International Football
“IF THERE IS A TEAM TO BEAT NIGERIA AT HOME, IT IS ZAMBIA”, SAYS KALUSHA BWALYA
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Ahead of the Nigeria versus Zambia encounter which undoubtedly is the pick of the pack of the series of World Cup qualifying matches in Africa this weekend, the mind game has started in earnest.
Zambia’s greatest ever footballer, Kalusha Bwalya has thrown the first dice as he has expectedly marshalled the Chipolopolo to play the game of their lives on Saturday. In a facebook post this Tuesday, Kalusha is confident that his compatriots will be able to upstage Nigeria at home on Saturday.
He wrote: “if there is a team that can beat Nigeria in Nigeria it is Chipolopolo”. Kalusha, a former president of the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) wrote that the Wedson Nyirenda-tutored Chipolopolo is composed of young virile strikers and experienced players who can upset Nigeria in Uyo.
“I feel that Zambia has done exceptionally well especially in the last two games against Algeria.
Last year’s match at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium between the two sides (Zambia 1-2 Nigeria) and the result is now history and will not have an effect in this Saturday’s game,” remarked Kalusha in his facebook post.
He went on to remark that the pressure will be more on Nigeria. “This Saturday game will be a high-pressure match and I feel playing at home, Nigeria will be more under pressure. This can work to Zambia’s advantage. I have always had great respect for the Super Eagles and its array of world-class players but if there is a team that can beat Nigeria in Nigeria it is Chipolopolo.
The former PSV striker believes this is Zambia’s most important match of the Russia 2018 qualifiers.
“Notwithstanding , it is important to acknowledge the value of the Nigeria encounter and that it is the most important game Zambia will play in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers.
“The current squad has players who are able to score at any given opportunity and the boys are in good form coming into this match.
“A team needs to score a goal in any game and this team has potential goal-scorers. The young guns have brought a new dimension to the team.
“Never has the experience of goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene, Stoppila Sunzu’s marshalling of the defensive line, Enock Mwepu emergence as a midfield brain with the finishing of Patson Daka upfront been required than in this crucial match.
“I expect a solid entertaining match with end to end action. If you look at all the African Groups in this World Cup FIFA 2018 qualifying series, coming into the last two games, each team is fighting for those important valuable points”.
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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