International Football
Expect Fireworks, Warns Al Merreikh Coach
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
The Italian coach of the visiting Al Merreikh of Sudan, Diego Garzitto, has dismissed insinuations that the CAF Champions League hopefuls built their aspirations on the trio of Nigerian players in the squad to dislodge Rivers United out of the competition.
Rivers United, debutants in the CAF Champions League, are hosting 21 times attendee, Al Merreikh in the first leg of the round of 32 in Port Harcourt on Sunday.
The Italian coach told www.riversunitedfc.com.ng that his objective in Port Harcourt was to win. “We know that Rivers United is a good team but we will do all we can to win,” he said.
On the Nigerian trio of Kelechi Osunwa, Kunle Odunlami and Dayo Ojo, the Al Merreikh declared:
“Those three players are just like any of the others in my squad.
“I am only interested in getting a good performance from my players on Sunday irrespective of their nationalities.
“We will try to win tomorrow (Sunday) and finish off the job in Omdurman.
“We trust our team and we know we will produce a good match.
“Hopefully, things will go well for us.”
The vastly travelled Al Merriekh coach has handled many African teams such as Togo and Ethiopia and clubs like TP Mazembe (Congo DR), Wydad Casablanca of Morocco, Al Hilal (Sudan) and the oldest Algerian football club, CS Constantine (founded 1898).
Well-travelled Portuguese coach Paulo Duarte has been named as Guinea’s new coach, less than a month before their next round of World Cup qualifiers.
Duarte, 56, has twice previously coached Burkina Faso and taken charge of Gabon and Togo, while also coaching at clubs in Portugal, France, Tunisia, Angola and Saudi Arabia.
Guinea’s football federation gave no contract details when they made the announcement on Monday, but said they would be looking for Duarte to “restructure their national team”.
Guinea trail leaders Algeria by eight points in their World Cup qualifying group with four games remaining, leaving them with only a slim chance of qualification.
They play Somalia away on September 5 and then Algeria at home on September 8 in their next two qualifiers although a stadium ban means Guinea have moved their home game to Casablanca, Morocco.
-Reuters
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Veteran coach Louis van Gaal says he has been cured of cancer and is keen for a return to the higher levels of the game.
The 73-year-old announced three years ago that he was suffering from prostate cancer, but told a Dutch television talk show, “I’m no longer bothered by cancer.”
When he announced his illness, Van Gaal was the coach of the Dutch national team, but he has not worked since the last World Cup in Qatar in 2022.
“Two years ago, I had a few operations. It was all bad then. But it all worked out in the end. I have check-ups every few months, and that’s going well. I’m getting fitter and fitter,” he said.
Van Gaal, whose career has included stints at Ajax Amsterdam, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester United, reiterated a lack of interest in returning to club management but said becoming the national coach of a top-tier country could tempt him back.
He now serves as a special advisor to Ajax.
-Reuters
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In a compelling twist of football destiny, Davide Ancelotti is stepping into his own spotlight as he begins his first head coaching role at Brazilian club Botafogo—just months after parting ways with his legendary father, Carlo Ancelotti, at Real Madrid.
The 35-year-old has been appointed as Botafogo’s new manager, the club announced on Tuesday, following the sacking of Renato Paiva. Davide, who has spent the last decade working alongside his father at some of Europe’s top clubs—including Bayern Munich, Napoli, Everton, and Real Madrid—has signed a one-year deal with the Rio-based team.
This marks a significant milestone for the younger Ancelotti, whose career has long been shaped by his father’s influence, but who now faces the challenge of carving his own identity on the touchline.
The move comes shortly after both father and son departed Real Madrid at the end of last season, with Carlo taking over the Brazilian national team. Now, in a poetic alignment, father and son find themselves on different paths within Brazilian football—one leading the Seleção, the other steering the fortunes of a storied domestic club.
Botafogo’s decision to appoint Davide follows a controversial parting with Paiva, who was dismissed just days after their exit from the Club World Cup. Though he oversaw a stunning win over Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain, a 1-0 extra-time loss to Palmeiras in the round of 16 proved to be his final act after just four months in charge.
As Davide Ancelotti begins this new chapter, all eyes will be on whether the son of one of football’s most decorated managers can step out from his father’s shadow—and perhaps, in time, build a legacy of his own.
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