The forward does not mind breaking ties with his native country, which gave him a start in life.
One of the most controversial characters in Russian football, Alexander Kokorin, is doing well in the Cypriot championship. There were rumors that in the foreseeable future, he might even get the citizenship of the island nation. The forward has already refused to play for our national team, is he really ready to finally break ties with his homeland?
Returned to football for real
Kokorin was without a doubt one of the most talented players of his generation in Russia. All experts noted his high potential, but parties and expensive cars worried Alexander much more than football itself. At times, he really played brilliantly on the field, scoring for our team at the World Cup. And in general, there have never been any special complaints about its playing qualities.
However, outside the stadium, Kokorin regularly got into scandals. One of them ended in a prison term, after which Alexander returned to football anyway and was even quite good in the same Sochi. After a local take-off, the player was even invited by the Italian Fiorentina, but a business trip to Florence turned out to be a terrible failure. Kokorin was sitting on the bench without the slightest chance of becoming a player in the main team.
After Italy, Alexander was warmed up in the Cypriot club Aris, in which the management and coaching staff speak Russian. We must pay tribute to Kokorin – he really really returned to football and is now the third scorer of the Cypriot championship, as well as the best player in his team.
It is no secret that the level of Cypriot football is significantly lower than not only Italian, but also Russian. Nevertheless, great miracles were no longer expected from Alexander, and he began to play stably and score in the new championship. On the wave of success, there was talk about the return of the football player to the Russian national team, but he himself said that he was not interested in this.
– I will be realistic, because today, in the current conditions, the national team is unlikely to play official matches in the near future, perhaps this will continue at least until 2025. In this context, I don’t want to play for the national team. If they call me, I will, of course, talk to the coach, but I want to know why I was called, ”Foot Mercato quotes Kokorin.
It would be possible in this case to end his career in the national team, but Kokorin raised the question as if he would decide when he would come to the national team and under what conditions. In general, in recent months, the Russian legionnaire of the Cypriot team began to behave painfully defiantly. Alexander regularly argues with fans on social networks and sometimes answers them quite rudely.
Not so long ago, Kokorin gave a controversial interview in which he literally stated that “every man should serve time in prison.” Fans only had time to digest this resonant statement, as another reason for surprise appeared. According to football agent Alexei Safonov, the football player may soon become a citizen of Cyprus.
– He does not want to return to Russia. He wants to get Cypriot citizenship. I think if it weren’t for the scene “12 chairs”, he would still play at Zenit. No problem. Unlike Dziuba, he has speed. He could achieve a lot. By nature, he was given 10 times more than everyone else in Russia. I have never seen such talent. Football is different in Italy, but in Cyprus he found his country. Scores. Why would he leave? Now he will buy 2-3 houses, they are happy there, – Safonov said in an interview with Match TV.
The words of the agent could clarify a lot in Kokorin’s statements in recent months. Cypriot citizenship would theoretically allow him not to return to Russia. But is Alexander really ready to break all ties with his homeland, feeling like a hero in a new country?
It is too early to put an end to this issue – the representative of the player Timofey Berdyshev did not confirm the information about Kokorin’s imminent change of citizenship. In addition, the striker will still not be able to play for Cyprus, if we focus on the current FIFA rules. So in any case, our football does not lose anything, potentially Alexander will still be able to strengthen the national team. Another thing is whether the head coach and fans now want to see the scandalous player in the national team.
Thomas Astudillo is a sports journalist and author who writes for Sportish. He has a deep love and knowledge of sports, and is known for his engaging and informative writing on the latest sports news and events.
Forward of the Senegalese national team Sadio Mane recognized as the best player of the Africa Cup of Nations which concluded on Sunday.
The Senegalese team defeated Morocco 1:0 in the final. At the end of regular time, the Senegalese, dissatisfied with the penalty awarded to them, left the field, but soon it was Mane who brought the team back and the match continued. Morocco missed the penalty and the match went to extra time, where Teranga’s Lions won.
In total, Mane played 7 matches at the tournament, scored 2 goals and made 3 assists.
I’m a sports enthusiast and journalist who has worked in the news industry for over 8 years. I currently work as an author at Sportish and my work focuses mainly on sports news.
This summer, the 23rd FIFA World Cup finals will take place in the USA, Canada and Mexico. All professional football players, without exception, dream of playing in this tournament, from stars such as Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo to players whose names are not well known to the public (perhaps only for now).
However, some star and very famous football players are at risk of missing the next World Cup. The reason for this is health problems…
Joshko Guardiol
Age: 23 years old Citizenship: Croatia Club: Manchester City
Joschko Guardiol, the key defender of Manchester City, who has been playing for the “citizens” since the summer of 2023, suffered a serious injury recently – in the match against Chelsea in early January 2026, which ended with a score of 1: 1. As a result of the medical examination, a fracture was detected in the fibula bone of Guardiola’s right leg. Manchester City doctors immediately announced to the technical staff and club management that they could no longer trust the Croatian player at the end of this season. Yoshko’s estimated recovery time is approximately four months. However, this is the most favorable prognosis as recovery may take five or six months.
Theoretically, if Guardiol returns from hospital towards the end of May, he will have the chance to be included in the Croatian national team at the 2026 World Cup. Of course, the centre-back will have to go abroad without training and far from the best conditions, but… Without Josko, the Croatian national team will definitely lose a lot, because by the age of 23 Guardiola had already made 46 appearances and scored 4 goals for the “checkers”.
Takumi Minamino
Age: 30 years old Citizenship: Japan Club: Monaco
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Takumi Minamino may not be a world football star, but he can certainly have such status in his native Japan. In the past, the winger had a two-and-a-half-year contract at Liverpool, but Takumi never managed to become a key figure for the Reds. As a result, Minamino has been playing in France since the summer of 2022 for Monaco, which paid a large sum of 15 million euros to the British for his transfer.
In Monaco, Minamino is constantly a key player, but on December 21 last year, in the 5th round match of the French Cup against Auxerre (2:1), the Japanese midfielder was injured, and then doctors determined that it was a rupture of the cruciate ligament in the knee. The normal recovery time in such cases is 6-9 months, effectively ending Takumi’s hopes of playing in the 2026 World Cup. It will be a real miracle if the midfielder, who played 73 times for Japan and helped the Blue Samurai defeat Brazil 3-2 in a friendly match in October, continues to take part in the tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
Muhammed Salisu
Age: 26 years old Citizenship: Ghana Club: Monaco
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Mohammed Salisu, Minamino’s teammate and one of the strongest players in the current Ghana national team, also risks not being able to play in the 2026 World Cup. The former football player from Southampton, for whom Monaco paid 15 million euros in August 2023, was injured in early January this year and it is very possible that he will not be able to go to the USA, Canada and Mexico as a player for the national team.
Doctors diagnosed Salisu with a cruciate ligament tear in his knee. In theory, this could mean that Muhammad will miss slightly less than he would with a rupture… But in the near future, Salis will need to undergo several additional examinations that will help determine the severity of his injury and what treatment would be more appropriate to choose. And there is a risk here that further examination will reveal that the African has more serious injuries than currently expected. Then he will definitely not be able to play in the 2026 World Cup, but so far doctors have not specified a specific time frame for recovery. It is clear that we are talking about months, not days or weeks…
Andreas Christensen
Age: 29 years old Citizenship: Denmark Club: barcelona
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The Danish national team has not yet qualified for the 2026 World Cup. In March, this team will first have to play against North Macedonia and, if successful, in the play-offs against the winner of the Czech Republic-Ireland double. However, the Danes are seen as the favorites by many, but they will definitely have to earn a ticket to the tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico without key defender Andreas Christensen.
The 29-year-old Barcelona defender, who lost his role as an important figure in the Blaugranas in recent years largely due to frequent health problems, suffered a partial rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee at the end of December last year and preferred a conservative treatment method. This in theory leaves Denmark with a better chance of continuing to play at the 2026 World Cup in the summer if they manage to qualify.
Eder Militao
Age: 27 years old Citizenship: Brazil Club: Real
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On December 8, 2025, it was learned that Eder Militao, the defender of Real Madrid and the Brazilian national team, was injured. It was related to a muscle tear in his left thigh, which resulted in doctors deciding it would take around four months for the Brazilian player to fully recover. In fact, we should see Militao on the football fields at the beginning of April, two months before the start of the 2026 World Cup.
It would seem, what is the risk of Eder missing the World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico? The problem is that Militao has literally become “glass” in recent years. It haunts injury after injury. Muscle injuries and cruciate ligament problems in the knee have almost become a “chronic” for the Brazilian defender; Therefore, no one has confidence in Militao’s real playing conditions and abilities to go to North America in the summer. It is worth noting that Eder played four matches for the Selecao in the 2022 World Cup; two in the group stage, 1/8 against South Korea in the final (4:1) and 1/4 against Croatia in the final (1:1, 2:4 – on penalties).
Justin Kluivert
Age: 26 years old Citizenship: Holland Club: Bournemouth
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Bournemouth and Netherlands midfielder Justin Kluivert, the son of legendary former Orange forward Patrick Kluivert, may also join the sadness of those who will miss the final part of the 2026 World Cup due to health problems. Justin had surgery on his problematic knee on January 4 and now doctors will try to get him back on his feet as soon as possible so that Kluivert can continue to be useful to both Bournemouth and the Dutch national team.
Predictions so far are that Justin will return by April. This will allow the football player to realize his dream and play in the World Cup, especially since Justin took part in six matches and made one assist. But you can think as far ahead as you want and, more importantly, how Kluivert’s recovery process will actually progress after he missed a total of two calendar months last year due to various injuries and health problems…
Levi Colwill
Age: 22 years old Citizenship: England Club: Chelsea
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Young defender Levi Colwill was seen by many observers as one of the key figures in the process of rejuvenating the England national team squad. Colwill made his debut in the “three lions” camp in October 2023 and was expected to go to the 2026 World Cup as he was the best player for his hometown Chelsea last year and is currently valued at up to 50 million euros on the Transfermarkt portal, but…
In August 2025, Levi tore his “crucifixes”, so he was away from football for a long time. Latest predictions suggest Colwill’s recovery is expected in late May or early June, making it extremely unlikely that this will contribute to the Chelsea center being recalled to the England squad for the 2026 World Cup. In the end, Thomas Tuchel in the USA, Canada and Mexico will need the most prepared football players who can finally seriously compete for the championship and are not limited to elimination at an early stage or a brave fight almost to the end, but without winning the cup. We would like to remind you that Football England was waiting for its second championship because it won its first and first in the 1966 World Cup.
I am a writer at Sportish, where I mainly cover sports news. I’ve also written for The Guardian and ESPN Brasil, and my work has been featured on NBC Sports, SI.com and more. Before working in journalism, I was an athlete: I played football for Colgate University and competed in the US Open Cross Country Championships.
Head coach of the Senegalese national team Pap Tyaw left the press conference after the final of the Africa Cup of Nations against the Moroccan team (1:0) due to the booing of Moroccan journalists. Reuters reports it.
Tyaw took the Senegalese players off the pitch in protest after their goal was disallowed and a penalty was awarded against the Senegalese in second-half injury time with the score 0–0. After 15 minutes the Senegalese national team players returned to the pitch. Team goalkeeper Edouard Mendy he took the ball forcefully after a penalty from the Moroccan Brahim Diaz. Regular time ended with the score 0:0; the Senegalese won in extra time.
The Senegalese team won the Africa Cup of Nations for the second time. The Senegalese won for the first time in 2021. The Moroccan team won the tournament in 1976.
The Africa Cup of Nations is held every two years. The winner of the previous tournament was the Ivory Coast team. The next Africa Cup of Nations will take place in 2027 in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
I’m a sports enthusiast and journalist who has worked in the news industry for over 8 years. I currently work as an author at Sportish and my work focuses mainly on sports news.
