4.1% HIV infected populous! Great post! The most comical one of the day!!
uppy:
BDiz..
Source: CIA Fact Book
People Togo Top of Page
Population:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
5,548,702
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:
Definition Field Listing
0-14 years: 42.3% (male 1,177,141/female 1,169,321)
15-64 years: 55.1% (male 1,485,621/female 1,570,117)
65 years and over: 2.6% (male 59,870/female 86,632) (2006 est.)
Median age:
Definition Field Listing
total: 18.3 years
male: 17.8 years
female: 18.7 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
2.72% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
37.01 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
9.83 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate:
Definition Field Listing
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio:
Definition Field Listing
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 60.63 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 68.17 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 52.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total population: 57.42 years
male: 55.41 years
female: 59.49 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
4.96 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
4.1% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
110,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
10,000 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
Definition Field Listing
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever are high risks in some locations
water contact disease: schistosomiasis
respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2005)
Nationality:
Definition Field Listing
noun: Togolese (singular and plural)
adjective: Togolese
Ethnic groups:
Definition Field Listing
native African (37 tribes; largest and most important are Ewe, Mina, and Kabre) 99%, European and Syrian-Lebanese less than 1%
Religions:
Definition Field Listing
indigenous beliefs 51%, Christian 29%, Muslim 20%
Languages:
Definition Field Listing
French (official and the language of commerce), Ewe and Mina (the two major African languages in the south), Kabye (sometimes spelled Kabiye) and Dagomba (the two major African languages in the north)
Literacy:
Definition Field Listing
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 60.9%
male: 75.4%
female: 46.9% (2003 est.)
uppy:BDiz..
Source: CIA Fact Book
People Togo Top of Page
Population:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
5,548,702
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:
Definition Field Listing
0-14 years: 42.3% (male 1,177,141/female 1,169,321)
15-64 years: 55.1% (male 1,485,621/female 1,570,117)
65 years and over: 2.6% (male 59,870/female 86,632) (2006 est.)
Median age:
Definition Field Listing
total: 18.3 years
male: 17.8 years
female: 18.7 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
2.72% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
37.01 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
9.83 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate:
Definition Field Listing
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio:
Definition Field Listing
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 60.63 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 68.17 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 52.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total population: 57.42 years
male: 55.41 years
female: 59.49 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
4.96 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
4.1% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
110,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
10,000 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
Definition Field Listing
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever are high risks in some locations
water contact disease: schistosomiasis
respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2005)
Nationality:
Definition Field Listing
noun: Togolese (singular and plural)
adjective: Togolese
Ethnic groups:
Definition Field Listing
native African (37 tribes; largest and most important are Ewe, Mina, and Kabre) 99%, European and Syrian-Lebanese less than 1%
Religions:
Definition Field Listing
indigenous beliefs 51%, Christian 29%, Muslim 20%
Languages:
Definition Field Listing
French (official and the language of commerce), Ewe and Mina (the two major African languages in the south), Kabye (sometimes spelled Kabiye) and Dagomba (the two major African languages in the north)
Literacy:
Definition Field Listing
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 60.9%
male: 75.4%
female: 46.9% (2003 est.)
Sheesh we went from a legit debate on a stupid soccer interview from rueters to poo poo. I have seen maybe one person post their pick for the WC winner.... still waiting for the rest to post theirs. They must be in another thread, lemme go search around...
BDiz.
BDiz.
Griffination said:
Don't you have more first round penalty kick shootouts to cap? I was posting an article that is all. I added no personally insight aside from my believe at the start of this thread that germany won't make it to the semi's. I am not German I have no idea how you come to that just by posting an article about a coach dissing germany. I am Portuguese/Canadian or Canadian/Portuguese however you want to call it. I have never said Portugal is going to win the world cup however forgive me for cheering for them and having a rooting interest. So just making you sure real quick you are wrong about me being german.
