International Football
Like Jattau, Goal Poacher, Odey May Debut With Benin Duel
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
So near, yet very far. Nigeria’s Coach Salisu Yusuf has picked a 20-man squad to face the country’s western neighbours, Benin Republic in a rare fixture of both countries despite their proximity. It is slightly over seven years since both Nigeria and Benin Republic were engaged in a national team fixture.
Before Sunday’s scheduled Africa Cup of Nations qualifying duel, both last met on January 16, 2010 in the Africa Cup of Nations group match in Angola.
Symbolically, it was the first Africa Nations Cup match that former captain, Joseph Yobo was first substituted after having played in every minute of Nigeria’s previous matches since Mali 2002.
Sunday’s match will be Nigeria’s first in Cotonou since the scrappy 1-0 defeat of Benin Squirrels on September 30, 1991 Africa Cup of Nations’ qualifier. It was in that match that pace-setter in goal scoring in the Nigerian professional league, Ishaya Jatau, then with a 17-goal mark, scored his debut and only international goal for Nigeria.
Will Stephen Odey, current league top scorer with 18 goals also use Benin Republic to score his debut international goal? If he does, may it also be the only one for Nigeria.
Also in the squad for the Cotonou assignment are Ikechukwu Ezenwa, defenders Orji Kalu and Osas Okoro, midfielders Alhassan Ibrahim and Ifeanyi Ifeanyi.
FC IfeanyiUbah’s Ezenwa who has been handed the skipper’s armband will undoubtedly want to use the match as well as the return leg to register his relevance to the claim of the mainstream Super Eagles in the next competitive fixtures, especially the back-to-back clashes with eastern neighbours, Cameroon.
Other players picked by Coach Salisu are goalkeepers Dele Ajiboye and Theophilus Afelokhai, defender Chima Akas, midfielder Rabiu Ali and forward Thomas Zenke. According to a press release from the Media Department of the NFF, the other players are: Ifeanyi George, defenders Ariwachukwu Emmanuel, Stephen Eze and Nasiru Sani.
The list also has midfielders Hafiz Aremu, Raphael Ayagwa and Samuel Mathias and forwards Sikiru Olatubosun and Kingsley Eduwo. The team will fly from Kano to Lagos on Friday and then make the short trip to Cotonou by road same day.
The Confederation of African Football has appointed Algerian referee Mustapha Ghorbal to take charge of proceedings at the Stade de l’Amitie on Sunday, starting from 4pm. He will be assisted by compatriots Mokrane Gourari (Assistant Referee 1), Mohammed Serradj (Assistant Referee 2) and Said Aquina (Reserve Referee).
After Nigeria failed to reach the finals of the first two editions of the competition exclusively reserved for footballers plying their trade in their countries’ domestic Leagues, the Super Eagles won the bronze medals at the third edition in 2014. They however could not make the knock –out stage at the fourth edition in Rwanda early last year. The return leg will hold at the Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano on Saturday, 19th August, with the winner qualifying for the 5th African Nations Championship scheduled for Kenya early next year.
20 EAGLES FOR COTONOU
Goalkeepers: Ikechukwu Ezenwa (FC IfeanyiUbah); Theophilus Afelokhai (Enyimba FC); Dele Ajiboye (Plateau United)
Defenders: Orji Kalu (Rangers International); Stephen Eze (FC IfeanyiUbah); Ariwachukwu Emmanuel (Akwa United); Chima Akas (Enyimba FC); Nasiru Sani (Katsina United); Osas Okoro (Rangers International)
Midfielders: Hafiz Aremu (Akwa United); Raphael Ayagwa (Lobi Stars); Ifeanyi Ifeanyi (Akwa United); Rabiu Ali (Kano Pillars); Samuel Mathias (El-Kanemi Warriors); Alhassan Ibrahim (Akwa United)
Forwards: Sikiru Olatubosun (MFM FC); Thomas Zenke (Nasarawa United); Stephen Odey (MFM FC); Kingsley Eduwo (Lobi Stars); Ifeanyi George (Rangers International)
International Football
Guinea names Portugal’s Duarte as new national coach

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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International Football
Veteran coach Van Gaal says he is cured of cancer

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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International Football
Like father like son, Davide Ancelotti becomes Brazil’s Botafogo manager

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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