International Football
MESSI MADE THE DIFFERENCE IN OUR CLASH WITH ARGENTINA, SAYS ROHR
BY BOLAJI OKUNOLA.
The fear of Lionel Messi could be the beginning of wisdom, if comments of Nigeria’s manager, Gernot Rohr are anything to by. The Nigerian coach told French publication, football365.fr that the absence of Messi made the difference in the 4-2 victory Nigeria recorded over the former two-time World Cup holders last month in Russia.
The German-born tactician who has found France a comfortable abode remarked that his team would have found it difficult to wreck Argentina in Krasnodar the way the Super Eagles did if Lionel Messi had featured.
The iconic footballer almost singlehandedly got the Russia 2018 ticket for Argentina as the former champions were almost at the brink of missing out. He was excused from the Nigerian match three days after playing for Argentina against Russia.
Perhaps, Jorge Sampaoli released him for club assignments believing he had enough materials to deal with Nigeria. His computation was almost coming true when Argentina took a two goal-lead in the opening 28 minutes before Nigeria started a dramatic come-back performance.
“We beat Argentina in a friendly last month. But Argentina played without Lionel Messi is not the same team,” remarked Rohr.
Incidentally, Messi has featured five times in matches against Nigeria, but had scored only in two of such matches.
The first was in the U-20 FIFA World Cup of 2005 when his two penalty kick goals sealed a 2-1 victory against Nigeria in the final. The other was at the 2014 World Cup when he scored twice in a 3-2 win over a turbo-charged Super Eagles.
In other instances, Messi shot blank. The first was the final match of the 2008 Beijing Olympics football tournament. Then followed that of 2010 World Cup and a friendly match in Dhaka, Bangladesh in 2011 in which Messi failed to score.
But Rohr remarked that it won’t be easy beating the Argentine in next year FIFA World Cup, after both team were pitched in group D, alongside Croatia and Iceland.
“Moreover, Argentina is also a big team. We know them. They are a very big team. We will not make a mistake thinking that we know them.”
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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