International Football
“Why African Footballers Fail at The Best FIFA Awards”, Okocha
By KUNLE SOLAJA.
This year’s final shortlists in the annual The Best FIFA Awards were released by FIFA on Friday. As it has been in the past few years, no African made the final cut in any of the seven categories. In the original shortlist released last month, only two Africans were in the 56- man list released last month across the four award categories of men footballers, coaches as well as women footballers and coaches.
They are Gabon’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the men’s footballers’ category and Nigeria’s Florence Omagbemi in the women’s coaches’ category. Both did not make the final cut in their categories.
It has been 22 years since an African; George Weah of Liberia won the FIFA Footballer of the Year Award in 1995. After him, Africa’s best showing were the third position of Cameroon’s Samuel Eto’o in 2005 and Didier Drogba of Cote d’Ivoire placing fourth in 2007.
Nigeria’s Austin Okocha who is one of the five FIFA legends helping to unveil the winners spoke with CNN on why African footballers have not featured prominently in the FIFA Awards.
Sports Village Square gathered from the cable network chat Okocha granted that different pressure African footballers faced were responsible for the poor showing.
According to the former Nigerian skipper and three time World Cup player, the environment that the African footballer grew up ultimately affected his mentality. “The African footballer faces the pressure to excel in European clubs that are often reluctant to sign players from Africa on lucrative contracts. The African footballer therefore faces the pressure to eradicate poverty and be successful in a field dominated by European footballers.
“The African footballer faces the pressure of playing in different setting as they also find it difficult to get signed on owing to the Africa Cup of Nations fixtures that affect the football calendar in Europe.
“The European clubs find it difficult to release the star African players for the Cup of Nations”, Okocha explained. But with the recent adjustment of the Africa Cup of Nations, the players may have more playing time and attention in the European football career.
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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