International Football
Only Ranking to Decide World Cup Groups
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
The next FIFA Ranking to be released on October 16 will be very crucial in the World Cup Final Draw holding on December 1. This is because FIFA has announced that the next ranking will be the sole determinant of groups which the World Cup 2018 finalists will be placed.
In essence, the Algeria versus Nigeria match on November 6 will not affect the pot Nigeria will be placed in the final World Cup draw if the country picks qualification ticket before the match.
Sports Village Square gathered that the employment of October 16 ranking instead of that of November is to avoid the controversy that trailed that of World Cup 2014 where teams that did not get direct qualification and had to go through play-off got additional points that improved their rankings before the final World Cup draw.
This is the first time the FIFA ranking will be the sole determinant of draw. Before now, teams are largely grouped by the continents they belong to. This way, with the exception of Europe which have the more teams than other continents in the World Cup, teams from the same continents are not in the same group.
But this time around, teams of the same continent may find themselves in the same group as the now simplified format will see the teams grouped by their place in the world ranking rather than their continent.
FIFA said that the 32 teams would be divided into four pots with the seven top-ranked teams plus hosts Russia in pot one, the next eight-ranked teams in pot two and so on.
Each first-round group would consist of one team from each pot, determined by the draw. FIFA said the only geographical constraint would be that no group could include two teams from the same continent, with the exception of Europe.
The draw for the previous World Cup in Brazil involved a complex system in which teams were divided according to rankings for pot one, and their continent for the remainder.
However, to even out the numbers, a “pre-draw” was held and a temporary “Pot X” was set up, creating a system that critics said was unnecessarily complex.
The top seven-ranked teams currently include Switzerland and Poland, while Peru and Wales could feature in Pot 2 alongside France and Spain, if they qualify.
Nigeria currently place 44th in the FIFA ranking. With just one match expected to be played before the October 16 ranking, Nigeria is not expected to have astronomical leap that will place it in early pots like those of Germany, Brazil and Spain.
In essence, Nigeria which is at the brink of qualification should expect tough group that will include the top ranked teams.
Italy is currently 17th in the FIFA ranking which would land them in Pot 3 if all the teams above them qualify.
Brazil, Iran, Mexico, Japan, Belgium, South Korea and Saudi Arabia are the teams who have made sure of their places in next year’s tournament so far.
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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