International Football
ARGENTINE HOOLIGANS COULD BE BARRED FROM WORLD CUP DUEL WITH SUPER EAGLES
Argentina may be without their ever intimidating supporters when they face the Super Eagles in a World Cup potentially explosive match on June 26 in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
The match comes up a day and four years after their last World Cup clash at Port Alegre, a Brazilian border town with Argentina. Even though the former two-time World Cup holders won the match 3-2, it was not without the usual harassment of Nigerian supporters by the Argentine hooligans.
A Nigerian journalist, the late Felix Okugbe was dispossessed of his electronic note book by the Argentine hooligans after the epic encounter.
Record of thefts and harassment of Argentine hooligans has raised concern with the government which is making efforts to save the country’s image. One of the step is the compilation of names of known hooligans who must be prevented from travelling to Russia.
Agency reports have it that the Argentine government on Tuesday confirmed that it will sign an accord with Russia aimed at preventing the country’s more than 3,000 hooligans from attending the Russia 2018 World Cup.
In view of this development, the new deal, which will be formally signed in the coming days, includes the names of fans banned from Argentine soccer grounds and other known members of the notorious Barras Bravas, the organised fan groups who have wreaked havoc at local stadiums.
“A list of 400 names of Argentines who will not be able to enter stadiums was handed over and it is estimated that the definitive database we send will have around 3000 names,” said Guillermo Madero, the national director of security at Argentine football matches.
A fan of Argentine soccer team Boca Juniors confronts police during riots after celebrations of Boca Juniors Fan Day in downtown Buenos Aires December 12, 2013. REUTERS/Marcos Brindicci (ARGENTINA – Tags: SPORT SOCCER CIVIL UNREST) – RTX16G4S
The information will be shared with airlines and Russian immigration authorities and Argentine officials say the Fan ID, which supporters get when they buy tickets to the games, will act as another barrier.
Argentina will also send six law enforcement officials to Russia to help coordinate with local police and officials from the other 30 competing nations.
The Barras are fixtures at most top Argentine clubs and have been responsible for much of the violence that has sullied the domestic game in recent years.
In addition to launching violent attacks on other fans, and sometimes even players, they control the sale of some tickets and are often involved in other illegal activities outside football.
Sometimes, security men had to use water canon to disperse riotous Argentine fans.
Argentine media have reported that Barras from Boca Juniors met with their counterparts from Russian clubs Dynamo Moscow and Zenit St Petersburg in February and officials are taking as many preventive measures as possible.
“We believe that the barras will go to Russia whatever but they are not going to get into the grounds,” said Juan Manuel Lugones, the executive secretary of the agency set up to prevent violence at sports events in Buenos Aires.
Some 44 882 Argentines have bought tickets for the tournament, according to the latest FIFA figures.
The match with the Super Eagles will be the fifth in six World Cup tournaments that both countries have jointly qualified for. Previous encounters have been keen contested and Argentina won all by the odd goal.
Even the encounters at the two Olympic football tournaments that both featured were also keenly contest with victories equally shared and also by the odd goal. Nigeria won the Olympic gold medal in 1996 beating Argentina 2-1 while Argentina did the same at Beijing 2008 winning 1-0.
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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