International Football
MIKEL OBI GOES FOR 80TH INTERNATIONAL CAP
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Super Eagles’ skipper, Mikel Obi is on the threshold of getting into the prestigious FIFA Century Club, an exclusive assembly of players who have made at least 100 international appearances.
With strong indications that Mikel will be featured in Friday’s game with Algeria, Sports Village Square can declare that he will be making his 80th appearance in proper grade A match for Nigeria.
Twenty more matches including the scheduled one with Argentina next week, other pre World Cup friendly matches and at least the three group games at Russia 2018, Mikel Obi may just clock 100 caps.
If fielded in Friday’s match with Algeria, Mikel will be, the fourth most capped Nigerian international after those of Vincent Enyeama (101 caps), Joseph Yobo (100) and the late Muda Lawal (86).
Incidentally, all those with over 80 international appearances have been captains of the Nigerian team.
Mikel made his international debut when he came in as a substitute for Chris Obodo in an August 17, 2005 friendly match with Libya in Tripoli. It was a trial match ahead of a 2006 World Cup qualifying match with Algeria, in Oran.
He also came in as a substitute for Wilson Oruma in Nigeria’s second group game with Zimbabwe in the Africa Cup of Nation duel in Port Said, Egypt on January 27, 2006.
His introduction was impactful as he almost immediately doubled Nigeria’s lead, scoring his first international goal. Apart from featuring in the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations quarter finals duel with Tunisia in Port Said, Mikel continued to make cameo appearances in the Super Eagles until disastrous 1-4 loss to Ghana in a friendly match on February 6, 2007 in London.
That was the last match for Austin Eguavoen as the team manager. He stepped aside for Germany’s Berti Vogts who watched from the side lines and signed his contract two days later.
In his 79 matches so far, he played as substitute or was substituted 18 times.
To his credit, Mikel has played all tiers of national team football for Nigeria and participated in all FIFA final competitions. Staring with 2003 Under 17 World Cup in Finland, the U-20 in the Netherlands in 2005, the Under 23 football tournament of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro 2016, the FIFA Confederation Cup in Brazil 2013, the FIFA World Cup in Brazil 2014 as well as featuring for Chelsea in the FIFA Club World Cup in 2012.
Though a midfielder, he scored six goals for Nigeria in the 79 matches he has played so far.
ALL MATCHES MIKEL OBI PLAYED FOR SUPER EAGLES
- August 17, 2005 (F-Tripoli) LIBYA 0 – 1 NIGERIA. (sub)
- January 27, 2006 (AFCON-Port Said) ZIMBABWE 0 – 2 NIGERIA. (sub) 1 goal
- February 4, 2006 (AFCON-Port Said) TUNISIA 1 – 1 NIGERIA * 5-6 pens
- February 7, 2006 (AFCON-Alexandria) COTE D’IVOIRE 1 – 0 NIGERIA. (sub)
- September 2, 2006 (AFCONq-Abuja) NIGERIA 2 – 0 NIGER. (sub)
- February 6, 2007 (F-London) GHANA 4 – 1 NIGERIA.
- March 24, 2007 (AFCONq-Abeokuta) NIGERIA 1 – 0 UGANDA.
- September 8, 2007 (AFCONq- Warri) NIGERIA 2 – 0 LESOTHO.
- October 14, 2007 (F- Mexico City) MEXICO 2 – 2 NIGERIA.
- January 21, 2008 (AFCON- Sekondi) COTE D’IVOIRE 1 – 0 NIGERIA.
- January 25, 2008 (AFCON- Sekondi) MALI 0 – 0 NIGERIA.
- January 29, 2008 (AFCON- Sekondi) BENIN 0 – 2 NIGERIA. (1 goal)
- February 3, 2008 (AFCON- Accra) GHANA 2 – 1 NIGERIA. (sub)
- May 27, 2008 (F- Graz) AUSTRIA 1 – 1 NIGERIA.
- June 1, 2008 (WCq- Abuja) NIGERIA 2 – 0 SOUTH AFRICA.
- June 7, 2008 (WCq-Freetown) SIERRA LEONE 0 – 1 NIGERIA. (sub)
- June 21, 2008 (WCq- Abuja) NIGERIA 2 – 0 EQUATORIAL GUINEA. (sub)
- February 11, 2009 (F-London) JAMAICA 0 – 0 NIGERIA.
- March 29, 2009 (WCq-Maputo) MOZAMBIQUE 0 -0 NIGERIA.
- June 20, 2009 (WCq-Rades) TUNISIA 0 -0 NIGERIA
- September 6, 2009 (WCq-Abuja) NIGERIA 2 – 2 TUNISIA
- November 14, 2009 (WCq-Nairobi) KENYA 2 – 3 NIGERIA.
- January 6, 2010 (F- Durban) ZAMBIA 0 – 0 NIGERIA. (sub)
- January 12, 2010 (AFCON- Benguela) EGYPT 3 – 1 NIGERIA. (sub)
- January 16, 2010 (AFCON- Benguela) BENIN 0 – 1 NIGERIA.
- January 20, 2010 (AFCON- Lubango) MOZAMBIQUE 0 – 3 NIGERIA.
- January 25, 2010 (AFCON- Lubango) ZAMBIA 0 – 0 NIGERIA (aet) 4-5 pens
- January 28. 2010 (AFCON- Luanda) GHANA 1 – 0 NIGERIA.
- January 30, 2010 (AFCON- Benguela) ALGERIA 0 – 1 NIGERIA. (sub)
- September 5, 2010 (AFCONq – Calabar) NIGERIA 2- 0 MADAGASCAR (sub)
- March 29, 2011 (F- Abuja) NIGERIA 3- 0 KENYA
- June 1, 2011 ( F- Abuja) NIGERIA 4- 1 ARGENTINA
- June 5, 2011 ( AFCONq- Addis Ababa) ETHIOPIA 2-2 NIGERIA
- September 3, 2011 (AFCONq- Antananarivo) MADAGASCAR 0-2 NIGERIA
- September 6, 2011 ( F- Dhaka) ARGENTINA 3-1 NIGERIA (sub)
- October 8, 2011 ( AFCONq-Abuja) NIGERIA 2-2 GUINEA
- October 11, 2011 (F-London) NIGERIA 0-0 GHANA (sub)
- October 13, 2012 (AFCONq – Calabar) NIGERIA 6-1 LIBERIA (1 goal pen)
- January 9, 2013 (F – Faro) CAPE VERDE 0-0 NIGERIA
- January 21, 2013 (AFCON – Nelspruit) BURKINA FASO 1-1 NIGERIA
- January 25, 2013 (AFCON – Nelspruit) ZAMBIA 1-1 NIGERIA
- January 29, 2013 (AFCON – Rustenburg) ETHIOPIA 0-2 NIGERIA (sub)
- February 3, 2013 (AFCON – Rustenburg) COTE D’IVOIRE 1-2 NIGERIA
- February 6, 2013 (AFCON – Durban) MALI 1-4 NIGERIA
- February 10, 2013 (AFCON – J’burg) BURKINA FASO 0-1 NIGERIA
- March 23, 2013 (WCq- Calabar) NIGERIA 1-1 KENYA
- June 5, 2013 (WCq – Nairobi) KENYA 0-1 NIGERIA
- June 12, 2013 (WCq- Windhoek) NAMIBIA 1-1 NIGERIA
- June 17, 2013 (Confed – Belo Horizonte) TAHITI 1-6 NIGERIA
- June 20, 2013 (Confed – Salvador) URUGUAY 2-1 NIGERIA (1 goal)
- June 23, 2013 (Confed – Fortaleza) SPAIN 3-0 NIGERIA
- September 7, 2013 (WCq – Calabar) NIGERIA 2-0 MALAWI
- October 13, 2013 (WCq- Addis Ababa) ETHIOPIA 1-2 NIGERIA
- November 16, 2013 (WCq- Calabar) NIGERIA 2-0 ETHIOPIA
- November 18, 2013 (F- London) ITALY 2-2 NIGERIA
- March 6, 2014(F- Georgia) MEXICO 0-0 NIGERIA
- June 4, 2014 (F- Pennsylvania) GREECE 0-0 NIGERIA
- June 7, 2014 (F- Florida) USA 2-1 NIGERIA (sub)
- n June 16, 2014 (WC- Curitiba) IRAN 0-0 NIGERIA
- June 21. 2014 (WC- Cuiaba) BOSNIA HERZEGOVINA 0-1 NIGERIA
- June 25, 2014 (WC-Porto Alegre) ARGENTINA 3-2 NIGERIA
- June 30, 2014 (WC- Brasilia) FRANCE 2-0 NIGERIA
- September 6, 2014 (AFCONq- Calabar) NIGERIA 2-3 CONGO
- September 10, 2014 (AFCONq- Cape Town) SOUTH AFRICA 0-0 NIGERIA
- October 11, 2014 (AFCONq – Khartoum) SUDAN 1-0 NIGERIA
- October 15. 2014 (AFCONq – Abuja) NIGERIA 3-1 SUDAN
- November 15, 2014 (AFCONq- Pointe Noire) CONGO 0-2 NIGERIA
- November 19, 2014 (AFCONq- Uyo) NIGERIA 2-2 SOUTH AFRICA
- October 8, 2015 (F- Vise, Belgium) DR CONGO 2-0 NIGERIA. (sub)
- October 11, 2015 (F-Vise, Belgium) CAMEROON 0-3 NIGERIA. (sub)
- November 13, 2015 (WCq- Lobamba) SWAZILAND 0-0 NIGERIA. (sub)
- March 25, 2016 (AFCONq- Kaduna) NIGERIA 1-1 EGYPT.
- March 29, 2016 (AFCONq- Alexandria) EGYPT 1-0 NIGERIA.
- September 3, 2016 (AFCONq -Uyo) NIGERIA 1-0 TANZANIA. (sub)
- October 9, 2016 (WCq -Ndola) ZAMBIA 1-2 NIGERIA.
- November 12, 2016 (WCq -Uyo) NIGERIA 3-1 ALGERIA. (sub, 1 goal)
- September 1, 2017 (WCq -Uyo) NIGERIA 4-0 CAMEROON (sub, 1 goal)
- September 4, 2017 (WCq -Yaoundé) CAMEROON 1-1 NIGERIA
- October 7, 2017 (WCq -Uyo) NIGERIA 1-0 ZAMBIA
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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