KibworthBull

September 2043 Internationally we now know our AFCON 2044 Qualifying Group Domestically still finding our feet with Academia Quintana A few signings have been made. All free transfers. Right Winger Jonathan Coates is a Jamaican/English/Puerto Rican who currently represents Jamaica so my hope is he can tick the Reggae Boyz off We've finally found an Egyptian, Mohamed Kassem, who can play in the full-back area, Central Defence or Central Midfield. He is extremely versatile, but at 34, his best days are beyond him. We've also got a few Peurto Ricans in - Michael Sheridan (Central Defender), Bruce Carey and Fernando Montoya (both Left Wingers) have good experience in the top flight. Sheridan is a full international and part of the current set up. The league action starts next month! The bookies consider us an outside shot at 33-1

African Cup of Nations - 2043 - June, maybe July It's time for The Cranes, to do something that cranes do. Lift stuff. Move stuff. Do stuff to stuff. I don't know. We are pretty much at full strength. Ibrahim Kakooza plays in the MLS with Charlotte FC and James Sentamu is the man who ticked off the nation for me in Angola (he's still there), the rest are Ugandan based. Kakooza is the wrong side of 30 so this might be his last tournament. I'm trying to blood Mustafa Kigonya as his replacement, he's only 20 and has a couple of caps. He really needs some domestic first team football. We start with a couple of friendlies before we get into the good stuff. Libya - Richard Mukisa puts on a wing masterclass to help seal the win, he's 31 so another that's closer to the end than the start. The Gambia - full rotation with the intention to get some minutes into the legs of the squad. James Sentamu slams a hat-trick and we feel ready. Group Stages It wont get much harder than Egypt, they are 14th in the whole world. We went toe to toe and led for a glorious 3 minutes in the 2nd half, but sadly they had a bit too much. Victory over Ghana will be key if we are to qualify now. I managed Daniel Asante in Angola, he ticked off Ghana, but I didn't really give him a fair crack of the whip. He has more than reminded me of that today. The battle with Tanzania for the wooden spoon. We got some pride back The top 4 best 3rd place finishers get into the Second Round. DR Congo - I've seen a fair few of their players in this save so far. They are 39th in the world. This will be tough. Left Back Henry Sentamu is suspended, so Yakubu Watambala plays, he played against Ghana. We didn't have Henry, but Davis and Frank were there and did the "stuff" Right Back Edrisa Wadada and Left Winger Shafik Ssemujju both will sit out the tie against Morocco (20th in the World) Alas, we ran out of steam. We led twice but couldn't stand up to the barrage at the end Tunisia won the Final One of the 6 achievements for International Football has been completed and steady progress made in the rest

May 2043 A nice 30-day break before the Cup final. We lost in the Final last year, but we got the winning medal thanks to our Cambodian penalty king, 4 out of 4 in 8 games. We also know what AfCON 2043 looks like for us BUT we leave Africa for our next challenge. And we step straight into a relegation battle. Two games left to stay up Away at Caguas FC in the first one, before we play the champions in June. Gabor Dias is a random Hungarian loanee who has ticked off the nation in the first game. I've decided that June is May domestically, so finished that season off as it's AFCON next month. We finished 9th overall Hungary:

April 2043 As winning statements go, winning 8-0 away from home is one way to pretty much wrap up the title - we sit 6 points clear with two games left, and the goal difference is 20 better. Ironically the defeat was enough.

March 2043 Victory in the league and a penalty victory in the Cup set up the month nicely. 3 games left and things are looking very good There's also an international break, albeit against two of the weaker nations. But we have qualified for the competition

There one of the higher leagues according to rep that have never won it before - it's either them or Canada. So I certainly hope so!

February 2043 In the last hours of the transfer window, we managed to find a Cambodian and a Belizean - both of them have over 100 caps for their countries. Heng Rithy is 32 but on his debut, smashes home a penalty and does a fine job of giving me another bonus nation. I can also look past the fact we let in two late goals away at Manonyane as Carlton Cruz managed to get me Saint Barthelemy. 20 games unbeaten. 5 league games left. We've also got a job in Puerto Rico from next season They are in the process of getting relegated from the top flight Cambodia Saint Barthelemy

January 2043 Cometh the hour, cometh the Saint Pierre & Miquelon man. Loic Dubuc has scored fairly well this season. And he's finally done enough. A double at Bantu. The extra year in Lesotho has almost become worth it. Rethabile Ketsekile has come in on loan from Bantu (2nd in the table) and scored a double on his debut. Nations are sometimes like buses. They are big and red and have a couple of levels.. Anguilla is ticked off through Ronaldo Rennie against LMS. Matlama was 2nd vs 1st and a draw is a good result. There is a decent gap ahead of the chasing pack Saint Pierre & Miquelon Anguilla

December 2042 Thabo Notse is a class act. Unfortunately. He's banging in the goals and getting all the awards. 12 games, 11 goals, 5 MoTM awards. On the pitch results continue to build in our favour, and our threadbare squad is proving a match for the level. The only fly in the ointment remains it's the wrong players getting the awards. STILL! Special mention to the Lioli game - we were 1-3 at 85 minutes. Won it with the last kick. We are on course to finish well

November 2042 The worst club in Puerto Rico AND the worst club on Saint Kitts and Nevis have both turned me down. I suspect my contract in Lesotho is causing problems. Compensation is too much. Talking of too much. A 5-5 draw! We were losing 5-3 with 5 minutes to go. Bonkers game. Carlton Cruz is my representative from Saint Barthelemy, he scored a double in the 2-0 win but the keeper got the MoTM award. What luck! Form is good. We just can't get the right players to win the awards. An international friendly in Reunion was my 700th in management. I got together some old friends - which was ironic...

October 2042 What a start to the month. Seventh heaven. And it continued. Lots of goals, no defeats, goals for some obscure North American nations and a job interview. At international level, a trip to Rwanda was followed by a trip to Mali. Routine in Rwanda, a mauling in Mali - how we came away with a point is beyond me. Malawi and Rwanda in March - both should be wins. We should be going to the African Cup of Nations. We continue to await the result of the job interview...

September 2042 Uganda African Nations Qualifying Davis Sentamu didn't make the World Cup squad - I probably should have taken him. Just the 5 goals as Malawi are hit for 9. An expected victory, but the manner of it is surprising. Followed up with a win at home to Mali. This was a lot closer. We move up to 102nd in the World. And now the domestic front... Welcome to.... Lesotho... !! Yes. I've been turned down for all the vacant jobs in Puerto Rico - my nation of choice so I remain where I was. Still unable to get any Tunisian or Egyptians to talk but I have recruited nations. In come representatives from Aruba, Saint Barthelemy and Saint Pierre & Miquelon. I may not be here long. For a variety of reasons. Defeat to start the season, before a bounce-back victory. None of the foreigners have done anything of note.

2042 World Cup I have never in the history of playing FM, won the World Cup. This won't start today. I'm just saying for the record. Romania in the first game. Outclassed from almost the first kick. Romania make it two from two as they beat Mexico A much better performance, but we crashed out. Guatemala and Haiti both went for 8 goals in a game so 7 over two matches is okay. I tell myself... crying on the plane. We achieved by getting there. Anything else was a bonus.

May 2042 Put a Left Back up front, he might get the Man of the Match award... And he bloody did. Sibusiso Sikhondze has ticked off what was known as Swaziland, now Eswatini. Ironically in the first game where we play our strongest side... we get slaughtered 3-1. In the Cup Final Too... A league recovery, beating Matlama on the final day - they won the double. We finished 4th, BUT ticked off the 3 we needed. Eswatini! That's the African part of the journey done (save the epilogue as I tidy up Tunisia and Egypt in the future) onto North America We are 19% complete

April 2042 I was a touch too happy pressing Submit Reply so missed the Ugandan friendly in Togo. We also know to qualify for the African Nations next year we need to beat these guys. But that's then, this is now. And what a NOW it is - Abdel Aziz Gaye has been my keeper for most of the season as I bought in a steady stream of Mauritanians, some have scored, but none had gotten the MoTM award. Abdel is the man. Our man. Love him so much right now. Lijabatho were beaten, but that was as good as it got on the pitch The defeat to Lioli has really impacted the league table. 3 points behind, 3 games left. We've also had a Surinamese guy come through the intake - first time it's happened - Suriname is Victor's 2nd nationality Mauritania.

March 2042 12 games left in the season across the next 3 months, 3 more nations to "complete" Africa - well complete the nations we can get here. Can we do it and ride off into the sunset? Defeat to 3rd place Matlama was not the best start. Our league form is falling apart but we have over-achieved already so there are no pressures on the job front. A draw and a last-minute away win put us back on top for 12 hours, before some classic Bantu in the Cup Semi-Final. Razak Boubacar is a player who complained he was out of position, and then went and did his job, scored a couple and ticked off Niger! My 5th player from that nation - this was a long haul. And we have a final to look forward to. Wildly inconsistent. Love it 7 games left in the league, it's all to play for. Niger:

February 2042 Lesothian Cup - lower graded oppo. Surely someone can tick something off? Eritrea!!! Eritrea!! Eritrea!! All 4 goals from our boys from there. Henok Yosef finally gets the MoTM. The mood was slightly lowered by losing the next league game, but we bounced back with another win and another MoTM for Yosef. You're just showing off now. We no longer sit top of the table Eritrea:

January 2042 2 additions. One is a return. Nxumalo was here 12 months ago but never got a sniff really. Both the new boys score on their debuts, but the limelight is taken by a Lesothian sub scoring 2 late goals. It's starting to grate these remaining nations... I have no options in moving on as they wouldn't be the standard of the North American Leagues I fancy. Just before the window closed we popped over to Mauritania and bought in some new blood. A Left Back (Mohamed) and a Right Winger (Diallo)

December 2041 6 African Nations left. 4 realistic due to our low reputation A first for us this season, some dropped points - one of our Eritreans missed a 2nd-minute penalty. The other Henok Yosef is scoring nicely, but not doing enough to impress the sponsors. We still sit pretty at the top of the tree The World Cup draw has taken place, it'll be nice to be there I suppose

November 2041 Now the league starts in Earnest. 4 matches. Almost feels like a proper month. A rare occasion against Rovers(LES) with a Right Back securing MoTM - I can't recall that happening very often, he's Lesothian so nothing to see here, but still it's unexpected. Eswatini is a nation where luck is not present. My 4th attempt. We continue to win games, despite the impact of the foreign legion, it's the Lesothians taking centre stage I strongly suspect we will win the league, however, that's not much of a boast. I reckon I could put a couple of Sea Bass up front and still win games. They wouldn't get MoTM though.

October 2041 October feels like a preamble to the league, 1 game and then a cup time, with an international break in the middle. In the league game, we go with an Eritrean front two but it's a Lesothian super sub that makes it 3 wins from 3. In the cup, 9 of the 11 are non-Lesothians and it's a Rwandan day, a hat-trick of assists for Vincent Kabanda and it's the 75th nation ticked off I can though introduce my International Achievements Peak Rankings - Take a nation beyond its previous best-placed ranking. Improve a Nation by 50 - Improve a nation by 50 places - just in case I move nations without doing the Peak Rankings and take over a nation that is very close to their previous best Qualify for a World Cup - self-explanatory Win Secondary Int Cup - African of Nations, Euro etc. Win the World Cup - ditto 0 to 100 - give someone their debut and bring them through to 100 caps. With back-to-back 4-0 wins, we appear to have achieved the Qualify for a World Cup Rwanda:

September 2041 Internationals First: Back to back draws. We need to win the group to qualify for the World Cup - unlikely I am working on a few ideas for Achievements and will keep the powder dry until I have them properly figured out. Domestically, the recruitment has been the outstanding nations, plus a Lesothoian. We've strengthened the Eswatini and Niger contingents especially. Still unable to convince an Egyptian or a Tunisian to come on board. If I have to tick them off in North America then that's fine. It's the other 5 which scare me. An opening day victory thanks to a Lesothian treble, and then backed up with a double. I may have to rest this guy.

Thanks. In the short term it's reminded me how much I don't normally enjoy international management.... but it's early days

2041/42 Off Season Update I've taken an International Job - wasn't looking but they offered it to me. Needs to think of 5 achievements to achieve in the international sphere. Trying to be busy with the transfers, made a few, a full review next month.

May 2041 2 matches, there could be another title, our first in Lesotho. The good news? Zimbabwe is done, Sean Mangwiro caps a fine individual display with a goal and MoTM. The bad news? We failed to beat 10th-placed Kick4Life and now sit 2nd before the final-day showdown. The top two going into this one? A perfect day? Comoros scored the penalty as well, so that's another one ticked off Zimbabwe Comoros