International Football
WE’RE MOTIVATED TO FLY PAST CAMEROON, SAYS ONOME EBI, SUPER FALCONS’ SKIPPER
Captain Onome Ebi has declared that the Super Falcons are in the right frame of mind to give their all and subdue Cameroon’s Lionesses in Tuesday’s Women Afcon semi final battle in Accra.
“We are in very high spirit. The entire team is well motivated. Our immense gratitude goes to our father, the President of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, as well as the NFF led by its President, Mr. Amaju Pinnick. The Government has done well to put us in good frame of mind and the NFF has done their own part. It is now for us to repay the good gestures.
“We know that if we continue to win, it means more money in our pockets. And surely, we want to win more and make more money. The Cameroonians cannot stop us from the World Cup or from retaining our Cup. The Cup is ours.”
The Falcons arrived Accra on Sunday and trained at the Priesec School in Legon, ahead of the official training at the Accra Sports Stadium on Monday evening.
Reigning African Woman Player of the Year, Asisat Oshoala, added: “Our captain has said it all. We are here and we are very happy because our welfare is being attended to. We have received from the NFF the things we have asked for, and we believe they are ready to do even more if we also do more.
“Losing to South Africa in our first match is a big lesson we have taken to heart, but we have put it at the back of our minds having learnt from it. Any team can lose if it doesn’t give its all, or fails to come to the party.
“On Tuesday, we will come to the party strong and focused and we will do the needful.”
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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