By: Joshua Odametey
Both sides famously contested the 2012 edition where Chelsea cruised to a 2-1 victory.
A win will make either Thomas Tuchel or Jurgen Norbert Klopp the first German manager to annex the world’s oldest football competition a brainchild of Charles William Alcock.
Bernard Carl Trautmann, Markus Babbel, Jens Gerhard Lehmann, Dietmar Johan Wolfgang Hamann, Michael Ballack, Per Mertesacker, Lukas Josef Podolski, Mesut Ozil, Ilkay Gundogan and Leroy Aziz Sane are Germans who have also emerged victors with their respective teams.
Interestingly footballers from twelve African nations have etched their names in gold, they are Michael Essien, Sulley Ali Muntari and Daniel Amartey from Ghana, Algeria’s Riyad Karim Mahrez, Laureano Bisan Etame Mayer Eric Daniel Djemba-Djemba and Geremi Sorele Njitap Fotso from Cameroon, Kolo Abib Toure, Didier Yves Drogba Tebily, Gnegneri Yaya Toure, Salomon Armand Magloire Kalou, Arouna Kone and Nicolas Pepe from Cote D’Ivoire, Egypt’s Mohamed Naser Elsayed Elneny, Pierre-Emerick Emiliano Francois Aubameyang from Gabon, Christopher Wreh and George Tawlon Manneh Ousmane Oppong Weah from Liberia, Mali’s duo of Djimi Traore and Mohammed Lamine Sissoko, the Nigerian nintet of Daniel Raymond Owefin Amokachi, Celestine Babayaro, Nwankwo Christian Nwosu Kanu, John Michael Nchekubwe Obinna, John Chukwudi Utaka, Victor Moses, Alexander Chuka Iwobi, Wilfred Onyinye Ndidi and Kelechi Promise Iheanacho.
Papa Bouba Diop and Nampalys Mendy from Senegal.
South Africa’s Edward Albert Stuart, Desmond Tolton Horne and Bruce David Grobbelaar from Zimbabwe.
History beckons these players in tomorrow’s tension-packed fixture Chelsea boasts of the intimidatingly framed Senegalese goalie Edouard Osoque Mendy and Morocco’s Hakim Ziyech.
Liverpool who last won the title in 2006 have Joel Andre Job Matip from Cameroon, Egyptian demigod Mohamed Salah Mahrous Ghaly, Guinea’s Naby Laye Keita and Sadio Mane from Senegal in their fold.
