ENFIELD, ENGLAND – MARCH 20: Thomas Tuchel, Head Coach of England, reacts during a training session at Tottenham Hotspur Training Centre on March 20, 2025.
England national football team don begin dem World Cup qualifying journey against Albania this evening for Wembley Stadium. Under di new head coach Thomas Tuchel, dis campaign no be just about qualification for di 2026 World Cup, but e get potential to change di way English football dey operate.
On March 21, 2025, Tuchel don finalize im squad for di match, reducing di numbers from 26 players to di UEFA-mandated 23. Some players like Morgan Gibbs-White, Jarell Quansah, and Aaron Ramsdale no go play. Gibbs-White wey join di squad late after Cole Palmer fall sick, dem don sideline am again, and fans dey vex as dem wan see him talent shine again after a great season for Nottingham Forest.
Ramsdale wey bin dey part of di goalkeeper selection no make di matchday squad. Instead, Dean Henderson, Jordan Pickford, and James Trafford go dey guard di goal. Quansah’s absence dey surprising as he dey enjoy good form with Liverpool but no don get any international cap yet.
Tuchel get serious work ahead. After success with Chelsea where him win di UEFA Champions League, managing national team bring different kind pressure. Di time dey limited, and he must achieve quick chemistry and precise tactics with players wey dey gather only now and then compared to club routine.
“Di tradition for di national team no be to win, and we go fit accept say when we reach America, we may no be di favorites,” Tuchel talk, showing di heavy expectation wey dey follow di team as dem dey head go di World Cup. His approach na to shift di pressure from di players, make dem enjoy di moment instead of dey fear failure.
Dis new chapter dey important for England as dem no don lift di World Cup trophy since 1966. Under Gareth Southgate, di team don reach semi-finals for 2018 and get close calls at Euro 2020 and 2024, but dem no fit capitalize. Critics talk say though Southgate unite di players and fans, tactical issues still dey persist.
As di match against Albania dey draw near, di excitement for Wembley dey high. England previous games with Albania don end in dominant victories, wey include a 5-0 win in World Cup qualifiers on November 12, 2021. But as Tuchel prepare di squad, past victories fit only serve as background for this crucial moment.
Tuchel’s style dey different from wetin people dey expect, and fans dey eager to see if him fit bring fresh high-intensity attacking football wey fit restore di national team’s identity. “We go get full Wembley, e go dey very exciting,” him talk, admitting say e dey nervous before matches—na normal feeling for any coach under pressure.
Under Tuchel, di playing style for England fit change, blending di physicality wey dey typical for English football with technical, possession-based tactics wey dey influenced by European styles. Di players dey eager for success, and dem go ready to embrace this new direction on pitch and off-dias too. But this balance no just dey about tactics; e require careful management of di players’ relationship with di people wey always dey watch dem.
As di kickoff dey approach, Tuchel dey at di point where tradition meet modern-day expectations. Him must use di talent of players like Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, and Phil Foden well while creating atmosphere wey go empower dem to play di best football wey dem fit.
Dis encounter against Albania, though important, na just di beginning of a long journey wey go get challenges. With Tuchel for di driver’s seat, hope dey rise again. After years wey dem don dey suffer under di weight of expectations and underperformance, fit Tuchel lead England back to glory?
Di stage don set, with coverage dey available for ITV, and all eyes go surely dey on di exciting kickoff at 7:45 PM GMT for Wembley. For Tuchel and di players, this match fit signal di start of a new era for English football.
