International Football
NIGERIAN BORN DAVID OLAOYE BECOMES FIRST ENGLISH SPEAKING FOOTBALLER IN ARGENTINA
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
The connection of Nigeria and Argentina football-wise recently took a new turn as David Olaoye became the first English footballer in the South American country. Olaoye is a Nigerian-born British citizen.
Both Nigeria and Argentina have met in every facet of men football at national level and have become rivals in almost every World Cup both jointly qualified for.
There have been five out of six instances both have had to belong to the same group.
As if to prove the football bond of both countries, Nigeria in 2012 appointed a former board member of the then Nigeria Football Association (NFA), Chive Kaave as its ambassador to Argentina.
Kaave’s ambassadorial appointment to Argentina was with concurrent accreditation to Peru, Chile and Paraguay.
David Olaoye has settled in Argentina
The focus on football in Argentina is now more than just finding out information on Nigeria’s World Cup opponent but also that of a Nigeria blood sweating making waves on the turfs of that country.
Olaoye, according to an on-line Argentina media group, the TyC Sports, Olaoye, a striker, arrived before TV cameras to feature for fourth division El Porvenir.
British tabloid, The Sun, added that the 21 year old David Olaoye started his career in the English non-league before moving to Greece and Slovenia. He began his career at non-league sides Newham, Ware Town and Barking in the United Kingdom before his footballing adventure took him to Greece and Slovenia before taking the huge decision to move to the southern hemisphere and play for El Porvenir in Argentina’s Primera C.
Born in Nigeria. The Olaoye twin brothers, David and Daniel.
The Olaoye twin brothers and their Nigerian mother.
David Olaoye has a twin brother, Daniel who is also experiencing a footballing odyssey in Sweden — playing for Nordvarmlands FF.
He last month made his debut for the Argentine club in a 1-1 draw with Berazategui. “I chose Argentina because the great players come from America and it’s a place where I felt I could to flourish and have a successful career, I just thought that ‘no English plays here’, ” Olaoye was quoted by TyC Sports to have told the British media.
He added: “I signed a contract for two years after arriving in August, but it took me a while to get my work permit and I was only able to play one month ago, here are passionate fans, they are crazy, in all divisions, in how they support his teams during the games.” Olaoye, who was born in Nigeria and then lived in London, revealed that his ultimate goal is to play for Arsenal in the Premier League, although he would like to fulfil the dream of playing with his twin, who is currently playing in Sweden. “We understand each other very well, many people get confused because we are identical,” he said. “To be honest, I do not think there’s anything anti-English here in Argentina, obviously I’ve heard about things from the past like the Falkland Islands War, but it has not been a problem for me,” he said.
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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