International Football
WITCH DOCTOR AIDS MESSI-INSPIRED ARGENTINA TO PICK WORLD CUP TICKET
Argentina did the unthinkable on Tuesday night picking a World Cup ticket at the brink of either losing out or at best having to go through a play-off to qualify.
But that was not the case, Argentina which had its qualification in jeopardy owing to poor runs made a dramatic turnaround to beat Ecuador 3-1 and qualify after Brazil also handed a helping hand by beating Chile 3-0 to aid Argentina’s direct qualification instead of going through a play-off with New Zealand.
That is as far as sport is concerned. But Sports Village square has gathered from Washington Post that Black Magic aided Messi and the rest of La Albiceleste. The newspaper quoted two Argentine publications, TyC Sports and La Clarin which reported that a sorcerer called Manuel was flown to Ecuador to cast magic wands that will aid Argentina beat their hosts.
It was claimed that the man with a shoulder-length mullet flew to Ecuador to “bring good energy” to the team, which has floundered badly in the World Cup qualifiers and is in danger of being eliminated from making the tournament for the first time since 1970.
Sensing the team’s desperation, former Argentine midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron, who claims Manuel helped local squad Estudiantes de La Plata win the 2009 Copa Libertadores, reportedly recommended Manuel’s services to Argentine Football Association (AFA) head, Claudio Tapia.
The AFA apparently would not confirm or deny it had enlisted Manuel’s services, although reports claim he was spotted in the team’s hotel in Guayaquil, Ecuador, and later in Quito, where the Albiceleste took on Ecuador on Tuesday night.
It’s unclear what Manuel’s “spiritual guidance” entailed, although one follower of Manuel in his hometown of Garina in Argentina, told La Clarin, Manuel does not rely on “dark arts.”
“He sees a lot of things that others do not,” the woman, who did not provide her name to the Argentine newspaper, La Clarin said. “He has a special energy.”
Before Tuesday’s match, Argentina had only won once in Quito, where the home team tends to have the advantage due to the city’s high altitude. The city of Quito is 9,350 feet above sea level, which can tire out players used to lower elevations more easily than those acclimatized to the
The 3-1 win guaranteed Argentina qualification as Brazil beat Chile in another match played simultaneously with that of Ecuador versus Argentina.
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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